Child Passport Renewal in Singapore: The Photo Step

Short answer: To renew a child's Singapore passport you apply online with Singpass and upload a new digital colour photo of your child, taken within the last 3 months. The photo must be 400 x 514 pixels, on a white background, with a neutral face and the mouth closed. You can't reuse the photo from the old passport: ICA officers check your child's face against the new photo when you collect the passport. Passports for children below 16 are valid for 5 years, so a passport issued to a newborn comes up for renewal around age 5, and again around age 10.

If you last did this for a newborn, the photo step feels different five years later: a squirming four-year-old is harder to photograph than a sleeping baby and the old photo is no longer allowed. This guide covers the photo step and the collection step, based on ICA's own pages. It doesn't cover first-time newborn applications, which have their own guide: baby passport photo in Singapore.

When does a child's Singapore passport need renewing?

According to ICA's passport page, Singapore passports are valid for 10 years for citizens aged 16 and above, and 5 years for citizens below 16. You can apply online when the passport has expired or is expiring within 9 months.

You don't lose those last months by renewing early. For 5-year passports, ICA says up to 9 months of remaining validity from the previous passport can be carried over to the new one. So renewing 8 months before expiry doesn't shorten the new passport.

Can I reuse my child's old passport photo?

No. ICA's FAQ says to "provide a recent photograph taken within the last 3 months", and adds that officers "will conduct facial verification against your photograph at the point of collection" (ICA). A child's face changes a lot between the ages of 1 and 6, so a photo from the last passport would fail that check even if the system let you upload it.

The same applies to a photo from a school pass or an earlier application. Take a new one.

ICA photo requirements for a child's passport

Children follow the same ICA photo guidelines as adults. There's no separate, relaxed spec for kids.

Requirement	What ICA asks for
Age of photo	Taken within the last 3 months
Size for upload	400 x 514 pixels
File type	JPG, JPEG, HEIC, HEIF or PNG
File size	Up to 8 MB
Background	White
Expression	Neutral, mouth closed
Framing	Full frontal view, eyes fully visible and looking at the camera, shoulders and hair fully visible
Lighting	Even brightness across the face
Editing	Resizing is fine; no filters, no retouching, not flipped

Sources: ICA photo guidelines and the Dos and Don'ts chart on the same page.

The two rules parents struggle with most are the closed mouth and the eyes looking straight at the camera. Young children grin or turn towards the parent behind the photographer. Plan for that before you start (see the steps below).

How to take your child's passport photo at home

ICA's guidelines say you can use a mobile phone photo and resize it. ICA recommends asking someone else to take the photo, because selfies usually do not meet the requirements. For a child, that works naturally: one adult takes the photo, the other keeps the child's attention.

1. Pick a plain white wall with nothing behind your child. Stand them a short step in front of it so they don't cast a shadow on the wall.
2. Face a window for soft, even daylight. Avoid overhead lights that throw shadows under the eyes, and turn off the flash.
3. Hold the phone at your child's eye level. Crouch down instead of shooting from above, which makes the head look too big and tilts the face.
4. Get the gaze right. Stand the helper directly behind the phone and have them call your child's name. The child looks at the lens instead of off to one side.
5. Wait for a neutral face. Take a burst of shots after the giggle passes, then pick one where the mouth is closed and both eyes are open.
6. Check hair and ears. Brush hair away from the eyes; hair clips and headbands that cover part of the face are best left off.
7. Crop and resize, nothing else. Resize to 400 x 514 pixels. Don't use beauty filters or smooth the skin; ICA rejects altered photos.

Our guide to taking a passport photo at home in Singapore covers background and lighting in more detail, with photos of common mistakes.

Applying online and what happens if the photo is rejected

You log in with Singpass to complete the online application, upload the photo and pay. ICA lists the fee as S$70 for an online application and S$80 for an application made in person.

Processing in Singapore takes around 1 to 2 weeks after ICA receives the application. ICA says this can stretch to up to 4 weeks if the photo does not meet the requirements, so a good photo is the simplest way to avoid delays before a school holiday trip.

If the photo is rejected, ICA notifies you by post or email and you resubmit a new photo through e-Services. Our MyICA photo upload guide walks through the upload screen, and the ICA photo rejection reasons guide explains what each rejection reason means and how to fix it.

Collecting your child's new passport

When the passport is approved, you get a notification and book a collection appointment. Bring your child: the photo you uploaded is checked against your child's face at collection.

For a child aged below 16 at the time of application, ICA lists these documents:

• 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 was still valid when you applied

If the consenting parent can't make it, ICA allows another person to accompany your child, but only at the ICA Services Centre. That person brings their own IC and a letter signed by the consenting parent, with the names and IC numbers of both adults and your child's name and birth certificate number. For collection at SingPost, the consenting parent who applied must be there in person.

Getting the photo done without a studio trip

If getting a toddler to sit still in a photo booth sounds like a bad afternoon, you can take the photo at home on your phone and let IC Photo Singapore size it to ICA's published spec of 400 x 514 pixels. You see a watermarked preview before you pay, so you can take another shot if your child blinked, and you download the digital file for the upload. IC Photo Singapore is an independent service and is not affiliated with ICA; ICA makes the final decision on every photo.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a child's Singapore passport valid?

Five years for citizens below 16, according to ICA. From 16, Singapore passports are valid for 10 years.

Can I use my child's old passport photo for the renewal?

No. ICA asks for a photo taken within the last 3 months, and officers compare it with your child's face at collection.

Does my child need to smile in the passport photo?

No. ICA asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed, so a big smile can get the photo rejected.

Can I take my child's passport photo with my phone?

Yes. ICA says a mobile phone photo can be used and resized to 400 x 514 pixels, as long as it isn't altered in any other way.

Can someone else take my child to collect the passport?

Yes, at the ICA Services Centre, with a letter signed by the consenting parent and their own IC. At SingPost, the consenting parent must be present.

Requirements checked against ICA's passport, photo and Ask Gov pages in November 2026.