Guides · Updated 2026-07-13
How to take a baby passport photo at home (that actually gets accepted)
Yes, your baby needs a passport photo with the same size rules as an adult's — and no, the baby won't cooperate. Fortunately, authorities apply relaxed standards for infants, and a simple floor setup gets it done in a few minutes.
The white-blanket floor method
Lay a plain white blanket or sheet on the floor near a large window (no direct sunlight). Place the baby on their back, stand directly above, and shoot straight down. This gives you a compliant background and even lighting without asking a newborn to sit up.
For babies who can sit, a car seat draped with a white sheet also works — shoot at the baby's eye level.
What's relaxed for infants
Most countries accept: eyes not fully open (for newborns), a slightly open mouth, a supporting hand visible only if it's not near the face (better: no hands visible at all), and a less-than-perfectly-neutral expression. What's never relaxed: someone else's face or hands in the frame, dummies/pacifiers, and toys.
Getting the head size right
Head-height requirements apply to babies too, which is where most home attempts fail. Take the photo from further away with the full upper body in frame, then crop precisely — our tool shows the crown and chin guides for the exact document, so you can zoom until the baby's head sits in the acceptable band.
Take many shots
Take 20 or 30 photos in burst mode and pick the best one. You need exactly one frame where the eyes are open-ish, the mouth is closed-ish, and the head is straight — the odds are with you.
Fix your photo now — free preview, exact official sizes