Baby Passport Photo - 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)

Size2 x 2 inches
BackgroundPlain white or off-white sheet
Head height50–69% of the photo
GlassesNot allowed

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Add a photo for your Baby Passport

Take a photo or choose oneOn a phone you can use your camera. JPEG, PNG or HEIC.

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Plain wallCleaner edges around hair
Face the lightA window or lamp, no side shadow
Neutral faceEyes open, look at the lens
No glassesBanned on this document. Hats too
Arm's lengthHead and shoulders in frame

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About this photo

A baby needs the same 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) passport photo as an adult, but the State Department relaxes two things for infants: a baby's eyes do not have to be entirely open, and you may lay the child down to take it. What it does not relax is that no other person can appear in the picture - no hands holding the head, no arm at the edge of the frame. The usual trick is to lay the baby on their back on a plain white sheet and shoot straight down from above.

How to make a United States Passport for a Baby or Infant photo

Upload a photo of yourself taken against any background, or take one with your phone.
Our tool finds your face, replaces the background with plain white or off-white sheet and crops to 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).
Check the compliance results, then download your photo free — plus a 4x6 sheet you can print at a drugstore.

United States Passport for a Baby or Infant photo requirements

Print size: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), square - same as an adult photo
Head height: 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25-35 mm) chin to top of head, which is 50-69% of the image height
Eye height: 56-69% of the image height, measured up from the bottom edge
Eyes: It is acceptable if a baby's eyes are not entirely open. All other children must have their eyes open
Who is in the photo: No other person may be in the photo - no hands, arms or shoulders of a parent
Background: Plain white or off-white sheet, no shadows, no pattern
Position: The child must face the camera with the full face visible and the head not tilted
Expression: Neutral - no exaggerated facial expression
Face coverings: Nothing over the face: no pacifier, bottle, hands, hat or toy
Age of photo: Colour photo taken within the last 6 months
How to submit: Printed 2 x 2 photo with the paper application. Children under 16 cannot renew and cannot apply online

Mistakes that get this photo rejected

A parent's hand supporting the baby's head is the single most common rejection. The State Department publishes it as an unacceptable example twice - once for a hand blocking the face, once for another person appearing in the frame. Lay the baby down instead of holding them.
Blur is the second killer. Babies move constantly, so State's own tip is to use a shorter exposure - shoot in bright daylight near a window, put the phone on a steady surface or use a tripod, and never use flash, which causes red eye you are then not allowed to edit out.
Pacifiers, bottles and hands in the mouth all count as covering the face and fail, even though the baby's eyes are visible. Take the pacifier out and accept a few seconds of complaining.
The car-seat method works but only with a white sheet over it. State specifically suggests covering a car seat with a plain white or off-white sheet, then placing the child in it. A bare grey or patterned car seat will fail on background.
You cannot fix any of this with an app. The no-AI, no-filter, no-retouching rule applies to infant photos exactly as it does to adults, and State says it checks every photo for artificial intelligence use. Removing a hand or whitening a background digitally is a rejection.
Shoot from directly above with the camera parallel to the baby's face. Photographing at an angle tilts the head in the frame and puts the eye line outside the 56-69% band.

The six reasons photos come back, across every document

Printing it for about 40¢

The 4×6 sheet this tool gives you holds several copies of your photo at exactly 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Order it as an ordinary 4×6 photo print — about 19¢ at Walmart, 39¢ at Walgreens or 42¢ at CVS — then cut them out. That is the same print the store charges $7.64 to $16.99 for at the counter.

The one thing that goes wrong: letting the store’s website or kiosk crop, zoom or “fit” your image. That changes the photo’s physical size and is the most common reason a printed photo is rejected. Always choose the option that prints the whole sheet at actual size.

Common questions

Does a newborn really need the same 2 x 2 photo as an adult?

Yes. The State Department applies one photo standard: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), colour, plain white or off-white background, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to the top of the head, taken in the last 6 months. The only infant-specific allowances are on eyes and on how you position the child.

What if my baby's eyes are closed?

For a baby that is fine. The official guidance says "It is okay if a baby's eyes are not entirely open", and it publishes an accepted example of exactly that. This allowance is only for infants - all other children must have their eyes open with the coloured part of the eye visible.

How do I take the photo without holding my baby?

Lay a plain white or off-white sheet on the floor or a bed, put the baby on their back on it, and take the photo from directly above with the camera parallel to their face. Alternatively, drape the white sheet over a car seat and place the baby in it. No part of you can appear in the frame.

Can I edit out my hand or clean up the background afterwards?

No. This is the fastest way to get rejected. The State Department bans changing photos with computer software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence, and says it checks every photo for AI use. Re-shoot with the baby lying on a white sheet instead.

Does my baby have to be expressionless?

The requirement is a neutral facial expression with the full face visible, facing the camera. A calm, closed-mouth face is what you want. State publishes a rejection example of a child pulling an exaggerated face, so time the shot for a quiet moment rather than mid-laugh or mid-cry.

Can I print baby passport photos at CVS or Walgreens?

Yes. Download the 4x6 sheet, which holds six 2 x 2 photos, and print it at any drugstore photo kiosk on glossy or matte photo paper, then cut one out. A 4x6 print costs well under a dollar, compared with roughly $15-17 for an in-store passport photo session with a squirming infant.

How much does a child's passport cost?

A first-time passport book for a child under 16 is $135 and a passport card is $50, each paid as two separate payments. Making the photo here is free with no watermark. Child passports are valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed - you apply in person again each time.

Can I do a baby's passport application online?

No. Children under 16 cannot renew and cannot use the online renewal service, so you apply in person on a paper form with a printed 2 x 2 photo. Both parents or guardians normally need to be present with the child, and if one cannot attend you will need extra documents.

Other photos you can make free

Checked August 2026 Specifications and prices on this page come from the sources below. Rules and prices change — if you spot something out of date, please tell us.