Newborn and infant passport photos
Same size rules as an adult photo, a very different technique. Here's how people actually get a usable shot of a baby who won't sit still.
Every child needs their own passport
Even a newborn needs an individual passport to travel internationally. There's no adding a baby to a parent's passport in the US, UK, India, Canada, Australia, or Bangladesh, so a proper newborn photo is one of the first hurdles before you can even submit the application.
Two ways people usually do this
Lay the baby down. Put the baby on their back on a plain white sheet or blanket, on a bed or the floor, and shoot from directly above with the camera pointed straight down. This sidesteps the whole problem of holding a baby upright and still while also keeping yourself out of frame. Just watch for shadows from the camera or your own body falling across the baby's face.
Hold the baby against a wall. Prop the baby against a plain white wall or backdrop with a hand supporting them from behind, kept fully out of the shot. This tends to work better once the baby can hold their head up on their own.
Expression: the one rule that relaxes
Every country on this site loosens the strict neutral-expression rule for infants, for the obvious reason that you can't ask a baby to look neutral on command. A closed mouth still helps if you can manage it, but crying, an open mouth, or eyes that aren't dead center are usually fine for young infants in a way they wouldn't be for an adult. Take a bunch of shots back to back. Babies change expression fast, and you only need to land one good frame.
What still applies, no exceptions
- Plain white or off-white background, no patterns, toys, or other objects in frame
- No other person, hand, or piece of clothing visible anywhere in the photo
- No pacifiers, hats, or head coverings
- Even lighting on the baby's face, no hard shadows
- The same physical print size and pixel dimensions as an adult passport photo for that country
Once you've got a shot you're happy with, crop it to your country's exact spec below. The head-height guide adjusts automatically whether you're cropping for an adult or an infant.
Crop the photo now
Frequently asked questions
How do you take a passport photo of a newborn?
Lay the baby flat on a plain white sheet or blanket and shoot from directly above, or hold the baby up against a plain white wall with your hands and arms kept out of frame. Same size and background rules as an adult photo, the only real difference is technique.
Do infant passport photos need a neutral expression too?
No, and this is really the one exception across the board. A closed mouth still helps, but crying, a slightly open mouth, or a gaze that's not perfectly centered are usually fine for babies under a certain age (typically under 6 months to a year, depending on the country). Nobody's expecting a baby to hold a neutral expression on command.
Can someone hold the baby in the passport photo?
Yes, but that person can't show up in the photo at all: no hands, arms, clothing, or shoulder in frame. The usual trick is a plain white sheet behind and under the baby, with the supporting hand tucked underneath where it won't show.
Can a baby's eyes be closed in a passport photo?
Some countries allow it for very young infants, since open eyes on demand aren't always realistic. Still, worth trying for open eyes first. Babies tend to open and close their eyes within a second or two of each other, so a burst of a few photos usually gets you one with eyes open.
What size is a newborn passport photo?
The exact same physical size as an adult photo for that country. A US infant passport photo is still 2x2in (51x51mm), for example. Only the head-height guide and the expression tolerance change for infants, not the overall print or digital size.