UK Baby Passport Photo: How to Take It at Home

UK Baby Passport Photo Requirements: F.A.Q.

1. Why get my child's passport photo here?

   Baby Photo at Home

   Get the perfect baby passport photo without leaving home! Here’s how our service works: take a usual picture of your kid and upload it here to convert it into a perfect photo for your child’s passport. Our tool is suitable for kids of all ages—whether you need a photo of an infant or a grown-up kid, we’ll make a valid picture usable as a proof of the child’s identity.

   100% Photo Guarantee

   A trained UK expert will check your baby passport photo to ensure it’s accepted by HM Passport Office. We’ll verify all important parameters (size, pixels, DPI, contrast, etc.) so that you get it right the first time. If your picture isn’t accepted (which is very unlikely), you’ll get a full refund—we give a money-back guarantee.

   Take Pictures Online

   Get a baby passport photo right now (so you don’t have to take your kid to a photo booth or a studio). Just take a usual picture of your child and upload it here: we’ll crop it and remove the background (faster than any photo booths or studios). Then, you’ll have two options to choose from. Option one: find a service where you can order a set of newborn passport photos printed on high-quality photographic paper. Option two: simply download a digital photo at home and use it during online submission for your kid’s new travel document.

   Apply Faster & Easier

   Save time and take a valid UK baby passport photo here! After processing and verification, you’ll get a digital picture and a photo code (to use the online application service at gov.uk) and a 4×6 template (to print out and apply by post). Plus, you can use your new baby pictures for other popular documents as well.

   Convenient Tool

   Get a UK baby passport photo at your own home so that it’s comfortable for both of you. When your child is awake and happy, seize the moment and use our tool. This way you get to save both your time and your money on making your child’s new document!

   Powered by Technology

   Add a digital photo from your iOS or Android phone, and PhotoBooth Online will convert it into a valid baby passport photo. In fact, you can get a picture using any device: a camera or tablet will do, too. In any case, you’ll get an image suitable for applying online.

   Satisfaction Guarantee

   Get a valid image for applying online instantly. Or print your digital copy at a photo printing centre from a phone or USB drive. We guarantee acceptance: every template made here complies with the last update in the baby passport photo requirements effective in the UK.

   Any Time Your Kid’s Ready

   We work 24/7, so you can take a perfect biometric photo conveniently whenever you’re ready for your child’s passport photo session. Take your time to dress the infant properly: remove the head covering, tinted glasses, and other objects your baby may have. Then, you can take as many photo shots as you want (each try is free) and pick the best baby passport photo from what you have just taken.

   Easy Formatting

   Already have a digital photo of your kiddo? Transform it into a ready-made baby passport photo! Upload it to our website, and we’ll set the correct size and background on the fly. The headshot will be cropped to 35 mm x 45 mm as provided in the last update to the official requirements for British passport photos of toddlers.

   High Quality

   We make digital photos of professional quality with high DPI, so your document prints won’t be blurry or pixelated. Once your baby’s passport photo is ready, you can download several identical pictures in high resolution and apply for a baby passport online. In case you don’t feel like applying online, you can order a set of printouts in any store or photo shop.

   Acceptance Guarantee

   Our app verifies images per the British requirements for schoolers, pre-schoolers, toddlers, very young children and newborns to meet the government’s rules. Parents can send approved infant passport photo printouts through a post office or submit an online application for their underage child.

   Appearance in Focus

   A baby passport photo must show the whole head (it mustn’t be covered), hair, baby’s eyes, plain expression of its face, slightly opened mouth or a natural smile, eyebrows, neck, upper shoulders and upper body. Once you take your perfect biometric photo conveniently, you’ll get a preview to make sure it’s good.

   Free Preview of Your Image

   Some other online passport service may ask you to pay before even making you a proper new baby photo. We value your trust, so we won’t do that. On the photo upload page, you and your little one will get a free preview of your baby passport photos.

   Perfect Infant Photo

   If kids could choose pictures for their passports, they’d definitely pick the best ones. Do your little one a favour and pick the most beautiful baby passport picture. We don’t have any photo upload limits, so try converting one after another and see what looks best.

   Fast Processing

   As a rule, parents have little spare time when taking care of their children: going out to have a UK passport photo taken might well take ages. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be long and stressful. Since every minute counts, use PhotoBooth Online, it’s the fastest way to do it.

   Children-Friendly

   Decided to go to a photo shop to take a baby passport photo near you? This can work, but the session won’t be too comfortable, and the staff might not be as patient as you are. Give yourself peace of mind and do the whole thing at home with your phone.

2. How to take a passport photo of a toddler?

   Taking baby’s pictures may be a quite difficult parental responsibility, not to say frustrating: your photo can be rejected for so many reasons! Still, even toddlers must follow the baby passport photo requirements—otherwise, your photo won’t help to confirm the child’s identity. These tips and details will help you take a correct size printed photo for your child passport in accordance with the baby passport photo requirements (i.e. with suitable width, height, tilt, and body position). There’s no need to be a professional photographer! And remember: the best principle to follow when taking a baby photo at home is to focus and keep calm.

