There's a lot to think about when getting your child or baby's first passport.
From gathering the right documents to getting an appointment, the process has several steps — and the most daunting one just might be taking your baby's passport photo. It's not like you can simply say "sit up straight and look at the camera" to a squirmy newborn who can't yet hold up their own head.
But don't stress — it can be done. From all the official rules about passport photos to tips and tricks for photographing your baby, we've got you covered.
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The official rules for general passport photos state the following:
When it comes to infants, the official rules also state that it's okay if a newborn or infant's eyes aren't completely open, but the child should be facing the camera with no other person in the photo. On the U.S. State Department website, you can take a look at which types of baby and toddler images will and won't be approved.
Images where a baby's hand is covering their mouth, the baby has a pacifier in, the child is sticking out their tongue, the photo is blurry or the face image is shadowy/unclear will not be accepted. Photos can't be grainy, pixelated, digitally altered or damaged in any way.
The passport photo size should be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 millimeters), and the image of the child's head must be between 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the child's chin to the top of the child's head.
You can have your baby's passport photo taken at a spot that takes passport photos — such as FedEx stores, CVS and Walgreens — or DIY at home. Some official places that handle passwork paperwork, such as post offices and public libraries, will also take the photo for an additional fee.
Places that take passport photos are usually familiar with the correct size requirements (but always take them with you to be sure). They often have a few tips on how to get your baby to look at the camera and how you can hold your infant so they can take a photo without you in it. You may even be asked to wear a white sheet and have the baby sit in your lap. Some spots will put a white sheet over a stroller or car seat and let your baby stay seated, depending on their age.
However, when I took my baby to be photographed at 2 weeks old, he refused to open his eyes because the lights were so bright in the store. So, we had to make do at home.
Some shops offer to size and edit the photo that you take at home for a small fee, especially if, after several tries, they aren't able to successfully photograph your baby.
You might decide that DIY-ing your baby's passport photos at home is a bit easier than getting them done elsewhere. If so, here are some tips.
These tips are largely for U.S. passports, so if you need to get your baby a passport for another country, carefully read the rules.
My son has both a U.S. passport and a passport from Spain. Luckily we could use the same photo, but we had to crop it to a different size for each country's passport requirements. If you are applying for a passport in more than one country, gather all the information needed to help you get the correct photo for each.
Getting your infant or toddler's passport photo can be tedious — but it also makes for a good laugh.
In my case, getting my son's photo took two trips to a store, about 100 outtakes at home, some tears (my son's, not my own), a spit-up situation and one baby outfit change. But now, seeing my 10-month-year-old take his 15th flight with four countries under his belt makes that precarious photo-taking adventure well worth it.
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