Baby Passport Photo
A newborn cannot sit up or look at a lens on cue, yet the passport office applies almost the adult rules. Photograph the baby lying on a plain sheet, upload the picture, and the crop, head size and white background follow the US 2 × 2 in spec.
Passport Photo
or drop JPG, JPEG, JFIF … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Quality is lowered until the photo is at or just under this size; tiny files are padded up to the spec's minimum.
300 DPI is the print standard for passport photos; a 35×45 mm photo is then 413×531 px.
Place several copies on a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo print or an A4 page, ready for a photo kiosk or home printer.
How many photos on the sheet. A 4×6 in print fits 6 photos of 2×2 in or 6 of 35×45 mm; an A4 sheet fits more.
How to use this tool
- 1
Photograph from above
Lay the baby on a plain white sheet near a window and shoot straight down. Take ten or more frames; one will have open eyes.
- 2
Fit the face to the guide
The page starts on US passport & visa — 2×2 in with a white Background. Auto-centre face places the head and the Head-size guide marks the 1 to 1 3/8 in band.
- 3
Print the sheet
Print layout is a 4×6 in sheet with six copies and Cut lines. Order it as a normal photo print and trim one copy for Form DS-11.
A US baby passport photo follows the adult spec: 2 × 2 in, head 1 to 1 3/8 in, plain white or off-white background, no other person or hands in view, taken in the last six months.
Baby passport photo requirements by country
| Country | Photo size | Background | Max KB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USUnited States, child passport (DS-11) | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm), head 25–35 mm | White or off-white | — | travel.state.gov |
| GBUnited Kingdom, printed photo | 45 × 35 mm, head 29–34 mm | Plain cream or light grey | — | gov.uk |
| GBUnited Kingdom, digital photo | At least 600 × 750 px | Plain, light-colored | 50 KB – 10 MB | gov.uk |
| INIndia, children under 4 | 4.5 × 3.5 cm print | White | — | passportindia.gov.in |
| US · GB · GB · IN | ||||
The numbers match the adult spec; what differs is what officers tolerate. The UK is the most explicit: babies under one may have closed eyes, children under six need not look straight at the camera, and the photo must be from the last month. The US accepts a picture up to six months old but still asks for open eyes, so a sleeping newborn is the usual reason parents have to retake it.
India adds a twist: adults are photographed at the Passport Seva Kendra counter, but for children below four the parent brings a 4.5 × 3.5 cm print on white, as the Indian passport photo size page explains. Other countries are listed on the passport photo maker.
How to take a baby passport photo at home
Spread a white sheet on a bed beside a window, lay the baby on their back and hold the phone level directly above the face.
- Keep your own shadow off the sheet
- Switch off ceiling lights
Drape a white sheet over an infant car seat, buckle the baby in and shoot at eye level from about 1 m.
- The seat supports the head, no hand needed
- Creases vanish when the background is replaced
Sit the child on a chair against a plain wall with a parent behind the camera to catch their attention, and take many frames.
- No hats, headbands or bows
- Shoot at the child's eye height
Baby passport photo size: print and digital
51 × 51 mm
US print
2 × 2 in, 600 × 600 px
35 × 45 mm
UK print
600 × 750 px minimum digital
35 × 45 mm
India, under 4
4.5 × 3.5 cm on white
4 × 6 in
4 × 6 in sheet
Six 2 × 2 in copies
Infant passport photo mistakes that get photos rejected
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Shoot in soft daylight from a side window | Let a parent's hand, arm or lap show |
| Show the whole head, crown to chin | Leave a pacifier, bottle or toy in frame |
| Keep the mouth closed or nearly closed | Use a beauty filter or portrait blur |
| Print on photo paper, not office paper | Crop the baby out of a group photo |
Infant passport photo questions
Does a newborn need a passport photo at all?
Yes. Every US passport, even for a baby a few days old, needs a photo of that child alone. The application is made in person on Form DS-11, usually with both parents, and a child's passport is valid for five years.
What if my baby's eyes are closed in every shot?
For a US passport, keep trying: the State Department asks for open eyes. Shoot right after a feed or a nap and use burst mode. The UK is more lenient; its guidance says children under one do not have to have their eyes open.
Can I hold my baby up for the photo?
Only if no part of you shows. The UK allows a hand behind the head as long as it is not visible, and the US rejects photos with another person in them. Lying the baby flat is more reliable than hiding under a sheet.
Is a pacifier or a toy allowed in the picture?
No. Take out the pacifier and keep toys, bottles and blankets out of the frame. The UK names dummies and toys explicitly, and US agents reject anything that covers or crowds the face. More detail is in baby and infant passport photo rules.
Will the background swap remove the sheet's creases and shadows?
Background set to White replaces everything around the baby with flat white, so sheet creases disappear. Shadows on the face itself stay, so light the baby evenly from a window rather than a lamp overhead.