Infant Passport Photo: How to Take One at Home (US)

Taking an infant passport photo is the part of a first passport application that reliably stresses parents out. Your newborn cannot sit up, hold their head steady, or open their eyes on demand, yet the US State Department still needs a clean 2x2 inch photo against a plain white background. The reassuring part: the rules for babies are more forgiving than for adults, and you can get a compliant shot at home with a phone and a white sheet.

If you already have a photo, run it through our free passport photo checker first to see whether it passes.

What is actually relaxed for infants

Two adult rules are officially eased for babies, and knowing this removes most of the panic.

• Eyes do not have to be fully open. For newborns and infants, the State Department accepts a photo even if the eyes are not fully open. This exception applies to infants only, so a sleeping newborn is fine.
• Neutral expression is not required. A natural infant expression is accepted, so you do not need to wake or pose them.

Everything else still applies: plain white or off-white background, correct head size, natural color, no red-eye, no shadows, and no other people, hands, toys, or pacifiers anywhere in the shot.

The two rules parents break most

Almost every rejected baby passport photo fails on one of these:

• No one else in the frame. A hand steadying the head, an arm under the shoulders, or a face in the background all cause rejection. The baby must appear alone.
• Nothing in the mouth or hands. Remove the pacifier. No toys, bottle, or bunched blanket near the face. These are the most common infant-specific rejection reasons, so check the edges of your photo.

Method 1: Lay the baby on a plain white sheet

This is the standard at-home trick and works from day one.

1. Spread a plain white sheet, blanket, or towel on a firm, flat surface like a bed or the floor. It must be smooth and wrinkle-free, with no pattern or print. White is best; a very light off-white is acceptable.
2. Lay the baby on their back on the sheet, with no bunched fabric around the face or shoulders.
3. Stand directly above the baby and hold the camera parallel to their face, not tilted. Shooting straight down keeps the background even and the face undistorted.
4. Fill the frame with the face centered and a little space above the head. You will crop to a square later, so leave room.
5. Keep both hands out of the shot. If you must steady the head, pull your hand away for the capture, then check that no fingers snuck in.

Because the sheet is directly behind the baby, you get the required white background automatically, with no shadow gap.

Method 2: The white car-seat cover trick

If your newborn cannot lie flat comfortably or you want them slightly upright, use the car seat.

1. Drape a plain white sheet or blanket over the inside of the car seat, covering the back and sides so no pattern shows behind or beside the baby.
2. Place the baby in the seat, reclined so the head rests back against the white cover, which becomes your background.
3. Photograph straight on at the baby's eye level, filling the frame with the face and a little headroom.
4. Watch for shadows where the head meets the cover. Smooth the fabric and add light if a dark line appears.

This gives gentle head support while keeping the background clean and the parent out of frame.

Lighting: avoid flash and shadows

Lighting is where good baby photos are won or lost.

• Use soft, even, natural light. Position the baby near a large window during the day. Overcast daylight is ideal because it is diffuse.
• Do not use the camera flash. A direct flash causes harsh shadows behind the head, hot spots on the skin, and red-eye. All three fail the requirements.
• Kill shadows behind the head. With the lay-flat method, shadows are minimal because the sheet is right behind the baby. If you see one, add light from the opposite side.
• Keep the light in front, not to one side. Side-only light leaves half the face dark.

Head size: more lenient, but aim for the target

The finished photo must be 2x2 inches (51x51 mm), and normally the head measures between roughly 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from chin to crown. For infants, the State Department is more lenient about head size because you cannot pose a baby precisely. Still, get as close as you can: fill a good portion of the frame with the face, center it, and leave a small margin above the head. Do not zoom in so tight that the top of the head is cut off.

Before you print copies, confirm the head size, background, and lighting are within spec. Our full guide to the US passport photo requirements lists every measurement, and you can check your photo instantly while the baby is still cooperating.

Quick checklist

• Plain white or light off-white background, smooth and wrinkle-free
• Baby alone in the frame, no hands, arms, or faces of others
• No pacifier, bottle, toys, or bunched blanket near the face
• Eyes may be closed for infants; neutral expression not required
• Soft, even natural light, no flash, no shadows behind the head
• Camera straight on and parallel to the face, centered with headroom
• Final image cropped to 2x2 inches (51x51 mm)
• Natural skin tones, no red-eye, no filters

Frequently asked questions

Does my baby need to have their eyes open?

Not necessarily. For newborns and infants, the US State Department accepts a passport photo even if the baby's eyes are not fully open, so a sleeping newborn is fine. For older children, aim for open eyes whenever possible.

Can I hold my baby for the photo?

Only if no part of you appears in the final shot; hands, arms, or faces cannot be visible in the frame. The cleanest approach is to lay the baby on a plain white sheet or in a white-draped car seat and photograph from directly above or straight on.

Can I use a pacifier to keep the baby calm?

No. Pacifiers, bottles, and toys must be removed before you take the photo. A pacifier in the mouth is one of the most common reasons infant passport photos are rejected, so check the mouth and hands before every shot.

What background do I use for a newborn passport photo?

A plain white or very light off-white background, with no pattern or shadow. The easiest method is to lay the baby on a smooth white sheet and shoot straight down, so the sheet itself becomes the background. Avoid flash to prevent shadows behind the head.

Ready to check? Upload your baby's photo to the free passport photo checker to confirm the background, framing, and lighting all pass before you print or submit.