A U.S. baby passport photo has to be 2×2 inches, with the head between 1 and 1⅜ inches tall, on a plain white or off-white background, with no one else in the picture. Babies get two breaks that adults don't: their eyes can be closed, and their head can be supported, as long as whoever is holding it stays out of sight.
Below: the official rules with sources, the questions parents ask most, and how other countries differ. If you already have a shot, you can make a baby passport photo online and we'll check it against these rules before you pay.
U.S. baby passport photo rules, in the State Department's words
The U.S. Department of State sets the rules on its Passport Photos page, in the DS-11 form instructions, and in its internal manual (8 FAM 402.1). The lines that matter most for a baby:
- Size and head: the photo is 2×2 in. "Head must be 1-1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head" (DS-11 instructions).
- Background: "Background must be white or off-white, free of shadows, and plain without texture, objects, or lines."
- Babies and toddlers: place your child "on a plain white or off-white sheet. You can also cover a car seat with the sheet."
- Shadows: "Make sure there are no shadows on your child's face."
- Other people: "No other person can be in the photo."
- Edits: "Submit the original, unedited photo without filters or digital changes."
- Age of the photo: "Taken less than six months ago" (DS-11 instructions).
A passport for a child under 16 can't be renewed. You apply in person with form DS-11 every time and hand over one color photo printed on matte or glossy photo paper. Don't staple it to the form; the acceptance agent attaches it after checking it.
US passport photo requirements for infants: what's relaxed
Three things are eased for infants:
- Eyes. "It is okay if a baby's eyes are not entirely open. All other children must have their eyes open." The manual adds that partly or fully closed eyes are acceptable for infants, especially newborns.
- Head support. An infant's head may be "discreetly supported," which means someone can hold it as long as they don't show up in the photo.
- Head tilt. "Head tilt is acceptable for infants" (8 FAM 402.1).
What stays the same as for adults: a plain white or off-white background, no shadows on the face, nothing covering the face (a pacifier that hides part of it is listed as unacceptable), a neutral expression, no red eye, and no digital changes.
The rules don't name an age where "baby" ends. If your child can sit up and look at the camera, plan on eyes open.
Baby passport photo questions, answered
Can a baby's eyes be closed in a passport photo?
For a U.S. passport, yes. A sleeping newborn is fine, and for many parents it's the easiest photo to get. The UK also accepts closed eyes under age 1. New Zealand is stricter: the photo "should show the baby's entire face with their eyes open." Australia requires open eyes from age 3 and doesn't say either way for younger children.
Can a baby smile in a passport photo?
The U.S. asks for a neutral expression and treats exaggerated expressions as unacceptable. A soft, relaxed face is what you're after; a wide grin or a cry is a risk. The UK is more relaxed: children under 6 don't need a neutral expression. Australia asks for a neutral expression from age 3.
Can a baby's mouth be open?
The State Department's pages don't single out an open mouth. They ask for a neutral expression, so aim for a calm face; a yawn or a cry is the kind of exaggerated expression that gets rejected. Australia says outright that children under 3 may have their mouth open, and the UK's examiner guidance lets children under 6 have their mouth open.
Is a small shadow okay?
Not by the U.S. rules: the background must be "free of shadows" and there should be no shadows on your child's face. Shadows and uneven light on the cheeks are among the most common reasons parents say a baby photo was sent back. Face a window and skip the flash. The UK's examiner guidance is a little softer: small shadows under the chin or behind the ears can pass if the face isn't covered.
Can my hands be in the photo?
No. "No other person can be in the photo," and the State Department lists a hand covering the child's face as unacceptable. You may support the head, but do it out of frame: lay the baby flat, or slide your hand under the sheet. The UK says the same thing directly ("your hand must not be visible in the photo"), and Australia lists "Parent's hand in photo" as a reason for rejection.
What should a baby wear for a passport photo?
The State Department pages we checked don't set a dress code for babies. The rules that do apply: the whole face must be visible, and the head is measured to the top of the head, so it needs to show in full. Parents who got it right on the first try usually put the baby in a plain colored onesie, which stands out against a white sheet better than a white one, and left off hats and big headbands so the top of the head shows. Keep blankets and collars clear of the face and chin.
Does a baby passport photo need to be signed?
For a U.S. passport, we didn't find any signing requirement on the State Department's photo pages; you hand the unsigned photo to the acceptance agent with the DS-11. Other countries are different:
- UK (paper form): when your form needs a countersignatory, they sign the back of one of the two photos.
- Australia: for a child's passport, the guarantor signs the back of one photo and writes "This is a true photo of [child's full name]."
- New Zealand: for online applications, your identity referee doesn't sign the photo. A first paper application needs a witness to write the applicant's full name, sign and date the back of one photo.
