How to Take a Passport Photo at Home
You don't need a photo studio. With a smartphone, a plain wall, and about five minutes, most people can produce a photo that meets official requirements — you just have to get five things right: background, lighting, distance, expression, and proportions.
What you need
- A smartphone or digital camera (any modern phone is fine)
- A plain, light wall — white, off-white, or light grey. No texture, posters, or door frames
- Even, natural lighting — face a window, don't stand in harsh sun
- A helper (or a tripod) so you can look straight at the camera
- Two minutes to run the photo through our free in-browser maker
The setup (2 minutes)
- Background. Stand 40–60 cm in front of the wall so you don't cast a shadow on it. If your wall isn't light enough, hang a sheet.
- Lighting. Face the brightest light source (a window is ideal) so your face is evenly lit — no shadow on either side, no glare. Avoid overhead-only lights: they put shadows in your eye sockets.
- Camera height. The lens should be at eye level. Hold the phone yourself only if you can keep it steady — selfies distort proportions, so a helper a couple of metres away is better.
- Distance. Step back so your head and shoulders fill the middle of the frame with some space around them. Don't fill the frame with just your face — most countries require head + shoulders framing and the tool will crop to the exact spec.
- Expression. Look straight at the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible. Hair off your face so your eyes and the edges of your face are clear.
- Clothing and glasses. Plain clothing that contrasts with the background (avoid white on white). Remove glasses unless medically required — the US, Australia, and most countries now prohibit them.
- Take 5–10 shots with small variations, then pick the sharpest.
Get the proportions right (1 minute)
Every country defines a photo size and a head height (chin to top of head). For example, a US passport photo is 2×2 in (51×51 mm) with the head 25–35 mm tall; the UK and most of Europe use 35×45 mm with the head around 29–36 mm depending on country.
Open the maker, pick your country, upload your best shot, and the tool will:
- detect your face and auto-fit your head to the official guide lines,
- show live checks (head height, centering, resolution, background),
- export the exact digital size for online applications and a 4×6″ print sheet (300 dpi) for paper ones.
Everything happens in your browser — your photo is not uploaded anywhere.
Common mistakes that get photos rejected
- Shadows on the face or on the background wall
- Background that isn't plain and uniform
- Head too small or too large in the frame
- Glasses, sunglasses, or tinted lenses
- Hair covering the eyes or face edges
- Smiling or open mouth (neutral expression required almost everywhere)
- Old photo (typically must be taken within 1–6 months, depending on country)
- Filters or AI edits — most countries now explicitly reject altered photos
- Low-resolution prints (inkjet on plain paper instead of a photo-lab print)
If your photo was already rejected once, see Why passport photos get rejected for fixes.
Print vs digital
- Online application? Upload the digital file the tool exports.
- Paper application? Take the 4×6″ sheet to any pharmacy, photo lab, or print shop (ask for "photo paper, glossy, actual size, no scaling"). Cut along the guide lines.
Ready? Make your photo now — it's free and takes about a minute.