Baby and infant document photo rules for passports and visas
Newborn and infant document photos use the same physical size as adult photos, and the expression rules are relaxed on fewer routes than parents expect. This guide covers the practical handling for babies aged 0–24 months across major passport-issuing countries, and says plainly where a sleeping photo will be turned down.
Quick answer
Same size — but a sleeping photo passes on only two of these routes
Same biometric size as adults. A sleeping baby is accepted by the US Department of State, and by HMPO for children under 1. It is not a safe assumption anywhere else: the Schengen visa photograph sheet, France, Canada, Australia, Japan, China and India all ask for open eyes. No parent visible in the frame, plain light background, baby alone.
Why baby photos are harder than expected
A baby cannot hold a head position, cannot look at a camera on command, and cannot keep a neutral expression. Every authority listed here accepts that — but the photo still has to meet biometric size, background and lighting rules. The result is a process that needs more attempts and more patience than an adult photo.
The most practical approach for newborns under 3 months is a plain white sheet on the floor, the baby placed on their back, and the camera held directly above. Many parents repeat this shoot twice a day for a week before getting a frame that passes the biometric check.
Baby photo rule by route
| Country / route | Sleeping baby accepted | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| USA passport | Yes | The State Department accepts a photo where an infant's eyes are not entirely open. |
| UK passport | Yes, under 1 | HMPO: children under 1 do not have to have their eyes open, and under 6 the plain-expression rule is waived entirely. |
| Schengen visa | No published exemption | The European Commission photograph sheet shows closed eyes as a rejected example and grants no infant exception — ask the consulate before relying on a sleeping shot. |
| Germany passport | Not published — and the route has changed | Since 1 May 2025 the photo is captured digitally at the authority or sent by a certified photo service; ask the office how they handle infants. |
| France passport / visa | No published exemption | French guidance requires the eyes to be fully open and visible. |
| China passport | No — eyes open required | NIA: the eyes must be open, with no infant exception. |
| India passport | No — eyes open required | Passport Seva minors guideline: full face, front view, eyes open. |
| Canada passport | No — expression only | IRCC allows a range of newborn expressions but still asks for eyes open. Its published workaround is a car seat draped with a white blanket. |
| Australia passport | No — mouth only | Under 3 the mouth may be open; the eyes-open rule stands, and nobody else may be visible in the photo. |
| UAE Emirates ID | No — eyes open required | ICP publishes no infant exemption to the eyes-open rule. |
| Russia internal passport | Not applicable | The internal passport is first issued at 14, so it is not a baby document at all. |
| Japan passport | No | MFA Japan lists closed eyes, a parent's body in frame, laughing or crying faces and large bows or hairbands as unusable. |
The white sheet method
Lay a plain white sheet flat on the floor in a well-lit room. Place the baby on their back on the sheet, head centred, arms naturally at their sides. Hold the camera directly above the baby's face at about 60 cm. The resulting frame has a clean plain background and even diffuse lighting from the room.
No hands or parent visible
The most common baby-photo rejection across every listed authority is a parent's hand visible behind the baby's head or under the baby's chin. HMPO, IRCC, the Australian Passport Office and MFA Japan all say the same thing in their own words: nobody else may appear in the frame. Use a rolled towel as support if needed — the towel must be the same colour as the background. IRCC also publishes a workaround that works well: a car seat with a white blanket draped behind the baby's head.
When sleeping is allowed and when it is not
Only two of the routes on this page accept it. The US State Department accepts a photo where the infant's eyes are not entirely open, and HMPO waives the eyes-open rule under 1. Everywhere else the answer is narrower than it looks: Canada relaxes the expression but not the eyes, Australia relaxes the mouth but not the eyes, and the Schengen visa photograph sheet grants no age exemption at all. For those routes, plan the shoot for a moment when the baby is awake and calm rather than hoping a sleeping frame will pass.
Frequently asked questions
Can my baby's eyes be closed in a USA passport photo?
Yes for infants. The US State Department accepts a photo where a baby's eyes are not entirely open. The other rules — plain background, no parent visible, biometric size — still apply. Do not carry this answer over to another country: on most of the routes in the table above, closed eyes are a rejection.
My baby won't stop crying during the shoot — will the photo work?
A crying baby with the mouth fully open is usually rejected because the lip-line shifts and the chin geometry distorts. Try the shoot 30 minutes after a feed when the baby is calm. Some studios that specialise in newborn photos can produce a usable frame in a single session.
How long is a baby passport valid?
Most countries issue baby passports for shorter validity (3–5 years) compared to adult passports (10 years). The reason is the rate of appearance change — a baby photo taken at 3 months is unrecognisable from the same child at 18 months.
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