Why Was My Australian Baby Passport Photo Rejected?

Baby passport photos – they’re never an easy task. It’s quite a challenge to get your baby to maintain a neutral facial expression or sit up straight and look at the camera. Many Australian baby passport photos don’t get approved by passport offices due to even minor mistakes. Are you dealing with a rejected infant passport photo? Don’t despair just yet – read our guide on how to improve your child’s passport photo and avoid rejection at your next attempt!

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Reasons for baby passport photo rejection

The issuance of an Australian passport for an infant requires 2 (two) identical photos in the correct size: 35 – 40mm wide and 45 – 50mm high. The baby’s head should take up a minimum of 32mm and a maximum of 36mm of the entire photo. The passport picture cannot be older than 6 (six) months.

An Australian infant passport photo may not be accepted for a number of reasons. The most common reasons for baby passport photo rejections are:

the photos are digitally enhanced
a “red-eye” effect
the photos are out of focus/blurry
the background is not uniform and/or other people are visible in the photo
shadows or glare
the baby’s face isn’t centred
the baby’s eyes are closed
baby’s wearing a head covering (unless used for medical reasons).

How to take a good baby passport photo

Before you grab that digital camera and sit your infant down, consider some basics for taking that perfect baby passport photo. The good news is that infants under 3 (three) years of age can get away with having their mouth open in their biometric photos. Other than that, they must stick to all the guidelines set forth for everyone else.

Background in baby passport photos

A plain background is a very important aspect of every passport photo, and infants are not exempt from this rule. Make sure you have the appropriate background in your baby’s passport photo: white or light grey background is a must so that your baby’s face is in contrast with it. You can have your baby lie down on a white or light grey blanket or towel, or even sit in their baby carrier as long as you place a white piece of untextured cloth behind their head.

Your baby’s outfit in their passport photo

The major point of a biometric photo is for the subject’s face to be as clearly visible as possible, with as few distractions as possible. Your infant should be dressed in a plain, contrasting outfit – nothing over-the-top or too flashy; a plain colored onesie will be perfect. Try to avoid ‘extreme’ hues such as white or black since they may provide too much contrast.

Lighting in Australian baby passport photos

The best idea is to opt for natural light for your baby’s Australian passport photo because it will bring out their true skin tone and won’t look artificial. Pick a nice, sunny day (however not too sunny as the photo shots may end up too bright) to take the passport photos. The image must have equally distributed lighting on both sides of the baby’s face and absolutely no shadows are allowed. If it’s impossible for you to work with natural light, try using overhead lighting – when your baby is positioned on a white or light grey surface, take as many photo shots as possible with the camera parallel to your baby’s head. You will definitely be able to pick a baby photo suitable for an Australian passport!

Your baby’s position in their Australian passport photo

Because babies are well known for their desire to fidget and move around, some parents choose to hold their children upright for their passport photos. However, this move is frowned upon, because no other objects or people can be seen in an Australian baby passport photo (or any other passport photo for that matter). “Other objects” also include hands, but if you can manage to hold your baby upright without your hands showing in the photo, you’re all set. Pro tip: place a small pillow or towel under your baby’s head to prevent it from turning, so you can get a frontal shot.

Extra items in your baby’s Australian passport photos

We’ve already touched upon the forbidden objects in your baby’s passport photos, so here’s just a brief recap: as much as your baby may love their pacifier or toys, these items cannot be part of the passport picture. This also includes jewellery or any hair accessories such as bows or hair pins. Your baby should be the main focus of their own passport photo.

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Get baby passport photos with Passport Photo Online

In today’s fast-paced world, many things are done online, and passport photos are one of them. You can be your own professional photographer without having to look for a photo booth or other photo services. Let us introduce you to Passport Photo Online – a quality passport photo application available in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

This online tool’s AI software will prepare your baby’s photo for their Australian passport in roughly 5 (five) minutes. Your only job is to upload an already existing image to the app (or the Passport Photo Online website) or take a new photo with the app’s built-in camera. The baby passport photo will go through a process of cropping, resizing, adjusting the appropriate background, removing shadows, and most importantly, verification by an expert – all in accordance with the Australian government standards for passport photos.

Passport Photo Online offers an acceptance guarantee or a double refund for those photos that don’t get accepted by the passport office. For a flat fee of 9.95 AUD, you can order your professional digital passport photos, and for just 14.95 AUD you will get digital copies as well as printed photos sent to your address.

Rejected infant passport photo: FAQ

In this section you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding Australian baby passport photos.

What are the reasons for a rejected infant passport photo?

An Australian baby passport photo may be rejected because of red-eye, being too bright or too dark, being too blurry, the baby’s head not being centred, a busy/distracting background, shadows, or the baby’s eyes being closed.

Can a baby have their mouth open in an Australian passport photo?

Yes, infants under 3 (three) years of age can have their mouth open in their Australian passport photos.

Can I hold my baby for the Australian passport photo?

No – no other persons or objects are allowed in the baby’s passport photo.

Final thoughts

There are a few very important guidelines to pay attention to when trying to take a correct Australian baby passport photo. You can take your infant’s passport picture yourself if you just follow the steps mentioned in this post, and Passport Photo Online will guarantee you expert-verified images that comply with the Australian government requirements. Keep in mind that digitally enhanced pictures are not allowed, and make sure to use the appropriate background and natural light for best results.

Sources

Take a infant passport photo

Magdalena Ostropolska

Magda is an art & travel expert who is passionate about all things late-Victorian, history, languages, casa museos, Spain, and food illustration. She is a specialist in the field of biometric photography. Magda also loves reading, creative writing, and hanging out with her three cats.