Getting the first passport for your child or baby calls for much thought. From compiling the appropriate paperwork to scheduling a visit, the process consists of various phases; the most difficult one could be taking the passport photo for your infant.
It’s not like you could tell a squirmy infant who cannot yet hold up their own head, “sit up straight and look at the camera”.
Still, avoid stressing; it is doable. We have you covered, from all the statutory guidelines for passport photos to advice and techniques on how to take baby passport photo.
Official U.S. Passport Photo Rules
The official guidelines on general passport photos say the following:
- Pictures have to be in color and recent.
- No selfies or any filters.
- The background has to be either off-white or pure white.
- No eyeglasses, headphones, or caps.
- The face picture has to be clear, with wide eyes open.
Regarding newborns and babies, the official guidelines also say that although their eyes may not be totally open, the child should be facing the camera with no other person in the picture. View which kinds of newborn and toddler photographs will and won’t be accepted on the U.S. State Department website.
Images where a baby’s hand is covering their lips, the child has a pacifier in, the child is sticking out their tongue, the shot is blurry, or the face image is shadowy/unclear will not be approved. Images cannot be blurry, pixelated, digitally changed, or damaged in any form.
The passport photo size should be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 millimeters), and the child’s head image should span 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the child’s chin to the top of the head.
How to Take Baby Passport Photo at a Store Versus at Home
Either DIY at home or pay a visit to FedEx stores, CVS and Walgreens, or another location to have your baby’s passport photo done. Certain governmental locations—such as public libraries and post offices—that handle passwork documentation will also take the photo for a fee.
Usually familiar with the appropriate size criteria, places requesting passport pictures know exactly what to do (but always bring them with you to be sure). They may offer some advice on how to hold your baby so they might capture a picture without you in it and on how to persuade your baby to glance at the camera.
You might even be asked to have the infant sit on your lap while sporting a white sheet. Depending on their age, some areas will let your infant remain sitting by covering a stroller or car seat with a white sheet.
But since the store’s lights were so strong, my baby refused to open his eyes when I brought him to be photographed at two weeks old. We thus had to make do at home.
Some stores offer to size and edit the picture you take at home for a little charge, particularly if, after multiple attempts, they are unable to effectively capture your kid.
Tips for Capturing At-Home Pictures
You could find that doing your baby’s passport photos at home is rather simpler than getting them done elsewhere. If so, find some advice here.
- Arrange the infant on a white sheet such that the background matches exactly. Should you have a child, you can cover a high chair with the sheet and capture the picture as they sit.
- Stand roughly four feet away from your infant when taking the photo; just be sure you are not shadowing them.
- Choose appropriate lighting; ideally, the photo should be taken in natural daylight. Use lighting where needed. Usually, your infant closes their eyes, thus try not to flash a strong light straight in their eyes or from above. Steer clear of light that shades your baby’s face.
- Grab their attention with a toy; avoid making them laugh too much; instead, just make sure their eyes are open and toward the camera.
- Two adults would be helpful; one could snap the picture, and the other could redirect the child’s attention with a toy.
- For compliance, use an app or digital editor. If necessary, resize and crop your photo using Passport Photo Software or 123 Passport. The U.S. Department of State even boasts a cropping tool of its own. Remember, only do what’s necessary when editing; pictures with filters or those that have been digitally changed will not be approved.
- If you don’t want to crop, bring the pictures to a shop; most establishments can assist you in cropping the picture as required for a nominal cost.
More Tips and Tricks on How To Capture the Ideal Picture
- Under the white sheet, keep your baby gazing straight ahead by placing a white, rolled-up towel or pillow under their neck or around their head.
- Take a lot of pictures, then narrow them down.
- If your baby’s pictures are ending in a red-eye effect, turn off the flash.
- White sheets or sheer curtains serve to absorb shadows and light.
- Crop and print a couple of different pictures. This means you have others as a backup should one picture be rejected.
Other Countries Have Different Requirements
These guidelines mainly apply to U.S. passports; hence, if you must obtain a passport for another nation for your child, carefully review the guidelines.
My youngster carries a U.S. passport as well as a passport from Spain. Fortunately, we could use the same picture, but for each nation’s passport criteria, we had to trim it to a different size.
If you are applying for a passport in more than one nation, compile all the information required to enable you to choose the appropriate photo for each.
Bottom Line
While it can be tiresome, obtaining the passport photo for your child or toddler also provides for a great chuckle.
In my case, obtaining my son’s picture required two trips to a store, over 100 outtakes at home, some tears, a spit-up scenario and one baby costume change. Now, though, seeing my 10-month-old take his 15th flight with four countries under his belt makes that dangerous photo-taking adventure well worth it.