I need to get my baby her first passport. What are the rules these days?

The requirements of the UK Passport Office are fairly strict and it's worth sticking to the guidelines to avoid the trauma of your baby's passport application coming back two days before your holiday with ‛reject' stamped on it.

The baby must not be wearing a hat. The shot should be straight on, head and shoulders only, with the face covering 65-75% of the photograph. No adult, or part of an adult, such as a hand, should be visible, and nor should any toys, dummies or coloured backgrounds.

Adults are not supposed to smile in passport photographs but babies under one year old are allowed to. Very tiny babies can have their eyes shut, but infants over six months old must have their eyes open, with the colour of the eyes visible.

Finally, the photos you submit must be sharp, clear, high resolution and identical. If you're in any doubt, get them done at a shop which offers a passport photo service, rather than a dodgy photo booth or using your own camera. For information, visit www.ukpa.gov.uk