THE AT-HOME PHOTO GUIDE

How to take a newborn passport photo.

A familiar setting and a few quiet minutes can help. Here’s how to take an infant passport photo for a US paper application, then print it at the right size.

Rules checked Nov 1, 2026 — always confirm on the State Department page before you apply. See the U.S. Department of State photo requirements (last updated March 24, 2026) and 8 FAM 402.1 infant photo guidance.

1. Start with a safe, plain setup

Lay your baby on their back on a plain white or off-white sheet on a firm, safe surface. Smooth away visible folds. You can also cover a car seat with a plain white or off-white sheet for the photo. Keep the face unobstructed, supervise continuously, and never balance your baby in an unsupported pose.

The head may be discreetly supported and some infant head tilt is acceptable under the FAM guidance. No other person or hands may appear in the finished frame. Keep the head and shoulders centered and the entire face visible.

2. Find even daylight

Choose a spot near a window with soft, indirect daylight. Avoid direct sun, strong overhead lights and flash. Check both cheeks, the nose and the background for shadows. Move your position or adjust the sheet until the light looks even; do not digitally remove shadows or replace the background.

3. Keep the face clear and natural

Face baby toward the camera with a neutral expression. For babies, eyes need not be fully open and may be closed. Remove pacifiers, toys, glasses and head coverings; check the source guidance for documented religious or medical exceptions. Keep blankets and clothing away from the face. A calm moment after a feed may help; take breaks if baby is upset.

4. Hold your phone directly above baby

Keep the phone parallel to the face, with the lens directly above the center of the face. Give the head and shoulders room on every side. Use the normal rear camera lens, step back a little and crop later; avoid an ultra-wide lens or getting so close that the face is distorted.

• Clean the lens and tap the face to focus.
• Use the camera’s normal photo mode at full resolution.
• Turn off beauty effects, portrait blur, filters and automatic retouching.
• Keep the phone steady and take several frames. Don’t hold it where it could fall onto baby.
• Review at full size for blur, shadows, visible hands and face obstruction.

5. Crop, then check the head guides

Open your photo in the tool. It makes an initial estimate of the head position. Drag the photo to center the head and shoulders, zoom to adjust size, and rotate gently if needed. Move the top guide to the crown of the head, not just the hairline, and the lower guide to the bottom of the chin.

The printed square must be 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm). The head must measure 1–1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from bottom of chin to top of head. Check the guide placement yourself, especially on a newborn with little hair. The green indicator only checks head size based on those guides. It cannot judge acceptance.

6. Print on 4 × 6 inch photo paper

Download the 4 × 6 inch print sheet. It contains two 2 × 2 inch copies, cut marks outside the photos, and a 1-inch check line. At a drugstore or photo-print counter, order a standard 4 × 6 inch photo print on matte or glossy photo-quality paper. Ask for actual size and turn off auto-cropping, enlargement, image enhancement and face corrections.

At home, select 4 × 6 inch matte or glossy photo paper and the matching paper size in the printer driver. Use photo-quality settings and print at 100% or “actual size.” Turn off “fit to page,” “fill,” automatic borderless expansion and automatic corrections. A borderless setting may silently enlarge the sheet, so inspect the preview and measure the result.

7. Measure before you cut

Use a ruler to confirm the check line is exactly 1 inch. Each photo must measure exactly 2 inches wide and 2 inches high, and the head 1–1⅜ inches. If anything is wrong, change the print scaling and print again. Cut at the crop marks; the marks must stay outside the finished photo. Check that the paper is crisp and the face is sharp, with no printer streaks or smudges.