Applying for baby’s first passport is an exciting time because it means you’re taking your first family holiday together. But knowing where to get good baby passport photos is another matter because babies aren’t naturally the most co-operative subjects when it comes to meeting passport pic rules!
The perils of baby passport photos
Theoretically, it is possible to take baby passport photos in a photo booth. If your baby can sit still and upright on their own, by all means give it a go. But for most of us with wriggly babies who won’t stay in one place, a photo booth photo is pretty impossible unless we get in the picture too – and that’s an instant passport photo fail!
Your local photo shop should know the guidelines for baby passport pics and will provide a neutral background and remove all toys, hats, glasses and stray hair to get the perfect shot without mum or dad in the picture. However, this is another expensive option and although you’re more likely to get a good result the costs soon mount up if you have a large family.
Do it yourself
It’s perfectly possible to take the perfect photo yourself and then use the Paspic service to print them out and send with your application.
The rules have been relaxed in recent years regarding very young babies’ passport photos which makes the do-it-yourself option a breeze. If your child is under 12 months old, then the image needs to be a good likeness – after all, they’ll already have changed by the time you get their first passport!
Your baby doesn’t even need to have their eyes open or their mouth closed, and the template check has been waived to make things even simpler. For children over 1 and under 6, they no longer need to have their mouths closed and eyes looking at the camera.
One tip for very active babies is to lie them on their back with a rolled towel across their shoulders and around their head to keep them as still as possible. Otherwise, try placing them in their cot or buggy against a plain white sheet.
So why not give it a go? Snapping baby’s first passport photo yourself could be the first step in creating a lifetime of wonderful holiday memories!
