Taking a compliant passport photo of a wriggly baby can be tricky. Follow these six simple steps to get a clear, government-ready photo at home.
Avoid using a flash, which can cause red-eye or harsh reflections. Instead, place your baby in a bright room with soft, indirect daylight. Try to keep the lighting even across the face so natural skin tones appear clearly.
For newborns and babies who cannot sit up yet, place a plain white or light-coloured sheet on a flat surface and lay the baby on their back. This helps create a clean background and reduces shadows without needing extra support.
You can use toys behind the camera to help your baby look forward, but make sure nothing appears in the photo. Toys, pacifiers, or parents’ hands must not be visible. The final image should show only the child against a plain background.
Hold your phone or camera level with the baby’s eyes. If the baby is lying down, stand directly above them. Keep the face centered and fully visible, without tilting the head.
Babies move quickly, so take several photos in a row using your phone’s burst mode. This increases the chances of getting a shot where the baby is looking forward and the head is straight.
Upload your best photo to our platform. We automatically adjust it to meet the height and width requirement and check it against the official Australian Passport Office standards, so it’s ready for submission.
Australian passport photos must be 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high. The distance from the chin to the top of the head must be between 32 mm and 36 mm. The face should be centered and fully visible.
Dress your child in clothing that contrasts with the light background. Glasses are not allowed unless they cannot be removed for medical reasons (with a certificate). Jewellery and piercings are permitted if they do not reflect light or cover facial features.
The photo must have a plain white or light background with no shadows or creases. Digital retouching of facial features is not allowed — the image must show the child exactly as they appear.
Photos should be printed in colour using dye-sublimation printing rather than inkjet. Use glossy, heavyweight photo paper with a minimum weight of 200 gsm.

Complete guide to Australian baby passport photos: a DIY tutorial for parents, official photo requirements, and examples.
Written by: PhotoBooth Online Team
Updated: 12/03/26
In a nutshell, casual clothes of neutral colours will be a perfect choice (make sure they’ll make a clear contrast with the plain white background).
Plus, there are a few other dress code rules:
The Australian Passport Office recommends that you take your pictures in one of the following places:
However, post offices are the only places where you can be sure the staff will take your baby’s passport photos. Other places may not offer this service, so it’s better to phone them ahead and make sure.
As a more time-efficient alternative, you can get digital and printed baby passport photos using an online service like PhotoBooth Online.
There are three ways to do that: