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Rules • Tips • Tool • 2026

Baby Passport Photos at Home

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Capture a compliant passport photo for your little one with confidence. Upload any photo, and we'll expertly transform it into a government-approved image – guaranteed.
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Your Ultimate Guide & Tool for Your Baby Passport Photo

  1. How-To

    How to take an infant passport photo?

    It’s not a secret that almost all parents panic when they try to take passport photos for their baby. Follow the simple photo guidelines and shoot a picture without stress.
     

    1. Find a plain background like an off-white wall, towel, sheet, or blanket, and make sure it’s evenly lit
    2. Put your infant on it
    3. Ask him or her to look in the camera or smartphone, keep a neutral facial expression, eyes open, mouth closed
    4. Or hold a toy above your digital camera or phone to attract attention
    5. Take a picture in high resolution
    6. Ensure that there are no shadows on the face
  2. Places

    Where to take baby’s passport photo?

    Nowadays, each parent has plenty of photo taking options. You can take passport photos of your baby at home, in a photograph studio, in a Walmart, in a pharmacy like Walgreens, or in a post office. If you plan to take photos at home, you can do it in a few seconds. But if you want to go outside to take a picture, you’ll need to schedule an appointment in advance.
     
    baby pasport photo

  3. Printing

    Where to print baby passport photos?

    US Passport photo printing services are available in all locations in the States. Select any color photo printing center nearby like a CVS or Walgreens pharmacy or a family Walmart. Some locations offer online photo uploads, so you can receive your color matte prints quickly in a print service center. Other businesses don’t offer pickup spots and you’ll need to pay for the photos printouts shipping by mail for your baby passport.

  4. Wear

    How to dress baby for a passport photo?

    • The best clothing for a sharp US passport photo according to the requirements is casual apparel.
    • No hat or other head covering.
    • Please don’t put sunglasses on your baby’s face or head.
    • Don’t wear jewelry.
    • Pull off long hair from the face.
    • Please avoid shiny prints on baby’s clothes that might cause contrast distortion and shadows, so your picture might be rejected.
    • Don’t cover visible part of the body with other objects.
  5. Online Service

    What does PhotoBooth Online Tool offer?

    Our digital AI-backed service is the best place and closer to you than ever. You’ll get the pic that observes all the official infant passport photo requirements per the U.S government. It is verified from the top bottom of the chin to the top of the head, and more.
     
    Your baby’s head snapshot undergoes in-depth verification. You get a 2 x 2 inches approved, not digitally altered JPEG file in the print-friendly size for glossy photo quality paper and professional photographer format as per photo requirements for the baby’s passport. No blurry, pixelated, grainy photo for the first U.S passport.

  6. Rules

    Passport photo requirements for babys and children (2026 update)

    The official U.S. Department of State website, travel.state.gov, provides detailed instructions for children’s and infants’ passport photos. While the general rules (2×2 inches, white or off-white background) remain the same, there are important exceptions for babies and young children.
     
    Below is a breakdown of the current 2026 passport photo requirements by age group.
     
    Main rules for children
     

    • The child must be the only person in the passport photo. Parents cannot hold or support them with their hands.
    • No objects should appear in the frame (no pacifiers, toys, bottles, etc.).
    • The child must face the camera directly.
    • A natural smile is acceptable, but the eyes must be open.

     
    Special passport photo rules for infants
     
    The State Department understands it can be difficult to photograph infants, so:
     

    • It’s acceptable if the baby’s eyes are not fully open or even closed (for newborns only).
    • The baby’s face should face the camera as much as possible; a slight head tilt is allowed.
    • You may photograph the baby lying on a white sheet or in a car seat covered with a white cloth.

     
    Special passport photo rules for children aged 1 to 5-6 years
     
    At this stage, the rules become stricter, but small deviations are still tolerated.
     

    • Eyes must be open.
    • Expression: A natural, relaxed smile is fine, but a neutral look is preferred.
    • Eye direction: The child should look straight into the camera. Tip: hold a toy near the lens to get their attention.
    • Posture: The child should stand or sit upright with no head tilt.

     
    Tips for Photographing Infants (from travel.state.gov)
     
    If you’re taking the passport photo at home, the site suggests two main methods:
     

    • Method 1: Lying down. Lay the baby on a flat white or off-white sheet. This provides head support and a proper background. Take the picture from above, making sure your body or camera doesn’t cast shadows on the face.
    • Method 2: Car seat. Cover the car seat with a white sheet and place the baby inside. This helps keep the head in an upright position.

     
    Technical Requirements for All Ages
     

    • Size: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm).
    • Head size: Between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from chin to top of head.
    • Background: Plain white or off-white with no shadows.
    • Clothing: Everyday attire (no costumes).
    • Glasses: Not allowed in U.S. passport photos since 2016.

     
    What You Should Avoid
     

    • Do not use Photoshop or AI filters to change the background, remove blemishes, or fix ‘red-eye’.
    • Do not staple the passport photo to your application yourself — this will be done when you submit your documents.

     
    Tip: For best results, use natural daylight (by a window) to avoid harsh shadows and red-eye effects.
     

    Check this guide for the latest U.S. baby passport photo requirements, pricing, and tips for getting a government-compliant photo on your first try.

    Written by: PhotoBooth Online Editorial Team

    Updated: 02/20/26

How to Take Baby's Passport Photo at Home

1. Make a home photo set

Lay your little one on a blanket or sit them in a car seat (the background can be anything at this point). Make sure the baby's face is lit brightly and there are no shadows—it's best to take a photo in the morning or afternoon with even natural light.

2. Take pictures of your baby

Open your phone camera, stand a foot away to avoid casting shadows and hold up a toy to grab your kid's attention. Once they look directly at the camera, start taking pictures. Use the burst mode to take multiple images in quick succession and pick the best one later.

3. Use our tool for compliance

Pick one shot where your child has their eyes open (only infants can have them closed) with more or less neutral facial expression. Upload this picture to our website—we'll turn it into a 2x2 baby passport photo, change background, and process the photo against the rules.

4. Have your child's photo printed

The resulting picture is ready to print: you can get it printed in any store or use a print-and-ship service to have your toddler or infant passport photos delivered to you. We also provide a digital passport photo and printable template that is available for download immediately after processing the photo.
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How Does It Work?

  1. take a photo
    STEP 1
    Take & upload a baby’s photo
  2. get results in minutes
    STEP 2
    Download or get delivered

US Baby Passport Photo Requirements

  1. Size and Proportions

    Your baby passport photo must be 2x2", with the head taking up 1-1.4" (top to chin). Get an infant passport picture of the correct size here and now, and these sizes will be set and checked for you–we will ensure that your picture has the exact required size.

  2. Background and Its Color

    According to the official baby and infant passport photo requirements, the background should be white or off-white and cannot contain any other people or objects. Yet, when using PhotoBooth Online, you can have any backdrop—we'll replace it with a compliant white background anyway.

  3. Lighting and Shadows

    Take your baby's passport photo in a room with a lot of natural daylight–such lighting helps avoid unacceptable shadows. If there are shadows anyway, try turning on some lights. Important: don't use a camera flash! It'll only upset the baby and create red eye, which is against the rules.

  4. Baby's Face and Expression

    Only a neutral expression is acceptable so avoid laughing or crying. Get a baby passport photo now–we'll check it to make sure your kid has their eyes open and is looking at the camera (newborn infants can close their eyes). Finally, nothing can obscure their face (like their hands or pacifier).

  5. Clothes and Accessories

    There is no strict dress code in the US baby passport photo requirements. However, it's best to dress your child in something neutral that will contrast with the white background. Any hats and accessories like bows or dummies are strictly forbidden.

  6. Other General Rules

    Any toddler or infant passport photo has to meet the requirements for all ages. For example, it should be taken within the last six months and have normal colors unaltered by filters. Quality-wise, the baby's picture can't have visible pixels or printing defects.
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FAQ

  1. How to get baby passport photos at home?

    If you want to take a biometric passport photo of your baby at home, you’ll need a digital camera or a smartphone, good lighting, a plain background (for example, a white wall, a bed sheet, or an off-white blanket), and a good mood. Find a comfortable time for you and your baby and follow our short tutorial.

    Here’s how to take your baby’s passport photo at home:

    1. Dress your infants in casual clothes.
    2. Find a plain background due to the baby passport photo requirements
    3. Turn on good lighting in your room, open curtains to guarantee bright, not dark space
    4. Check flash light settings and adjust fast shutter speed
    5. Ask your child to keep a straight pose, no bending or turning, eyes open, neutral expression
    6. Remember to keep eyes open, smile naturally, look straight at the camera
    7. Take your baby’s pic for US passport application in JPEG or PNG format
    8. Order prints

     
    Please don’t add any filters, effects, or digitally alter images when you take a full face newborn passport photo.

  2. How to take baby passport photos without shadow?

    To take perfect photos for your baby’s passport without shadows, please find a place with good lighting. Look for a white wall, a white sheet, or hang a white blanket on a wall by reason of the photo guidelines for a baby passport. Turn on lightning. Sometimes it might be helpful to turn on the flash light on your iPhone or Android mobile camera.
     
    Besides, don’t stand in front of the window on a sunny day. You might have issues with correct photo contrast. Stand 3 feet away from your child.
     
    Please note that you need to keep your camera at your baby’s eyes level while taking the photo.

  3. How to get a child passport photo online?

    There aren’t too many reliable passport photo services or apps on the web. Some may offer a few shots to pick from or a little number of attempts, some are quite expensive.
     
    With us, you can take a pic of your child or of yourself as a beautiful woman passport photo or of any member of your family as well. Have a go at our tool.