How to Take a Baby or Infant Passport Photo (2026)
Taking a compliant passport photo of a squirming newborn is famously hard. Here are the two methods that actually work at home, the official requirements, and the answers to the questions parents ask most.
Official requirements for infants
Governments are slightly more lenient with babies than adults, but the core rules still apply:
- No parents in the frame: no hands, arms, fingers, or shadows visible.
- Plain background: pure white or off-white. AI background removal handles imperfect sheets.
- Eyes open: required for infants over 6 months. Newborns get leniency on this one.
- Looking forward: face roughly straight at the camera, not in profile.
- No pacifier, toy, or hand: nothing covering any part of the face.
- Size: same 2×2 inch (or country-specific) print as an adult.
Method 1: The car seat trick (best for newborns)
Newborns can't support their own heads, so the safest method is to leave them in a car seat draped with a plain sheet. The seat keeps them upright; the sheet covers everything that isn't the baby.
- Drape a plain white or off-white sheet over the car seat. Pull it tight so wrinkles are minimized.
- Place the baby in the seat. The seat supports the head and keeps them upright.
- Tuck or hide all seatbelt straps — none can be visible across the chest or shoulders.
- Stand directly in front of the baby at their eye level and shoot.
- Use burst mode. Pick the frame where the eyes are open and looking forward.
Method 2: The floor / bed method (best for older infants)
Once your baby has some neck strength, laying them flat lets you shoot from directly above. Most babies will track a sound or face overhead, which gets you the forward gaze you need.
- Lay a plain white sheet or blanket on a firm bed or the floor in a bright, well-lit room.
- Use natural window light. Position so your own body is not casting a shadow over the baby.
- Lay the baby on their back on the white sheet.
- Stand directly over them and shoot straight down with your phone.
- Hold a squeaky toy or rattle right next to the camera lens (not in the frame) to draw their gaze up.
Pro tips for getting the shot
- Time it right: right after a nap and a feeding is the sweet spot. Hungry or sleepy babies don't cooperate.
- Burst mode is non-negotiable. Babies blink and turn fast. 30 frames gives you one keeper.
- Forget the background. Wrinkles in the sheet, shadows on the wall, a slight color cast — none of this matters. The free maker replaces the entire background with compliant white.
- Don't use selfie mode. The wide-angle selfie lens distorts faces — fine for adults, worse for babies. Use the rear camera.
Then format and print
Once you have a frame you like:
- Upload to the free passport photo maker. The AI removes whatever background is behind the baby and replaces it with the spec white.
- Download the 4×6 print layout if you plan to print at a pharmacy. Or download the single 2×2 print for home.
- Pharmacy printing: order a regular 4×6 print at Walmart ($0.14), CVS ($0.39), or Walgreens ($0.38). See the cost comparison guide for the full pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size is a US baby passport photo?
A U.S. baby passport photo is the same size as an adult: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm), printed on photo-quality paper at 300 DPI. Other countries use their own sizes — UK is 35×45 mm, Schengen is 35×45 mm, Canada is 50×70 mm. The size requirement is identical regardless of age.
Do my baby's eyes need to be open in the passport photo?
Yes for infants over 6 months. For newborns under 6 months, the U.S. State Department grants leniency — eyes can be partially closed if it is genuinely impossible to get them fully open. Most other countries follow similar rules. Try for open eyes first; only fall back to closed-eye if you have made many attempts.
Can my baby smile in a passport photo?
A natural neutral expression is preferred. A small smile is typically accepted for babies because forcing a neutral expression on an infant is unrealistic. The hard rules: mouth closed (or only slightly open), no exaggerated grin, no crying.
Can I hold my baby for the photo?
No. Your hands, arms, fingers, or shadow cannot be in the frame. The two safe methods: (1) car seat draped with a white sheet, with no seatbelt straps visible; (2) lay the baby flat on a white sheet on the floor and shoot directly from above. Both methods give the camera a clear shot of the baby alone.
Where can I get a baby passport photo taken professionally?
CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart all offer the service, but their white-screen setups are designed for adults and do not always work well for infants who can't sit up. Most parents find the home method (car seat or floor) easier and more reliable, then bring the formatted 4×6 print to a pharmacy for $0.14–$0.39.
What if my baby will not stop moving?
Use burst mode. Hold down the smartphone shutter button to capture 20–40 frames in a few seconds, then pick the single frame where the baby is looking forward with eyes open. A squeaky toy held right next to the camera lens (not in frame) almost always gets babies to glance at it.
Does the baby need to remove a pacifier or bottle?
Yes. Pacifiers, bottles, toys, hands, and food cannot be visible or covering any part of the face. If your baby is calmer with a pacifier, remove it for a 5-second burst right after — that is usually enough to capture an acceptable frame.
How do I remove the white sheet wrinkles from a baby passport photo?
Don't worry about wrinkles or shadows in the sheet. The free passport photo maker uses AI background removal to replace whatever background is behind your baby with a perfectly compliant pure-white background. Focus your effort on getting the baby's face right.
Sources
Got the shot? Format it free.
AI background removal. No sign-up. Stays on your device.