Like most milestones in a child’s life, it’s important to be prepared for baby’s first international vacation. You have years to worry about the driver’s license, but if you plan to travel as a family, it’s never too early to worry about another form of government ID: your child’s passport. Travellers of all ages need clear, current passport photos to receive their first passports, and your newborn is no exception.
Baby passport photo requirements are much more lenient than the rules that adults and children must follow. However, babies need extra help to fulfil them, and your child passport photo will be useless unless you know exactly what to do. Just follow these three steps to cross your child’s first passport photo off your pre-trip to-do list.
1. Know the requirements
When you submit a passport application to the United States government, it must include one square photo taken within the last six months against a white or off-white background. Printed photos must measure 2″ x 2″, and digital scans must have an equal length and width between 600 and 1,200 pixels.
Baby passport pictures must also meet these simple requirements:
• Eyes open
• Face turned toward the camera
• No one else in the picture
2. Pick the right time
When is your baby most alert? Forget flattering, well-lit snapshots; you won’t be able to repurpose this photo for the family Christmas card, and that’s okay. Just focus on getting a clear, front-facing photo with both eyes open. If your baby is more alert – and less likely to get upset – at a certain time of day, such as right after a nap or right before a feeding, take it then.
3. Create a blank canvas
If your infant can’t sit up and face forward for the photo, you’ll need to keep his or her head supported while making sure it faces the camera. Spread a white blanket over the car seat or put white socks on your hands to hold your baby in place.
At Paspic, we use the latest photographic technology to make passport pictures easier to take by yourself. After you take care of the basic requirements, our system uses facial detection and analysis software to make sure your baby passport photo is fit to submit.
