U.S. baby passport photo requirements
As of October 25, 2026, a U.S. passport photo for a baby is 2 x 2 inches against plain white or off-white; the baby’s eyes may be partly closed, and nobody else can be in the shot (per travel.state.gov, checked on Oct 25, 2026).
Parents must hand in the photo exactly as taken, with no filters, retouching or other digital changes.
A child’s U.S. passport cannot be renewed by mail or online; each new one requires applying in person again.
Place the baby on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with the sheet and sit the baby in it. Check that no shadow falls on the face and that no hand or pacifier covers it.
The baby must face the camera with a neutral expression. Eyes that are not fully open are accepted for babies only; older children need both eyes open.
Source: travel.state.gov
The same as for adults: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), with the head between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from chin to top of head. Form DS-11, which every child under 16 files, prints the same numbers.
Distance sets the head size: if the person taking the photo stands too close or too far away, the head comes out too big or too small.
Sources: eforms.state.gov · travel.state.gov
Bring one print, unstapled, to the acceptance facility along with the child, the DS-11 and the documents. The acceptance agent or passport employee checks the photo and staples it to the form.
A child’s passport is valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed, so each new one means a new photo and another in-person application.
Sources: travel.state.gov · eforms.state.gov
The State Department’s own examples show the usual problems: a pacifier or hands covering the face, a second person in the frame, a busy background and an exaggerated expression.
Editing does not rescue a photo. Instead of cleaning up the background or the light in an app, take a new picture against a white sheet.
Source: travel.state.gov
Not fully. The State Department accepts a baby whose eyes are not entirely open; any older child has to have both eyes open. Source: official page "Passport Photos › Babies and toddlers", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
Not where the camera can see you. No other person can be in the photo, and hands blocking the face are a listed reason for rejection. The State Department’s suggested setup is a car seat covered with a white sheet, with the baby placed in it. Source: official page "Passport Photos › Babies and toddlers", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
No. For children under 16, the State Department says not to attach or staple the photo; the acceptance agent or passport employee reviews it and staples it. Source: official page "Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16", checked on Oct 25, 2026.
No. SelfieToPassport is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State or any other government agency. The U.S. Department of State publishes the photo rules for free at travel.state.gov; this page links to each one.
For U.S. documents we crop and resize your original photo. We do not replace the background: the State Department lists photos with a background cut out by software as unacceptable.
Ready? Free preview with the measurements drawn on your photo; $6.95 for the digital file and both print sheets.
Make my U.S. baby passport photoEvery rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.
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