Passport photo for newborns and infants

What's different about infant passport photo rules

• Eyes can be closed — most authorities (including the UK, US, Canada and Australia) explicitly allow closed eyes for babies under 1 year old
• Neutral expression isn't enforced as strictly — a baby doesn't need to look 'serious'
• No one else can be in the frame — including a parent's hands, unless hidden
• Same size and background rules as adults apply — only the expression/eye rules are relaxed

The lay-down method (recommended)

The easiest and most reliable method for babies who can't sit up: lay your baby down on a plain white or light-coloured sheet, blanket or muslin cloth, on a flat surface like a bed, changing table or floor.

Stand directly above your baby and photograph straight down, so the sheet fills the frame behind and around the baby's head and shoulders. This naturally creates the plain background required, and avoids the difficulty of holding a baby upright against a wall.

Hiding a supporting hand

If your baby needs support to stay still or keep their head positioned, a parent's hand can be used — but it must not be visible in the final photo. Common techniques include tucking the supporting hand under a blanket so only the baby is visible, or having the parent lie behind/below the baby out of the camera's frame while supporting their head from underneath the sheet.

Our background removal will remove visible hands or arms if they appear at the edge of frame, but for best results, keep them out of the shot entirely.

Timing the shot

Babies move constantly, so take many photos in quick succession (burst mode if your phone supports it) rather than waiting for a single perfect moment. A photo with closed eyes, an open mouth, or a slightly turned head is generally acceptable for infants — you mainly need a clear, well-lit, in-focus shot with the baby reasonably centred and facing the camera.

Early morning, after a feed, when babies are often calmer and more likely to lie still briefly, tends to work well.

Country-specific notes for infant photos

• UK: HMPO accepts closed eyes and non-neutral expressions for babies under 1; the same 35x45mm size and light grey/cream background apply
• USA: the State Department accepts photos of infants with open or closed eyes and any expression, but the baby's face must still be visible and centred, on the standard 2x2 inch white background
• Canada: IRCC applies the same 50x70mm format as adults, with relaxed expression rules for children under 1 — the lay-down method is officially recommended by IRCC
• Australia and India: both follow the same relaxed-expression approach for infants, with the standard background and size requirements for each country otherwise unchanged

Uploading and checking your baby's photo

Upload the photo as normal and select your country and document type. Our compliance check applies the relaxed expression and eye rules automatically for any photo, so a sleeping or crying baby with closed eyes won't be flagged the way an adult's would be — while still checking background, framing and head position.