Get Your Baby Passport Photo Done Right Away [In 3 Mins]

If you’re a parent looking to get a passport for your child, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the necessary details you need to know about compliant baby passport photos—your first step to ensuring your child's passport application goes smoothly!

Read on to find out the technical requirements established by the Canadian government, additional guidelines, and where and how to secure biometric pictures that will be accepted by any Canadian passport office.

Important! Note that if your child has turned 16, they no longer qualify for a child passport. To get a new document or renew their current passport, teenagers above the age of 16 must apply for an adult passport.

Understanding baby passport photo requirements

Navigating Canadian passport photo requirements can be overwhelming, especially when you’re faced with the task of applying for a travel document on behalf of a minor. But worry not! 

The following sections will guide you through all baby passport photo requirements and leave you nothing short of well-informed.

Baby Passport Photo Requirements Explained

Note #1: What qualifies as digital alterations? Look at these examples of what you can’t do with your passport photos:

• Removing glare or red-eye effect
• Removing blemishes or scars
• Enhancing the image’s brightness, contrast, or sharpness
• Applying any social media filters made to enhance your natural appearance

How to prepare your baby for a passport photo: fine details

Now that you’re familiar with the technical requirements for your child’s Canadian passport photo, let’s cover additional guidelines the photo must meet.

• Clothing: Your children should wear darker-coloured clothes, preferably free of any patterns. Younger children and newborns can wear a onesie
• Hair: Make sure your child’s face is fully visible. So, for longer hair, it might be best to opt for a ponytail
• Accessories: Your child isn’t allowed to have any objects with them in the photo. Toys or pacifiers are prohibited
• Headgear: Allowed only for religious or medical purposes
• Glasses: Children with glasses are allowed to keep them for the photo, but make sure they: don’t cast shadows, produce glare, or cover the child’s eyes
• Posture: All applicants should face the camera directly, with their head and shoulders visible. However, newborns and young babies are allowed to look away from the camera
• Facial expression: Smiling, frowning, or grinning is not allowed. Children should maintain a neutral expression, with their eyes open and mouths closed. Newborns may display a wider range of facial expressions (as long as they’re not crying or sleeping)
• Background: If your baby is too young to sit up straight, you can place them on a white blanket and snap the photo from above

Note #2: One of your baby’s passport photos must be signed on the back by the:

• Guarantor: They should certify the true likeness of the child in the photo by writing the following statement: “I certify this to be a true likeness of (child’s name)”
• Photographer/studio: They must write the studio’s full address and the date your photo was taken

Have a look at the visual examples below to get an idea of what your child’s Canadian passport photo should not look like.

Examples of Unacceptable Minor’s Passport Photos

Unless your child is a toddler, they must keep their mouth closed and look straight at the camera lens.	No other objects (including the parents’ hands) can be visible in the photograph.	Children must keep a neutral facial expression, i.e., no frowning, grinning, or smiling is allowed.

Where to take a baby passport photo

If you’re looking for a place to take Canadian passport photos, you can: visit a local photographer, find a big-box retailer offering photo-taking services, or choose to take your baby’s photo yourself at home (keep reading to discover your online options).

Below, we summarized the essential details of three popular brick-and-mortar passport photo providers: 

Staples

Staples’ passport photo services are available at several locations in Canada. You can find a store nearby using their website. Here’s what the chain offers:

• No need to make an appointment in advance—walk-ins are welcome
• Printed passport photos or digital copies
• Pictures for adult and children’s official documents (including visa photos)
• Guaranteed acceptance or retakes of rejected photos at no additional cost

Unfortunately, the website doesn’t list prices for their passport photo services, so it’s best to contact your preferred store and inquire about specifics.

Henry’s

Henry’s, a well-known camera shop available in 20 locations across Canada, is another option to get high-quality passport photos. Based on their offer:

• You can get your photos taken and printed within 15 minutes—no appointment required
• You’ll get printed photocopies and a digital image sent to your inbox
• The prices start at $24.99 (may vary depending on the location)

* The average time will likely be longer when taking passport photos of children.

CA baby passport photos—online options

No convenient location in your area? Or maybe you don’t want to stress your newborn with a trip to the photo studio? Fret not! You can now be your baby’s professional photographer—all you need is a smartphone. 

Download a reliable photo app dedicated to biometric passport photos and snap children's passport photos. No hassle, stress, or even stepping outside—you can now get pictures for official Canadian documents entirely from home, ready for a passport application with a few taps. 

To save your time, we tested the most popular applications on the market. Have a look at the comparison chart below to make an informed decision.

Sources:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/photos.html

https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/pdf/photospecs-e.pdf