How long is a baby passport photo valid?
The photo has to be recent when you apply: within the last 6 months for the U.S., New Zealand and Australia, and within the last month for the UK. Babies change fast, so take the photo shortly before you apply. For how long the passport itself lasts, see the State Department's child passport page.
What size is a baby passport photo, and how big should the head be?
For the U.S.: 2×2 in (51×51 mm), with the head 1–1⅜ in (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. Measure to the top of the head, not to a puff of hair. If your baby's head measures 7/8 in on a 2×2 print, it's below the U.S. range and the photo needs to be cropped closer. For other countries, see the table below.
What background color does a baby passport photo need?
The U.S. wants plain white or off-white; a blue background is listed as unacceptable. A white sheet pulled smooth is the simplest way there, because folds read as shadows. Other countries allow more: the UK takes a plain light background for digital photos and cream or light gray for printed ones, New Zealand a plain light color, and Australia plain white or light gray.
Baby passport photo requirements by country
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you submit | 1 print, in person with DS-11 | Online: digital photo. Paper form: 2 identical prints | Online: digital JPG | 2 prints, lodged at a post office |
| Size | 2×2 in (51×51 mm) | Digital: at least 600×750 px, don't crop it. Print: 35×45 mm | 3:4, 900–4500 × 1200–6000 px, 250 KB–5 MB | 35–40 mm wide × 45–50 mm high |
| Head (chin to crown) | 1–1⅜ in | Print: 29–34 mm | Not published | 32–36 mm |
| Background | White or off-white | Digital: plain light color. Print: cream or light gray | Plain light color | Plain white or light gray |
| Eyes | May be closed for babies | May be closed under age 1 | Must be open | Open from age 3 |
| Hands | No other person in the photo | Hand must not be visible | No other people or objects | Parent's hand = rejected |
| Taken within | 6 months | 1 month | 6 months | 6 months |
| Make it | Make a baby passport photo online | Create a UK baby passport photo | Create an NZ baby passport photo | Create an Australian baby passport photo |
Sources: travel.state.gov, gov.uk, passports.govt.nz, passports.gov.au.
The full rules for each country are below: UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and India.
United Kingdom: the rules for babies
The UK takes a digital photo online, or 2 identical prints with a paper form.
- Digital: at least 600×750 px, 50 KB–10 MB. Show head, shoulders and upper body, uncropped; the system crops it.
- Printed: 35×45 mm, head 29–34 mm from crown to chin, no border. Examiners reject glossy paper.
- Background: plain light color; cream or light gray for prints.
- Babies: under 1, eyes may be closed; lay them on a light sheet and shoot from above. Under 6, a neutral expression isn't required.
- Hands and objects: "your hand must not be visible in the photo." No dummies or toys.
- Taken within: the last month.
- Also rejected: mirrored photos and, since 8 December 2025, children's photos with a white bar at the bottom.
Source: gov.uk
What photo services add (their advice, not official rules):
- PhotoAiD suggests a rolled-up blanket under the head and promises 200% back if HM Passport Office rejects the photo.
- It adds a free print template for paper forms, to print at Asda, Tesco or Boots.
Why baby photos get rejected (parents' reports):
- The online checker often flags a baby's gaze, tilt or shadows. In one thread, 9 of 11 families who got the passport had seen a warning first.
- Spotlight shadows and wrinkled sheets meant repeated uploads.
Create a UK baby passport photo
Ireland: the rules for babies
Ireland takes a digital photo online, or 4 identical prints with a paper form.
- Online: a home photo is fine if someone else takes it (no selfies). Color JPEG, at least 715×951 px, up to 9 MB.
- Printed: 35×45 mm to 38×50 mm, head to mid torso with space around it. A witness signs the back of 2.
- Background: plain light gray, white or cream; no shadows.
- Babies: if they can't support themselves, lay them on a plain, white surface. No closed-eyes exception is given; aim for a natural face, mouth closed.
- Hands and objects: no one else, no supporting hand or arm, no soothers.
- Crop tool: up to 36 months, Passport Online lets you frame the face yourself.
- Edits: photos "must not be digitally altered or edited in any way."
- Taken within: the last 6 months.
Source: ireland.ie
What photo services add (their advice, not official rules):
- PhotoAiD suggests a white sheet and promises acceptance or double your money back.
- Visafoto explains the baby crop tool and promises a full refund if the photo is rejected.
Why baby photos get rejected (we found no Irish reports; these come from countries with similar rules):
- A parent's hand in the frame.
- A tiny fold in the sheet, or a dot of shadow behind the ear.
Create an Irish baby passport photo
New Zealand: the rules for babies
New Zealand takes a digital photo online, and it's the one country here that wants a baby's eyes open.
