Irish Baby Passport Photo

Infant and baby passport photo - Ireland

Are you planning your first international trip with your new baby or young child? If so - it’s time for you to get their first Irish passport! Remember that your baby must be an Irish citizen to qualify for and be granted an Irish passport. Also, they must have their own passport, they cannot be included on a parent's passport, with a biometric passport photo. If you want to get a baby passport photo in Ireland, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with all the requirements, to avoid common mistakes, which could lead to the rejection of your application.

Irish baby passport photo guidelines

Applying online for a passport

If you want to apply for your child’s passport using the Passport Online Service, you must be able to pay by credit or debit card, have access to a printer and be able to provide a digital baby passport photo. Even though you are applying online, you will still need to send some documentation by post to the Passport Office, before they will begin processing your completed application form. This will include your child’s birth certificate and a child passport identity and consent form, which will be generated for you as part of the application process. 

A poor quality passport photo will cause your application to be rejected, so remember;

• You must provide a digital baby passport photo. To take a photo at home you can use either a digital camera or a smartphone (phone with Android or iPhone).
• The photo needs to have been taken in the last 6 months.
• The size of the passport photo for a baby must not be less than 715 pixels (width) and 951 pixels (height). Be careful, your photo also cannot be larger than 9 MB.
• All baby passport photos online must be in JPEG format.
• The photo must be in colour, black and white photos will not be accepted. This ensures that the natural colours of your baby’s hair and eyes are visible.
• The photo must be clear and sharp, with no blurring. 
• The photo must not have compression, loss or compression artefacts.
• Witnesses must confirm that the image you have taken of your child is a true likeness of him/her.

Applying by paper application form

If you apply for an Irish Baby Passport by paper application form:

• You must include 4 identical photos.
• Passport baby photos must have been taken within the last 6 months.
• The correct photo size is a minimum of 35 x 45mm, maximum of 38 x 50mm.
• The photo has to be printed on good-quality paper with a high resolution.
• Two of the photos must be signed on the back by witnesses of the application process.

In Ireland, a baby passport photo should show a close up of the baby’s face, so it covers between 70% and 80% of the image. If the baby is a newborn, it can occupy less space in the passport photo. The picture must be in sharp focus, without any ink marks, creases or other damage.

Newborn Irish passport photo

Fortunately, Irish passport baby photo requirements for children are less stringent than for adults. If possible, your child should comply with all the usual requirements, but if they are a very young baby, it is acceptable for them not to have their eyes fully open or their mouth closed. Additionally, very young babies can smile, make grimaces or yawn – they can show any facial expression.

However, the passport office does insist that there are no other objects in the photo, like toys, pacifiers or soothers as they may cover the baby's face. Additionally, there should not be any other people in the photo, so if you need to support your child, make sure that your hands and arms are not visible.

Irish baby passport photo guidelines - a recap

• Background. The background of the photo needs to be completely plain, white or light-coloured. There cannot be any objects or other people in the background. 
• Lighting and Shadows. Try to balance the lighting and colour to ensure the photo is not too dark, too light or uneven. Shadows on the baby’s face and in the background are not allowed. Natural light, particularly daylight, will allow you to better capture natural colours.
• Quality. The photo must be high-resolution and of good quality. The image cannot be pixelated, overexposed or underexposed. Natural lighting should reflect the natural tone of your child's skin.
• Head and Face. The baby passport photo should show a full-face front view, and your child’s face must not be covered by anything. Very young babies do not have to have their eyes open or look directly at the camera. It is good to place the camera parallel to the face because the head must be centred in the photo.

Guide on how to make a passport photo for a baby

We recommend taking a passport photo of your baby yourself, at home, in familiar surroundings. It is a good way to save some money and to ensure the process is not stressful for your child. Try to prepare your baby for their close-up (feed the baby first and let them sleep, before taking a picture). This will ensure they are happy and content when you take their photo. Don’t worry about multiple takes – you can take as many pictures as you want, as long as your baby remains happy to continue.

How to take your baby’s passport photo at home?

The best way to prepare is to lay the newborn on their back on a plain, light-coloured sheet or blanket and take a photo from above. It is not essential, but try to make the baby look at the camera by catching their attention with their favourite toys, which can be positioned close to the lens. To ensure a good shot, use a digital camera or your smartphone (iPhone or phone with Android)

Lighting conditions for baby passport photographs

Try to choose a spot where there is plenty of natural light (daylight), which is the best way to avoid unwanted shadows. Lighting should be very soft and not too dazzling for the child. Try to diffuse the light from several sources, or simply close some curtains if the room is already too bright.

Baby position for the infant passport photo

The head must be centred in the photo, covering more than 70% of the frame. Place your baby on the light-coloured sheet on a bed and let the infant lay calmly. You may also support your baby’s head with a rolled blanket or with a hand, but they cannot be visible. The photo should show the whole head, neck and upper shoulders.

What mistakes to avoid on a baby passport photo?

Ensure your application is accepted first time, by meeting all the requirements listed above! There are lots of baby passport photo guidelines available, but a lot of people still make these simple mistakes. Let's have a look at what you should avoid.

• An unacceptable background. It must be plain, white, off-white, light grey or cream, with no objects visible.
• An incorrect pose or facial expression. Generally, your posture should be straight, head centred, facing forwards. Greater flexibility is allowed for babies.
• Shadows, red-eye effect, or blurry photo. Balanced lighting is essential
• Uploading photos that are too old, not taken within the last 6 months.

Irish baby passport photo online tool

Our instant passport photo maker will help you with your baby passport photographs. All you have to do is to upload a picture of your child to the Passport Photo Online website or our smartphone app (available on Android or iOS) and we will frame it perfectly. Our photo cropping tool can resize your photo if needed. Our tools will also automatically change your background to make it a suitable colour. After that, our AI passport photo checker and human inspectors will assess your photo to make sure it fits all of the official guidelines. If the image needs work, simply take and upload another one! We’ll only charge you for the final version. Once we confirm your picture’s compliance with the rules, your photo is ready to go! All of this is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be accessed anywhere you are, perfect for fitting around your busy lifestyle. We recommend that you use our professional help to make this process easier and quicker for you! You can even save up to 40% on your passport photos - now that’s a good deal!

Last update: 30/03/2023