India Passport Photo for a Baby
Indian citizens of all ages must have passports to travel abroad, including infants. The child's passport in India is valid for 5 years or until the age of 18. Minors between the ages of 15 and 18 can apply for either a passport valid for 10 years or a passport that is valid until they reach the age of 18.
For a Passport Seva application for a child under four, you should bring a recent printed passport photo that meets the requirements for young children.
Table of contents
- India baby Seva passport photo requirements
- Photo requirements for an Indian OCI passport
- India Birth Certificate photo requirements
- Where can I take the India baby passport photo near me?
- India baby passport photo guidelines
- Get an India baby passport photo online!
- Links
In the article below, you will learn about the necessary India passport photo requirements for babies and the best ways to make a child's passport photo in India.
India baby Seva passport photo requirements
Are you applying for a passport through Passport Seva? Adults have their photographs taken at the
- Passport Seva Kendra (PSK);
- Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK);
- Passport Office (PO);
- Regional Passport Office (RPO).
For a baby or toddler under four, Passport Seva instructs parents to bring a recent printed passport photo. For children aged four or older applying through a PSK or POPSK, the photograph is normally captured at the centre rather than brought from home. The under-four guidance refers to a photo, not a universal requirement for two prints.
An Indian passport photo brought for a child under four must meet these requirements:
- The photograph must be recent;
- The photo must be 35 mm wide × 45 mm high (3.5 × 4.5 cm);
- The child's face should take up 80–85% of the photograph;
- The background should be plain white;
- The photo must be in color;
- The photograph must show a natural facial expression;
- The eyes must be open and clearly visible, including for newborns;
- The child should look directly at the camera, with the full face visible from the front and the head centred;
- Glasses are allowed if the eyes are visible and there is no glare;
- There should be no objects or other people in the picture;
- The picture should only show your child's head and shoulders;
- The photo should not have the hands of the parents or the child;
- Please do not sign your photo.
Passport Seva's photo guidelines for children under four also call for even lighting, natural skin tones and no shadows or red-eye.
Here is a photo example:
Photo requirements for an Indian OCI passport
Are you going to apply for an OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) passport for your baby? An OCI passport photo differs from an originary passport photo.
Here are requirements:
- The size of the photo should be 2x2 inch (51x51 mm, 5.1x5.1 cm);
- The head height is about 1.3 inch.
Other photo requirements (like facial expression, white background etc) are the same.
India Birth Certificate photo requirements
If your child was born abroad, to apply for a Birth Certificate you will need a 35x35 mm photo with a light grey background.
Where can I take the India baby passport photo near me?
Numerous photo centers in India provide passport photo services. Be aware that taking an India passport photo for a newborn or toddler can be demanding as it is not easy to persuade a kid to remain calm in the proximity of strangers. This is the main reason why most parents choose to take their child's passport photo at home, saving time and money.
India baby passport photo guidelines
Taking an India passport photo for a child at home is a manageable task. Just follow this quick guide:
- Lay your baby on the floor on a plain light-colored blanket or sheet;
- Put the camera at a distance of 1.5 meters from the child;
- Make sure your baby's head is in the center;
- Choose a frame in which your baby's eyes are open and clearly visible, and the face is toward the camera;
- Make sure that there is uniform lighting on the face and there are no shadows.
- Grab some photos and take the best one.
Get an India baby passport photo online!
A child's passport photo does not have to come from a studio. Take 20 to 60 pictures on your phone if needed, while your baby is comfortable. If your baby blinks, turns away or wriggles, keep the other shots instead of prolonging the session for one perfect frame. You can photograph a newborn lying on a sheet or settled in a car seat, provided you can get a clear, front-facing image without visible hands or objects covering the face.
Choose a promising frame with the eyes open and upload it to Visafoto. Select India and the passport-photo format for minors. Visafoto prepares the 35 × 45 mm size and face framing, replaces an unsuitable background and adjusts lighting and shadows. If you are unsure which source image to use, or the result needs another try, contact support for help rather than guessing what went wrong.
Download the printable template and print the photo at the correct size on photo paper. You can then arrive at the child's PSK or POPSK appointment with the under-four photo already in hand. A prepared digital portrait is not a routine Passport Seva portal upload for this application route. If an official rejects a photo bought from Visafoto, you can request a 100% refund; support is available 24/7.
Here is the prepared photo and print template:
The under-four printed-photo rules above apply to a child's Passport Seva application; older applicants normally have their photographs taken at the application centre.
Last updated: 30 September 2026.