Baby & Infant Passport Photo

Taking a passport-style photo of a baby is one of the trickiest tasks for any parent, because the same strict rules that apply to adults still have to be met by a subject who cannot sit up, follow instructions or hold a pose. The standard size for an infant document photo is 35 by 45 millimetres at 300 dpi on a plain white background. This page explains the specification and, just as importantly, gives you calm, practical guidance for getting a usable shot of a newborn or baby at home.

Want the full rulebook first? See our infant & baby passport photo requirements guide.

The good news is that the rules are slightly relaxed for infants, and our service is built to rescue the kind of imperfect photo that babies inevitably produce.

What this photo is for

A baby document photo is used wherever a small child needs their own identity record. The image is held to the same 35 by 45 millimetre standard as an adult portrait, with the head sized correctly and the background uniformly white. Because a baby cannot pose, examiners and parents alike accept that the shot will be taken in unusual conditions, but the finished file still has to meet the measurements.

Exact specification

Aim for these measurements. The head height should be approximately 33.75 millimetres, which sits between 50 and 80 percent of the image height, measured from the chin to the top of the head. The wider 50 to 80 percent range deliberately allows for the fact that babies have small heads and rarely hold still. The background must be plain white. The eyes should be open and the mouth closed where possible, but a relaxed expression and a slight smile are accepted for infants.

• Output size: 35 x 45 mm at 300 dpi (about 1.38 x 1.77 in)
• Head height: around 33.75 mm, roughly 50-80 percent of the frame
• Background: plain white, evenly lit
• Expression: relaxed; a slight smile is allowed for infants
• Glasses: not allowed
• Headwear: not permitted, including bows, bands and hats
• No dummy or pacifier, no toys, and no hands or fingers in the frame
• File: JPG up to 2 MB

The real challenge of photographing a baby

The hardest part is simply getting a clear, front-on shot with an even white background and nothing else in the frame. The most reliable method is to lay your baby on their back on a plain white sheet or blanket, with no pattern, and photograph straight down from above. This keeps the background even and supports the head naturally. Make sure no part of your hands, arms or clothing creeps into the picture while you steady the child. Take the photo in soft, indirect daylight so there are no harsh shadows on the sheet.

Eyes, expression and the small things

For a newborn, fully open eyes are ideal but not always possible, and partly open eyes are far more acceptable here than in an adult photo. Wait for a calm, alert moment shortly after feeding and changing. Do not use a dummy or pacifier, and remove any bow, hairband or hat, since head coverings are not permitted. Keep toys, bottles and other hands out of the frame. A relaxed face or a faint natural smile is fine for a baby, so there is no need to force a perfectly neutral expression.

How we prepare your photo

You take the best snapshot you can, and our service does the technical finishing. We replace whatever background you used with a clean, uniform white field, then crop and scale the portrait so the head height falls within the 50-80 percent range the format allows for infants. We straighten the framing, remove minor colour casts from indoor light, and export the result as a 35 by 45 millimetre JPG at 300 dpi under the 2 MB limit. The aim is to take the stress out of a notoriously difficult photo.

Print and digital

Built at 300 dpi, the finished file is ready both for upload and for printing at its true 35 by 45 millimetre size. Keep the JPG so you can reuse it if a second copy is needed, and remember that babies change quickly, so a fresh photo may be required sooner than for an adult. With a calm moment, a white sheet and an overhead shot, even a newborn photo can meet the standard.