4 year old passport with baby photo?!

[passportstress]

Hi,

I’ve googled and think I have reassured myself about this but I just wanted to quickly post as I’m not 100% sure! My little girl’s passport was issued in 2022 when she was only 12 months old, so her photo is very clearly one of a baby. She’s now (just turned) 4 years old and we are going on holiday next month with said passport because it doesn’t expire until 2027. Obviously, she looks nothing like her passport photo anymore (well, she has the same general face shape and smile but she’s obviously a little girl now as opposed to a baby!). Everything I’ve read in a quick google tells me this is fine and it doesn’t matter, as the passport is valid for 5 years regardless of the child’s resemblance to their photo. Is this correct? Does anyone have experience of travelling with a small child who has a baby photo on their passport, and was this questioned?? I’m starting to panic now! Thank you for any advice / reassurance!

It’s fine. Went away with our 4 yo and his pic is from 8 weeks old. No issues

It's fine.

It’s fine, mine travelled on their newborn photo until the passport expired.

Not a problem,I completely understand your query though
It does feel odd wafting a toddler through on a baby passport

Absolutely fine. The important thing is the passport is valid for travel which it is for 5 years in the case of children once issued.

Children's passport last until the renewal date regardless of them changing appearances

Absolutely fine. Just back from lanzarote and my son’s photo was taking when he was 8 weeks old. He’s now 4.5.

They expect it with child passports. They may ask her her name, or who you are etc

My DDs first passport was issued at 2 months old, used it until she was 5yo without issue.

Phew! Thank you so much everyone. I don’t know why I started to spiral a bit and think we might be questioned as she looks, well, 3 years older! Panic over though, thank you all ☺️

Hi op. Its fine. My daughters passport was 3 months and we flew out just before passport expired.

It’s a reasonable question

It doesn’t help that she had next to no hair as a baby bless her, and now has long thick blonde hair, so I was worried they’d think who on earth is this? 😂

My baby is 8 months on hers. Shes 4.5 and is due a new one in a few months. We went away 3 weeks ago, and have done every 3 months since she got her passport issued. Every border incl the UK just says “ahh you don’t look like that anymore” stamps it and we move on

Been there, done that, it will be fine.

It’s a step up from my childhood when children didn’t have passports, my mum just had two kids listed on her passport. No photos. I don’t think it even specified sex. She could have taken any two kids through passport control.

All my babies were wee baldies, proper slap heads. Such a contrast to when they grew hair

lol, very true

Yup, what they said. It's valid for 5 years so that's that, everyone knows kids change.

I'll tell you something else - you have the same scenario again when they pass puberty. I recently took my 13 year old on a trip. He is taller than me, has dark hair and looks about 16, but his passport photo still shows a sweet, blond 10 year old. Nobody said anything.

The immigration person howled with laughter when he saw DDs once. Taken when she was a few weeks old and used at 4 and a half.

Love travelling with the baby passport - they look so sweet!!! And as someone else said it often makes the border control people smile! It is a bit strange isn't it.

My daughter was born with so much black hair. She’s now 3 with the longest blonde hair. Looks nothing like her passport pic (taken at a few weeks old). I’ve been lightly questioned a couple of times. Once at the UK border they said ‘that’s never her!’ I laughed. He asked her date of birth and I was ready to show all my million baby photos. And another time in the US they asked my daughter her name. But honestly both times I didn’t worry as I know she’s definitely mine!

It’s absolutely fine for kids passports. We travelled last year when my eldest was nearly 4, he’s 8 month old on his photo. My youngest was 18 months old and he is about 10 days old on his photo. Obviously neither of them look anything like their photos anymore and it was absolutely fine. They’ll be travelling on those passports again at 4.5 and 2 next month too.

We were stopped by passport control at Brussels airport when DS was about 4 and his passport photo was taken when he was 4 months old. The officer threatened to not let him through and said we needed to get a new passport with an up to date photo.

Totally fine, my DS had a photo from age 3 months and there was no issue travelling until passport was essentially expired (just before his 5th birthday) and that trip involved several countries none of which made any comment on his in relation to his baby photo

Passport control do react, it has happened to us a couple of times. Each time we’ve been allowed through, but they have been serious about telling us we need to renew even before the date is up, if the child is effectively unrecognisable.

Completely fine. My daughter traveled from when she was about 8 weeks old till her passport needed renewing last year (she’s 5) with no problems. Customs often just make a joke about how she looks a bit different now and then we’re on our way.