Canadian Baby Passport Photo

Infant & Baby Passport Photo

If you are planning to apply for a Canadian passport for your baby, you must know that there are some differences required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Make sure you are familiar with all the guidelines before taking a picture of a small baby or a newborn. Here you can find tips and requirements for a baby passport photo.

Baby Passport Photo Requirements

When applying for Canadian passport, you need to attach 2 color and printed photographs. They have to be taken no earlier than 6 months before the day you submit your baby’s application. It’s very important that the image reflects the most recent look of your child. For this reason, the IRCC requires both photos to be signed on the back with the date the photo was taken. Also, you need to write there a statement “I certify this to be a true likeness of (child’s name)” and leave your signature in the back.

The proper size of baby passport photo is 50 mm wide x 70 mm long (2 × 2 3/4 inches). Please note that this is an unusual size of a passport picture, so you cannot use an image taken for other travel documents, especially foreign documents (e.g. a photo for a U.S. passport). The face must be at height between 31 and 30 mm of the frame measured from the tip of the hair to the chin (which is between 1 ¼ and 1 7/16 inches). Correct frame covers the entire head, neck and part of the shoulders.

You should print the infant passport photo on plain, high-quality photo paper. The IRCC warns that printing a baby passport photo on heavy or unprofessional paper will result in the document application being rejected.

Background

The background for the passport child photo must have a clear and uniform background. If you are unsure of the background type, it's best to take a picture against a white and clear background. There must be no shadows on the ears, shoulders or in the background. If it is a newborn passport photo, there must be no fragments of the parent's arms in the back. If you want to photograph your child sitting on a baby chair, spread a white sheet over it.

Position

It can be a challenge for a child, especially a small one, to get the correct position. That’s why it’s worth using a few tips on how to position your child appropriately for the image. In the case of a baby passport photo, IRCC requires a frontal position towards the camera (as from adults). 

The child's face and shoulders must point directly towards the lens. While a few-year-olds will easily position themselves in the picture, there may be problems with babies and newborns. In such a situation, it is recommended to sit the child on a feeding chair. For a newborn passport photo you can place a clean white sheet on the floor, lay down your baby and take a picture from the top. If your baby can already sit up alone, you can slide your hand behind the back of your baby's clothing and keep the head straight at the height of the neck. You just need to make sure that there are no fingers in the frame.

Face

The entire face must be visible so that it reflects the biometric features of the baby. The child should have a natural facial expression in the picture, without smiles or grimaces. The eyes and mouth should be closed, but in the case of newborns, an open mouth is allowed. The face should be centered on the camera axis. The face cannot be tilted to either side, and half-profile photos are not accepted.

Eyes

Baby passport photo rules requires the baby’s eyes to be entirely opened. Only newborn children are sometimes allowed to have eyes partially narrowed. Note that the horizontal line of the eyes must run parallel to the horizontal edges of the frame.

Accessories, headwear and glasses

All hair accessories and headgear must be removed for the image. The child may wear medical glasses, but the lenses must not contain any visible reflexes. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are not accepted. Also toys, pacifiers, bottles or blankets cannot be visible in the picture.

Clothing

For Baby passport photo it is best to dress the child in colorful everyday clothes, but white and black should be avoided. These colors disturb the contrast between the face and background of the photo, so the photo may get rejected.

Baby Passport Photo Guidelines

Here is a list of useful tips to help you increase your chances of getting the correct photo for your child for a Canada Passport:

• Baby passport photo size: 50 × 70 mm width x height (2 × 2 3/4 inches).
• The face is between 31 and 30 mm of the frame (1 ¼ and 1 7/16 inches).
• Face and body facing the camera.
• The face is fully visible — a biometric photo of the child.
• Make sure the head is centered in the frame area.
• The frame covers the entire head, neck and part of the shoulders.
• Eyes are open and mouth is closed.
• Newborn passport photo — slightly open mouth and slightly closed eyes allowed.
• Image on a white and clean background.
• No shadows on the background, on the face and on the shoulders.
• You can put a small child on a child's chair and spread a white sheet on it.
• You can put the newborn on a cloth on the floor, which will create a white background for the photo.
• Attach 2 printed color photos to the application.
• Pictures printed on photo paper.
• Photos signed under the title: date of taking, declaration, parent's signature.

Last update: 2023-06-07