   Here are some guidelines for a perfect passport photo without stress:

    

   1. Set up a light-coloured background (this can be a light grey or white sheet, for instance). Please note that this step won’t be necessary if you’ll use our professional service. Here, you can upload a picture with any backdrop and we’ll replace it with a plain background typically used in baby passport photos
   2. Make use of all available natural light. It’s best if you find a room with at least two windows with daylight coming in. If the natural light is too bright, use curtains to diffuse it. Your main goal here is to ensure even lighting and eliminate any shadows in your infant passport photo
   3. Sit the baby straight on a high chair so that there is no tilt and their head and shoulders are even. If your child can walk already, try to have them stand still, if possible. When taking a baby passport photo, it may also be a good idea to lay your kiddo on a flat surface and take a picture from above (ensure that the baby’s hands aren’t visible in the photo and that the entire head is in the frame)
   4. Keep the camera at the toddler’s eye level. If your kid is under six, the UK passport photo rules don’t require them to look directly at the camera or keep a strictly neutral facial expression. A strict rule for a biometric photo: make sure they have their eyes open and mouth closed (if a child one is one year old or younger, they can have their eyes closed in their baby passport photo). If the child keeps crying or getting distracted, you can use toys to draw their attention and make them look at you (but do not use dummies)
   5. Find the right moment when your kiddo isn’t crying or laughing and is facing the camera. This will be a perfect moment for you to take a baby passport picture (or better yet, make a lot of those). Remember: do not use flash! First of all, it’s very likely to upset the child. Second, it won’t even make good lighting as flash produces a sharp light that creates shadows. Take several pictures
   6. Once you’ve finished taking photos, choose one that fits the above criteria best. A valid headshot should be clear and not have any shadows on your child’s face or the backdrop

3. How to take newborn babies' passport photos at home?

   Parents of a newborn can take pictures for any popular documents at their own home, too. The formula for your success includes an iPhone or Android camera phone, light-coloured background, and an awake child in a good mood.

   Some guidelines for taking a digital baby passport photo near instantly at home:

    

   1. Dress your infant in casual clothes. There’s no strict dress code for children but ensure that your little one isn’t wearing anything too bright. Also, make sure there’s no head covering or other accessories (like dummies) visible in the photo
   2. Lay a plain white sheet or some blankets on an even surface to use as the backdrop (the colour should be off-white). Put the baby on the sheet on its back
   3. If the natural lighting is not good enough, turn on the lights so that the baby’s face and entire head are evenly lit (avoid the red eye effect, it’s unacceptable in UK baby passport photos)
   4. If needed, hold toys up to grab the baby’s attention (the toy can’t be in the frame). Please note that children under 6 do not need to look directly into the camera—it’ll be enough for them to just face the objective lens (this might make things a whole lot easier)
   5. Find a moment when your child looks directly at your camera phone and keeps their eyes open. Please keep in mind that if the baby is one year old or younger, this is not necessary, but the face should still be visible in the photo
   6. Take the photo or, better yet, capture multiple infant’s photos in a few seconds. Remember to keep the kid in focus!

    
   Don’t use any PhotoShop or Instagram filters. Keep the original clear face-centred shot made with a smartphone or DSLR camera. Don’t apply a frame or borders.

4. How to get a UK baby passport photo near me?

   To make the whole thing as fast as possible, get your baby passport picture here at the PhotoBooth Online website. Then you can try applying online with a JPEG baby photograph or submit in person with a printed newborn’s picture. In the latter case, you attach the photographs to the supporting documents (a paper form and the birth or child adoption certificate, for example).
    
   The quality of a baby passport photo matters a lot. If you provide a poor-quality image file or prints, your passport application might be rejected.
    
   The first step to the perfect baby picture for documents is to find a room with good lighting and a white wall. To get a perfect picture, a light-coloured background should be used (as given in the official baby passport photo requirements). The second step is to make sure your kid is facing the camera or your phone correctly. Put it on the eyes level of your baby (children under 6 do not have to look directly at the objective lens).
    
   Then take a digital photo (or several shots) and convert your images at the PhotoBooth Online web app page (simply hit the photo upload button and select the image you need to convert). Once our tool gets the image, it will trim and crop it to fit the governmentally accepted 35 mm x 45 mm proportions. A UK passport photo of this format may be used for online applications.
    
   The last step is to apply with your new baby photos for documents. After parents take the photo for baby passports, they can submit the printouts attached to a paper application form. Alternatively, they can verify their photograph with the gov website for submitting quickly through the online application form.

