UK child and baby passport photo rules

Rules by age

Rules that still apply to every child

• Taken in the last month
• Clear, in focus, in colour and not edited
• Plain light-coloured background with no other people or objects
• No shadows on the face or behind the child, and no red eye
• Digital photos: at least 600×750 pixels and 50KB–10MB
• Printed photos: 2 identical 45mm × 35mm photos, head 29mm to 34mm chin to crown

Practical tips for babies and toddlers

• Lay a plain white or light sheet on a bed or the floor near a window and photograph straight down from above, holding the phone parallel to the sheet to avoid distortion.
• Choose a time just after a feed or nap when the baby is calm. Take lots of shots and pick the sharpest.
• For toddlers, sit them in a high chair against a plain light wall and have a second person get their attention from directly behind the camera.
• Remove dummies, toys, bibs with bold patterns and anything that covers the face.
• Do not crop or edit the photo. For an online application, GOV.UK crops own-device photos for you.

How to take a baby passport photo from above

1. Spread a plain white or light-coloured sheet with no pattern smoothly on a bed or the floor, close to a window for soft daylight.
2. Lay the baby on their back in the middle of the sheet, with nothing else in the frame — no toys, dummy, blanket edges or other people.
3. Stand over the baby and hold the phone flat, directly above their face, so the head isn't tilted or distorted. Include the head, shoulders and upper body.
4. If the baby's head rolls to one side, a helper can support it from behind or below, keeping their hand out of the photo.
5. Check for shadows from you or the phone. Move so the light falls evenly on the baby's face.
6. Take plenty of shots in burst mode and choose the sharpest. Don't edit, filter or crop it.

Photographing toddlers and children under 6

Children under 6 don't have to look straight at the camera or keep a plain expression, which makes toddlers much easier to photograph. They still need to be alone in the photo, against a plain light background, with their face fully visible and evenly lit.

• Sit the child on a stool or high chair about half a metre in front of a plain light wall, so their shadow falls behind them.
• Hold the phone at the child's eye level, not above them, and include their head, shoulders and upper body.
• Ask a second adult to stand directly behind you to get the child's attention, and keep their hands out of the shot.
• From age 6 the adult rules apply: facing forwards, looking at the camera, plain expression and mouth closed.

Common reasons a baby or child passport photo fails

• A parent's hand, arm or lap is visible
• A dummy, bottle or toy is in the photo
• Patterned bedding, a car seat or a cot is visible behind the child
• Shadows from the person taking the photo fall across the face
• The photo is blurry because the child moved
• Hair, a hat or a hood covers part of the face
• The photo is more than a month old — babies change quickly, and GOV.UK requires a photo taken in the last month

For more causes and fixes, see passport photo rejected: why UK photos fail.

Check the photo before you apply

The free UK passport photo checker checks pixel size, file size and background brightness the same way for children's photos, in your browser and without uploading the photo. It does not judge expression or eyes, which are relaxed for young children anyway. See also taking a passport photo at home and why passport photos get rejected.