Baby passport photos have specific regulations for hair, eyes, and mouth, but exceptions exist for disabilities or lax regulations in some countries. Children’s photos must meet the same quality standards as adults. Proper positioning is important, and background color and quality must follow standard regulations. Hiring a professional is recommended.
Typical regulations for baby passport photos detail what the baby’s hair, eyes and mouth should look like. There are several exceptions that allow guardians to circumvent some rules, such as childhood disabilities or the relatively lax regulations of some countries. On the other hand, children’s passport photos must follow the same rules as adults regarding photo quality. Blurriness or subjects that are too small are generally considered unacceptable by most passport facilities.
Your child’s hair should be out of his or her face and, if long enough, tucked behind the ears. His mouth should be closed, with his eyes open and looking straight at the camera. Some passport issuance facilities are very strict about these regulations and it may take patience and persistence to get the proper child passport photos.
Some countries are relatively lax about regulations on passport photos of children. They don’t require the mouth to be closed, nor do they care if the child is looking straight into the camera. The photo should still closely resemble the baby, but the regulations basically only require a resemblance. It’s safer to get the best possible passport photos of your child simply to avoid the airline or other travel security services potentially being unable to identify the child in the photo.
Another exception to child passport photos comes into play if the child has a mental or physical disability. As long as his or her guardian has adequate documentation proving disability, the child will not have to meet all photo regulations. For example, if a child has a severe cleft lip and cannot close his mouth, he should still be allowed to travel.
Commonly recommended methods for positioning a child for a passport photo keep the child’s head supported without another person being in the photo. For example, placing a child in a car seat and laying them on their back are a couple of suggested methods to keep their head supported. While quality requirements are sometimes relaxed for children, the visibility of child characteristics is still very important.
Passport photos of children must still follow standard regulations regarding background color and photo quality. The acceptable background color depends on the country, but white and off-white are widely accepted. Also, the child’s passport photos cannot be blurry, pixelated, or otherwise of poor quality. Many people choose to hire professionals to ensure their photographs are accepted as passport photos to avoid the hassle of taking photos yourself.
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