Passport & visa photos / Baby passport photo
Baby passport photo at home: how to get one that passes
✓ Checked Oct 2026 against the official pages. See sources
Babies need their own passport, and their own 2 x 2 in photo. You can take it at home with a white sheet and a phone, then let PhotoFit crop it to size. The check and watermarked preview are free; the final photo is $4.99.
Make my photo (free check, $4.99 to download)
What the State Department allows for babies
- Lay your baby on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with the sheet and seat the baby in it.
- No other person can be in the photo, so no visible hands or arms holding the baby.
- The baby must face the camera with a neutral expression and the full face visible.
- It's okay if a baby's eyes aren't entirely open. Older children must have their eyes open.
- No shadows on the face. No pacifier, toys, or hands covering the face.
- The same size rules apply: 2 x 2 in, head 1 to 1 3/8 in from chin to top of head.
Step by step
- Put a white sheet over the car seat (or the bed) with no wrinkles near the head.
- Stand by a bright window so light falls evenly on the face. Turn off the flash.
- Hold the phone straight above or in front of the face, about 2 to 3 feet away. Take a burst of photos and pick one with the face straight on.
- Upload it below and pick "US passport". PhotoFit finds the face, crops it to 2 x 2 in, and flags shadows, tilt, or a dark background.
PhotoFit doesn't edit the background or the face, because the State Department rejects edited photos. If the sheet shows shadows, retake it with softer light.
Make your photo
🔒 Your photo never leaves your device. Face detection, cropping, and the checks all run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to us or anyone else.
2. Your photo
Tips for a photo that passes
- Stand 2 to 4 feet in front of a plain white or off-white wall (or hang a white sheet). Step forward from the wall so no shadow falls behind you.
- Have someone else take it from about 4 feet away, camera at eye level. Selfies at arm's length distort your face.
- Face a window or a soft lamp so both sides of your face are evenly lit. No flash.
- Take off glasses and hats. Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed. Leave room above your head and show your shoulders.
- Use the original camera photo, not a screenshot or a photo sent by text.
Not an official acceptance guarantee. These are basic checks; the agency makes the final decision. Things we can't check: glasses glare, hair over the eyes, how recent the photo is, and whether it looks like you.
$4.99 for the clean photo
- The digital file at the official size
- A 4x6 print sheet (when the document needs prints). Print it at any photo kiosk as a 4x6 at 100%, then cut along the lines
- Retakes: one purchase covers up to 3 photos
The preview above is free and watermarked. Secure checkout by Stripe. Your photo stays on this device during checkout.
Printing: choose 4x6 in, "actual size" or 100%, no borders. Check one photo with a ruler before you cut.
Questions
Does my baby need eyes open in a passport photo?
Not entirely. The State Department says it's okay if a baby's eyes are not entirely open. All other children must have their eyes open.
Can I hold my baby for the photo?
Not in the photo. No other person can be in it. Lay the baby on a white sheet or use a sheet-covered car seat instead.
Sources
From the official pages below, last checked Oct 2026. Rules change, so check them before you apply.