Baby Passport Photo: 2 × 2 in from a Shot at Home

What the State Department asks of a baby photo

The US passport photo rules have a part for babies and toddlers. Put the child on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with the sheet and seat the child in it. No other person can be in the photo, the child must face the camera with a neutral expression, and the full face must show.

Eyes get one exception: "It is okay if a baby's eyes are not entirely open." Older children need their eyes open. The size is the same as for adults, 2 × 2 in with the head 25–35 mm from chin to crown.

Taking a baby passport photo at home

Lay the baby on their back on the sheet, or use the covered car seat, and shoot from straight above with the phone parallel to the face. Daylight from a window keeps the face even; stand so your own shadow does not fall across it.

The State Department examples reject a face blocked by hands or by a pacifier, so take both out of the frame. Shoot in bursts and pick the frame with a straight, calm face.

Why Keep original fits a US passport

The same page says not to change the photo with computer software, phone apps or filters, and its list of unacceptable photos includes a background cropped out with a retouching tool. A sheet behind the baby already gives the plain background, so keep it and use this page to crop to 2 × 2 in and size the head.

Whether a photo is accepted is decided by the passport agency, not by this page. The 2x2 picture page covers the same size for other uses.

Printing 2 × 2 in copies

Two copies fit on 4 × 6 in paper, cut lines included; Letter or A4 takes 15. Turn off fit-to-page and print at actual size. The rules ask for a colour photo on matte or glossy photo-quality paper, not a photocopy or a scan.