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How we verifyPricing$11.86Where to get oneMoney-back guaranteeToddler Passport Photo
Short answer
A toddler's photo follows the adult rules with one concession: expression is relaxed, so an open mouth is fine. Eyes must be open and facing the camera, and nobody may be holding or steadying them.
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✕Illustrative examples — the people shown are AI-generated.
Once they can sit, the method changes
A toddler who can sit unsupported no longer needs the white sheet trick. Sit them in front of a plain, light wall — a high chair pushed close to it works, provided neither the chair back nor anyone's hands appear in frame.
The camera should be at their eye level, not looking down at them. Photographing a small child from adult height tilts the face and puts the eyes in the wrong place relative to the frame, which fails the eye-position measurement even when everything else is right. Kneel.
Distance still applies: about six feet back with the rear camera, zooming slightly if needed rather than stepping closer.
Getting them to look at the camera
This is the actual problem, and the solution is a second adult standing directly behind the photographer making a noise — not holding a toy up beside the camera, because whatever they hold ends up in frame or pulls the child's gaze off-center.
Their eyes need to be open and looking toward the lens. A toddler glancing sideways at a parent fails the same way an adult looking away would. Sound works better than objects: a called name, a squeak, a clap.
Expect to take fifty frames and use one. That is normal and it is free, which is the whole argument for doing this at home rather than accepting a counter's single attempt.
What still applies in full
Nobody else in the frame, which includes a hand steadying a shoulder or a parent crouched behind. Nothing in the mouth, so no dummy. Nothing in shot, so no comforter and no toy.
The background must be plain — although our processing replaces it, so a slightly cluttered room is recoverable. What is not recoverable is a shadow on the face, so keep them facing a window and away from overhead lights.
Head size is measured the same way as an adult, chin to the top of the hair, which for a toddler usually means framing looser than instinct suggests.
Check your photo against this rule — free
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Check my photoFrequently asked
Do toddlers need their eyes open in a passport photo?+
Yes. The newborn allowance for closed eyes does not extend to toddlers — their eyes must be open and looking toward the camera.
Can my toddler smile?+
Yes. Expression rules are relaxed for young children, and an open mouth is acceptable.
Can I hold my toddler for the photo?+
No. Nobody else may appear, including hands. Sit them unsupported against a plain wall.
How do I get them to look at the camera?+
Have someone stand directly behind the photographer and make a noise. Do not hold up a toy — it ends up in frame or pulls their gaze sideways.
How long is a child's passport valid?+
Five years for under-16s, rather than ten, so the photo has a shorter life than an adult's.