- File: color JPG, 3:4, 900–4500 × 1200–6000 px, 250 KB–5 MB. No scans of prints.
- Framing: head centered with space above and at the sides, shoulders and upper chest showing. No head size is published.
- Background: plain and light, contrasting with the face; no shadows or objects behind the head.
- Babies: lay them on a plain, light-colored sheet and shoot from above. "The photo should show the baby's entire face with their eyes open."
- Hands and objects: "No other people or objects should be visible."
- Edits: no filters or AI changes to how your child looks; cropping is fine.
- Taken within: the last 6 months.
Source: passports.govt.nz
What photo services add (their advice, not official rules):
- Passport Photo Online and Visafoto suggest shooting a burst or video and picking the best frame.
- One parent reports PhotoAiD re-edited a rejected photo twice until it passed.
Why baby photos get rejected (parents' reports):
- A pale gray sheet; a reshoot on white passed.
- Children's heads too small, rejected several times before a closer crop passed.
- A checker-approved photo rejected by a person: a checker pass isn't approval.
Create an NZ baby passport photo
Australia: the rules for babies
Australia takes 2 printed photos, lodged in person at a participating post office.
- Size: 35–40 × 45–50 mm; chin to crown 32–36 mm.
- Print: color, dye-sublimation (not inkjet), glossy paper of at least 200 gsm.
- Background: plain white or light gray, even light, no shadows or reflections.
- Under 3: the mouth may be open. From 3: eyes open, neutral expression. Closed eyes for babies aren't addressed.
- Unacceptable: "Parent's hand in photo", "Object in the photo", skin smoothing, a background "not plain and edited".
- Taken within: the last 6 months.
- Guarantor: signs the back of one photo, "This is a true photo of [child's full name]."
The Passport Office doesn't recommend online photo services or apps. Source: passports.gov.au
What photo services add (their advice, not official rules):
- Parents report PhotoAiD and Passport Photo Online standardizing a home shot, and ePassportPhoto printing one.
- PhotoAiD advertises a double money-back guarantee.
Why baby photos get rejected (parents' reports):
- Home prints refused at two post offices before a post office photo worked.
- A counter warned an edited newborn photo would likely fail, yet the passport was issued.
Create an Australian baby passport photo
India: the rules for children under 4
Children under 4 bring their own photo; from 4, it's taken at the PSK or POPSK. Your child attends either way.
- Size: 4.5×3.5 cm, not smaller than the box on the form.
- Framing: face 80–85% of the photo, top of hair to chin, both ears visible.
- Background: plain white; dark backgrounds aren't accepted.
- Eyes: open and clearly visible, with no exception for babies. Natural expression, facing the camera.
- Light: even, no shadows, flash glare or red eye.
- Print: good-quality photo paper; a "computer print will not be accepted". Unsigned, not cut from a group photo.
- Clothes: the FAQ asks for dark colors, not a uniform.
- Taken within: "recent"; no number of months is given.
Source: passportindia.gov.in
What photo services add (their advice, not official rules):
- PhotoAiD suggests shooting in the morning and holding up a toy to catch your child's eye.
- Visafoto and Passport Photo Online suggest a burst, then picking the frame with both eyes open.
Why baby photos get rejected (we found no Indian reports; these come from countries with similar rules):
- A gray rather than white sheet.
- A head too small in the frame.
Create an Indian baby passport photo
Countries where a home photo won't work
We don't make photos for these three passports. Here's why, from each government's own rules:
- Canada. A child's passport photos "must be taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio." The photographer writes or stamps the date and the studio's name and address on the back of one photo, photos printed at home aren't accepted, and Canada lists changing the background, including removing shadows, as an alteration that gets an application rejected. (canada.ca)
- Germany. Since May 1, 2025, passport offices in Germany no longer accept paper photos. The photo is taken at the office, or by a registered photo service that sends it through a secure, certified cloud. German missions abroad may still take printed photos; check with yours. (bmi.bund.de)
- France. The photo must be taken by an authorized professional photographer or in an approved photo booth, with no exception for babies. France also doesn't allow a white background; it asks for a light color such as light blue or light gray. (service-public.fr)
What we do, and what's still on you
You take the photo and apply in person. We check the shot against the rules above (light, shadows, hands, pacifiers, and eyes where required), crop the head to your country's size and tell you how to fix anything that fails. Then we clean the background without touching your baby's face or outline and size it for your country: a digital file plus a 4×6 print sheet. Checks and a watermarked preview are free with no sign-up; you pay only when you unlock the photo (from $7.99). We're not a government agency; the passport office makes the final call. If it rejects a photo you made with us, contact our support (chat on this site or email) with the rejection notice and we'll refund you in full.
For the shooting itself, read how to take a baby passport photo at home, or see accepted and rejected examples before you start.