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Guide

How to take a baby's passport photo at home

To take a baby's passport photo at home, lay your baby on a plain sheet (or in a car seat covered with one) in soft daylight and take the photo from directly above, with nobody's hands, no toys and no dummy in the frame. Rules for babies differ by country: the US and the UK accept closed eyes for babies, New Zealand doesn't, and the background colour also varies, so check your document's rules before you start. Canada doesn't accept home photos at all.

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  1. 1

    Check your country's rules for babies first

    The rules are relaxed for babies in some countries and not in others. The US says "It is okay if a baby's eyes are not entirely open"; the UK says children under one don't have to have their eyes open; New Zealand asks for the baby's whole face "with their eyes open". Canadian passports need a commercial photographer, and Australia doesn't recommend online photo services or apps. Open your document's page on IDPlain for its size, background and source.

  2. 2

    Prepare a plain sheet in the right colour

    Spread a plain sheet with no pattern, creases or seams over a bed or the floor. Use the colour your document asks for: white or off-white for a US passport, a plain light colour for a UK digital photo, white for Ireland. The US and Canada also accept a car seat covered with a sheet, as long as none of the seat shows.

  3. 3

    Use soft daylight and watch your own shadow

    Put the sheet near a window, not in direct sun, and turn off ceiling lights. When you lean over the baby, your head and phone can cast a shadow on the face: stand so the window is beside you, not behind you. Don't use the flash.

  4. 4

    Shoot from directly above, phone held level

    Hold the phone parallel to the baby's face, directly above it, so the face is straight on and not seen from an angle. Include the head, shoulders and some sheet around them; don't zoom in. Tap the face to focus and keep the phone still, or rest your elbows on something steady.

  5. 5

    Keep everyone and everything else out of the frame

    No other person can be in the photo, and that includes a hand supporting the head. No toys, no dummy or pacifier, and no blanket over the face or chin. If you need to steady the head, do it from outside the frame and check the corners of every shot.

  6. 6

    Take a lot of photos and pick the best one

    Babies move, so take twenty or thirty shots in a burst. Pick one where the face is straight, the expression is calm and, if your country requires it, the eyes are open. Even where closed eyes are allowed, an open-eyed photo is the safer choice.

  7. 7

    Check the photo, don't edit it

    Don't brighten the sheet, remove marks or add white bars around the photo: the UK, for example, has rejected padded child photos since December 2025, and editing of any kind counts as altering the photo. Check the head size, background and file against your document's rules, then crop it to the official size. In IDPlain, tick “Photo of a baby or young child”: closed eyes or a turned head are then marked for you to confirm instead of failed.

How the rules for babies differ

Eyes closed OK? Expression Background
US passport Yes, for babies Neutral White or off-white
UK passport Yes, under 1 Relaxed under 6 Light-coloured (digital)
Ireland passport Not stated Not smiling, mouth closed White surface for a baby lying down
New Zealand passport No Neutral Plain, light-coloured
Canada passport Not stated Some range for newborns White or light; commercial photographer only
Australia passport Not stated Mouth may be open under 3 White or light grey

These summaries come from each passport office’s photo page, checked in November 2026. Rules change, so read your document’s own page before you take the photo.

Why “from above” works best

A baby who can’t sit up won’t hold their head straight in front of a wall. Lying on a sheet gives you a plain background for free and lets you shoot the face straight on. The US, UK, Ireland and New Zealand all describe this method, and the photo then only needs to be cropped to the official size.

Frequently asked questions

Does my baby's eyes need to be open in a passport photo?

It depends on the country. The US accepts a baby's eyes not entirely open, and the UK accepts closed eyes for children under one. New Zealand requires them open. Where the rule doesn't mention babies, assume the eyes must be open.

Can I hold my baby for the photo?

Not in the picture. Every authority we checked says no other person can be visible, including hands and arms. Lay the baby down, or use a car seat covered with a sheet where your country allows it.

Does my baby need a neutral expression?

In the US, yes: the child's expression must be neutral. The UK and Australia relax this for young children (the UK under six, Australia's mouth rule under three), and Canada allows some range for newborns. Aim for a calm, closed-mouth moment.

How recent does a baby's photo need to be?

Most countries ask for a photo taken in the last six months; the UK asks for one taken in the last month. Babies change fast, so take it shortly before you apply.

Can I take a newborn's passport photo at home?

For a US, UK, Irish or New Zealand passport, yes. For a Canadian passport, no: Canada requires a commercial photographer and doesn't accept photos printed at home.

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