5. Where to take a UK baby passport photo near me?

   As a rule, there should be a number of available options in your neighbourhood:
    

   • Carry your baby straight to a nearby chain store. This is likely to be the cheapest of the paid variants, but the place may not have the equipment needed for a digital infant passport photo session. Plus, the lights in many stores are too bright for the little one to open his or her eyes properly.
   • Go to a post office or public library. This option is more or less the same in terms of the price and convenience, but the chances of the equipment not being there are even higher. To top it off, the staff at such places may be reluctant to spend their working time on the side duty of taking a baby passport photo when asked.
   • Visit a photographic services studio like Snappy Snaps, which will definitely have all the means and conditions needed but will cost you way more that the first two variants.
   • Hiring a freelance photographer might be the golden mean but bear in mind that in this case, you’ll have to scan through a lot of professional photographers. The need for thorough research makes this option far too time-consuming for a mere baby passport photo.
   • Use a biometric photo booth near you. Frankly speaking, we wouldn’t recommend it at all, but we have to give you the full context. In theory, you could use one of these machines to take a photo. But in practice, they are too confined, shabby and obsolete to try a session there.

    
   As you see, each way has one or more major cons to balance out its pros. However, you can avoid all the possible stress and money waste: take a photo of your baby at home and crop it here at our UK online service.

6. Where to get baby passport photos done online?

   If you think that the places in your neighbourhood (like your local store or photo booths) aren’t good enough for taking a printed or digital infant passport photo, there’s an efficient alternative. Save time and money by taking your newborn passport photo right at home when your baby is well-fed and in a good mood! And even they are not, it won’t be a big deal: any decent digital service will let you take as many photo shots as you want.
    
   It’s worth noting that the baby passport photo services on the market are quite numerous, and the majority are paid (and not everyone has a money-back guarantee). In case you don’t want to pay for something you haven’t even tried yet, give PhotoBooth Online a go!
    
   But first, take a photo of your kiddo on your smartphone (to turn it into a valid baby passport photo later). Ensure that the baby’s head and upper shoulders are fully visible and that he or she is facing the camera (children under 6 don’t need to look directly at the camera though) with a more or less neutral facial expression. Please note that the baby’s hands must not be visible (or parents hands, for that matter). As soon as you’ve got a perfect photo, access our website and hit that photo upload button!
    
   Once your future baby passport photo is uploaded, we will process it in mere seconds: cut it to the correct ratio, make sure the baby’s head is positioned correctly and replace the background with a light grey backdrop similar to a white sheet. You can use the resulting baby photo for online submission or reproduce it on high-quality photographic paper and submit a child passport application with the printed photos by post.
    
   Quite convenient, isn’t it? To top it all off, people of any age can use our UK passport photo tool, whether they need a shot for their travel document or some other popular documents!

7. What is acceptable for a UK baby's passport photo according to the requirements?

   HMPO standards for children aren’t much different than the ones for adults. But the child’s passport application process is more flexible in terms of the requirements for the baby’s face, head, hair, neck and body, baby’s hands, and accepted code of conduct.
    
   To apply for a child passport, you have to provide two 35 mm x 45 mm printouts of professional quality. These printed photos must be taken during the last month.
    
   It’s okay if the baby is not sitting still, but other UK passport photo rules remain the same:
    

   • a right size full-face headshot
   • straight look into the objective lens
   • baby’s eyes open and visible
   • a plain light-coloured background
   • no toys or other objects in hands
   • no frame
   • no head coverings or glasses accepted
   • submitting a file modified by a selfie editing site or services isn’t allowed either

    
   If you need to learn more about the baby passport photo requirements, make sure to visit the official website of the UK passport office: https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports (specifically, you’ll need the section titled “Photos of babies and children”). The government page contains a lot of information helpful to those who want to take a digital passport photo at home by themselves.
    
   Once you ensure you’re in line with all the standards, you can upload your digital photo to the same website.

8. What should baby wear for passport photo?

   His Majesty’ Government doesn’t provide any specific dress code for your little one to follow. So, since there aren’t any strict rules, you can dress your baby for close-up pictures as you usually do.
    
   However, make sure that the clothes are not too brightly-coloured. As much as you’d want your baby passport photo to stand out, his or her apparel should be somewhat neutral (which also means no bow, toys or other stylish accessories). The safest option here is to choose something of plain colour that makes a good contrast to the background.
    
   But it’s not only about the upper body clothing, there are also a number of rules on the allowed headwear. For instance, your baby can’t wear hats or other head covers, the only exception is made for religious attire.
    
   Also, some parents want to make pictures more interesting by putting sunglasses on their children. Obviously, it’s unreasonable, and the baby passport photo regulations in England are pretty strict in that respect – you must remove glasses or lenses temporarily, even if they are needed for medical reasons only.
    
   If you follow these simple rules carefully, your baby passport application with digital or printed photos should be accepted without any problems.