Baby Passport Photo Singapore: ICA Rules and Home Tips

Short answer: A baby passport photo for Singapore has to meet the same ICA photo guidelines as an adult's photo. That means a colour photo taken within the last three months, a plain white background, eyes open, mouth closed, and a digital file of 400 x 514 pixels in jpg, jpeg, heic, heif or png format up to 8MB. The ICA pages we checked don't list a separate, relaxed rule for babies. The easiest way to get one is at home: lay your baby on a white sheet and take the photo from directly above.

This guide is for parents applying for a newborn's or young child's first Singapore passport online. It sets out what ICA asks for, a step-by-step home routine, and the application and collection steps that are specific to children. Every requirement comes from ICA's own pages and its answers on Ask.gov, checked in October 2026. The tips for handling a baby are practical advice from us, not ICA rules.

What does ICA require for a baby passport photo?

ICA says its photo requirements are based on specifications from the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Apply for Passport page asks for "a passport-sized, digital, colour photograph taken within the last three months". None of this changes because the applicant is a baby.

The size, format and file limits come from ICA's photo guidelines. The rules on brightness, expression, eyes, framing and editing come from ICA's Dos and Don'ts chart on the same page. The printed size is from ICA's overseas passport application form, which also asks that both edges of the face and the top of the shoulders are clearly shown.

ICA also says a new colour photo must be submitted for each new application. You can't reuse a photo from your baby's hospital tag or an older family snapshot unless it was taken in the last three months and meets every rule above.

How do you take a baby passport photo at home?

ICA's Ask.gov answer on using a mobile phone recommends apps designed for Singapore passport or IC photos, and says "the photograph will be accepted if it complies with our photo guidelines". There are also no photo-taking services at ICA Services Centre, so you need to bring or upload a finished photo. These steps work well for babies who can't sit up yet:

1. Pick the right moment. Try just after a feed or a nap, when your baby is calm and awake. A sleepy baby is fine as long as the eyes are open at the moment you take the photo.
2. Use a plain white surface. Lay your baby on their back on a white bedsheet or a large sheet of white paper, with no patterns, toys or blankets in view. ICA's chart shows the background must be white.
3. Find soft, even light. Face a window in daylight, or switch on several room lights. ICA's chart asks for even brightness, so avoid one strong lamp that leaves shadows on one side of the face.
4. Shoot from directly above. Stand over your baby and hold the phone flat, parallel to their face. This keeps the face straight and full frontal, which ICA's chart requires.
5. Keep everyone else out of the frame. If you need to steady your baby's head, keep your hands below the shoulders and out of the shot. The photo should show only your child.
6. Frame head and shoulders. Leave space around the head so the whole face, the hair and the top of the shoulders are visible.
7. Take a lot of photos. Babies move. Use burst mode and pick the frame where the eyes are open, the mouth is closed and the head is straight.
8. Don't edit the result. ICA says the photo "must not be altered or enhanced in any way". Cropping and resizing to 400 x 514 pixels is the step you need; filters, smoothing and background replacement aren't.

Older babies and toddlers who can sit up can be photographed sitting in a high chair or on a parent's lap against a white wall, as long as the parent isn't visible. Our guide on how to take a passport photo at home in Singapore covers the general set-up in more detail.

What makes a baby passport photo harder to get right?

Most rejected baby photos fail on the same few points from ICA's Dos and Don'ts chart:

• Closed or half-closed eyes. ICA's chart says the eyes must be fully visible and looking at the camera. Wait for a moment when your baby is alert.
• Open mouth, crying or a dummy. ICA asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed. Take out the pacifier before the photo and wait for a quiet moment.
• Head turned or tilted. The chart requires a full frontal view. Shooting from directly above usually fixes this.
• Shadows on the face or background. These come from uneven lighting, especially a single lamp or the phone's flash.
• Hands, toys or a parent's arm in the shot. Keep the frame clear apart from your baby.
• Blur. ICA's chart asks for a sharp photo that isn't pixelated. Tap to focus on the face and use good light so the shutter is fast.

If a photo doesn't meet ICA's rules, ICA's Apply for Passport page says "We will notify you if your photo is rejected", and processing may take up to four weeks instead of the usual one to two weeks.

How do you apply for your baby's Singapore passport?

ICA's Ask.gov answer on applying for a new passport says you can apply "for yourself (or your child)" through ICA's e-Service, and you'll be notified of the outcome by email. For applicants below 16, a parent or legal guardian gives consent for the application.

Some points that matter for babies, all from ICA's Apply for Passport page:

• First passport fee waiver. Since 1 January 2020, newborn Singapore citizens get the first passport application fee waived if the application is submitted on or before the child's first birthday through MyICA, according to ICA's passport page.
• Fees otherwise. The fee is S$70 if you apply online and S$80 if you apply over the counter.
• Processing time. Usually around one to two weeks if all documents are in order, and up to four weeks if the photo doesn't meet the requirements.
• Validity. For citizens below 16, the passport is valid for five years.

Because a child's passport lasts five years, the photo you take now will be in it until renewal. When you renew, you'll need a new photo taken within three months of that application. Much later, at 15, your child will also need a photo for IC registration; our IC registration at 15, 30 and 55 photo guide covers that.

What do you need to collect your child's passport?

ICA's Ask.gov answer on documents for passport collection lists these for a child below 16:

• The child's original or digital birth certificate
• The physical or digital IC of the parent who consented to the passport application
• The child's current passport, if it is still valid when you apply

If the consenting parent can't come, another person may collect at ICA Services Centre with a signed authorisation letter from the consenting parent and their own IC. ICA says the letter should include the names and IC numbers of both people and the child's name and birth certificate number.

How IC Photo Singapore can help

Once you have a clear phone photo of your baby against a white sheet, IC Photo Singapore (icphotosingapore.com) outputs it sized to ICA's published spec of 400 x 514 px for online submission. You upload the photo and choose Singapore Passport Photo, and it works from a phone or computer with no studio visit, so your baby doesn't need to leave home. You see a watermarked preview before checkout and get the digital file after checkout. ICA still assesses every photo against its guidelines. IC Photo Singapore is an independent service and is not affiliated with ICA.

Frequently asked questions

Does a baby need a passport photo in Singapore?

Yes. Every passport application needs a colour photo taken within the last three months, and ICA's pages that we checked don't exempt babies or newborns. The photo must meet the same photo guidelines as an adult's.

Can my baby's eyes be closed in the passport photo?

No. ICA's Dos and Don'ts chart says the eyes must be fully visible and looking at the camera, and ICA's overseas form asks for eyes open. Take several photos and choose one where your baby is awake and alert.

Can I hold my baby for the passport photo?

You can support your baby, but you shouldn't appear in the photo. Lay your baby on a white surface, or keep your hands below the shoulders and out of the frame so only your child is visible.

What size is a baby passport photo in Singapore?

The size is the same as for adults: 400 x 514 pixels for online upload, in jpg, jpeg, heic, heif or png format up to 8MB. For printed photos on paper forms, ICA's overseas form asks for 35 mm x 45 mm without border.

Is the first passport free for newborns in Singapore?

According to ICA's Apply for Passport page, newborn Singapore citizens get the first passport application fee waived if the application is submitted on or before the child's first birthday through MyICA. After that, the fee is S$70 online.

Requirements were checked against ICA and Ask.gov pages in October 2026. Check ICA's photo guidelines before you submit, because ICA decides whether your photo is accepted. More guides are on the IC Photo Singapore blog.