Newborns, infants and children

Baby Passport Photo Requirements (Newborns, Infants & Kids)

A baby's passport photo uses the same 2 x 2 inch frame and white background as an adult's, with three real allowances: a newborn's eyes do not have to be entirely open, the head may be discreetly supported, and some head tilt is tolerated. The one hard rule that catches parents: no other person's face or hands may appear in the photo. Every figure here comes from the US passport photo requirements and their official sources.

What is relaxed for babies, and what is not

What passes, what fails

How to take a baby passport photo at home

1. Lay the baby on their back on a plain white sheet, flat and smooth so it reads as a background, not bedding.
2. Shoot from directly above in bright, even light with no shadows on the face or the sheet.
3. Keep every other person out of the shot: no steadying hand in frame, no parent's face leaning in.
4. Aim for the head filling the published band; if the framing is off, the maker crops it to the exact figures rather than you retaking endlessly.
5. Check the file free against the published rules before you print or upload.

Visa and DV lottery baby photos

The visa rules repeat the hard rule in their own words: a child must be alone in the photo, with no parent, guardian or supporting hands visible, for the DS-160 and DS-260 alike. The DV lottery applies the same no-other-person rule to baby and toddler photos, with the DV lottery's usual stake: a non-compliant entry photo disqualifies the entry rather than triggering a correction.

If the photo was rejected

Infant rejections usually come down to the frame containing more than the infant. The full list of published rejection reasons, each with its fix, is on the rejected passport photos page.

Baby photo questions

What are the baby passport photo requirements?

The same 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) frame as an adult photo, in color, on a plain white or off-white background, taken within the last 6 months. Infants get three real allowances: eyes that are not entirely open are okay for a baby, the head may be discreetly supported, and some head tilt is tolerated. The hard rule: no other person's face or hands may appear in the photo.

Do a newborn's eyes have to be open in a passport photo?

No. The State Department's own guidance says it is okay if a baby's eyes are not entirely open. All other children must have their eyes open.

Can I hold my baby for the passport photo?

Not visibly. The head may be discreetly supported, but no parent's face may appear in an infant's photo, a rule from the State Department's adjudication manual, and visa photos additionally bar supporting hands in the frame. Lay the baby on a plain white sheet and shoot from above, or drape a car seat with a white sheet and keep your hands out of view.

How do I take a baby passport photo at home?

Lay the baby on their back on a plain white sheet in even, bright light with no shadows, shoot from directly above with the head not tilted more than the tolerance allows, and keep every other person's face and hands out of the frame. Then check the file free against the published rules before printing or uploading.

Why was my infant's passport photo rejected?

The most common published reason that applies specifically to infants is another person visible in the photo: a parent's face or supporting hands in the frame. Beyond that, baby photos fail for the same reasons as adult photos: shadows, wrong background, damage, or an old photo.

Do kids and toddlers follow the same passport photo rules as babies?

Mostly the adult rules. The eyes-open allowance is written for babies specifically: all other children must have their eyes open. A toddler or older kid gets the same 2 x 2 frame, white background, neutral-expression rules as an adult, with the same hard rule that no parent's face or hands appear in the photo. Head support and tilt tolerance are also infant allowances, not standing kid rules.

Does my baby need a new photo for every application?

The photo must be taken within the last 6 months and still look like the child. Babies change fast; a photo that was compliant at two months may no longer be a good likeness at ten. When in doubt, retake: the recency rule is about resemblance, not just the calendar.