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UK ETA photo for your baby.

Free photo check

Some authorities relax the rules for young children, so the age decides which rules apply.

Without an age we apply the strictest rules.

A frame in the document's proportions, with the eye line where the rules put it and the head outline at typical proportions.

Any photo of your child, straight on. It is resized on your device, measured on our servers, and not kept.

What we check here

Head height
64.4%–75.6% required
Eye line
40%–60% required
Head pose
facing the camera
Gaze and eyes
at the camera
  • Face centred in the frame
  • Even light on the face
  • Too dark or too bright
  • Sharpness
  • Background: colour, shadows, creases

What we don't check here

  • Other objects in the frame
  • Print format

The app checks these when you shoot.

A UK ETA photo is 35 × 45 mm, with the head 29–34 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white, off-white, light grey, or cream background. Under 1, eyes may be closed and the photo may be taken lying down. Under 6, the child doesn't have to look at the camera and a neutral expression isn't required. It's submitted online. Official source: GOV.UK (Home Office).

What this document requires

All documents
Print size
35×45 mm
Submission
Upload
Background
  • Light grey recommended
  • White
  • Off-white
  • Cream

We don't replace the background — shoot on one of these.

Official source

Each row links to the authority's own page. TotShot is independent of every authority listed.

Rules for babies and children

Under 1 year

  • Eyes may be closed
  • Doesn't have to look at the camera
  • No neutral expression needed
  • May be photographed lying down, from above

Under 6 years

  • Doesn't have to look at the camera
  • No neutral expression needed

At every age

  • Mouth closed
  • Head 29–34 mm from chin to crown
  • No smaller head size is published for babies, so a newborn's head has to fill the adult size.
  • Alone in the photo
  • No hands, arms or supports in the frame
  • No dummy, bottle or toys
  • Taken in the last 6 months

How to take a UK ETA photo at home

Read the full guide

  1. Spread a smooth, plain white, off-white, light grey, or cream sheet on the floor or a firm bed, close to a window with soft daylight — no flash, no overhead light.

  2. Lay your baby on their back and shoot from directly above, phone parallel to the floor. A photo taken lying down is accepted under 1. Keep every hand out of the frame.

  3. Check the photo before you print: TotShot measures the head, eye line, pose and background against the UK ETA rules.

Questions parents ask

Can my baby's eyes be closed in a UK ETA photo?

Yes, under 1. After that, the eyes must be open.

What size is a UK ETA photo?

35 × 45 mm, with the head 29–34 mm from chin to crown. A baby's head has to fill the same share of the photo as an adult's — the hardest part of a baby photo to get right.

Can I take a UK ETA photo of my baby at home?

Yes. A photo you take yourself is accepted as long as it meets every rule — the final decision is always the authority's. It's submitted online.

Can I hold my baby for the photo?

Not in the frame — no hands, arms or supports may show. Lay your baby on a plain sheet and shoot from above instead: holding a baby up pushes the shoulders up and tilts the head, and a hand that slips into the frame gets the photo refused.

Does my baby have to look at the camera?

Not under 6. After that, they must look straight at the camera.

What background does a UK ETA photo need?

Plain white, off-white, light grey, or cream, evenly lit, with no shadows, creases or pattern. Light grey is the safest choice. TotShot doesn't replace backgrounds — authorities refuse a photo whose background was replaced — so shoot on a sheet of the right colour.

Final acceptance is always the authority's decision.