How to Take a Passport Photo at Home With Your iPhone

You can take a good passport photo at home with an ordinary phone, a blank wall and a bit of daylight. The photo has to meet your country’s official rules, so the main work is getting the setup right: plain background, even light and the right distance. Here’s how.

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Check your country’s rules first

Photo size, head size, background color and whether you can wear glasses are different from country to country. The U.S. wants a 2 × 2 inch photo on white. The UK asks for 35 × 45 mm on a plain cream or light grey background. Many countries use 35 × 45 mm, but not all. Look up the rules for the document you’re applying for on the official government site, and keep that page open while you work.

1. Find a plain wall and good light

Stand in front of a plain, light-colored wall with no pictures, switches or door frames in view. Step a little way away from it so your shadow doesn’t fall behind you. A white wall or a white sheet pinned flat works.

Light matters more than the camera. Face a window so daylight falls evenly on your face, and avoid direct sun, which makes harsh shadows. Don’t use a lamp from the side or a ceiling light directly overhead, which puts shadows under your eyes and nose. Don’t use the flash.

2. Set the camera at eye level, about 1.5 m away

Have someone hold the phone at the level of your eyes, around 1.5 meters (5 feet) away. Holding it at arm’s length for a selfie makes your nose and forehead look distorted, and it makes the head size too big. If you’re alone, prop the phone on a stack of books and use the timer.

Use the back camera if you can, since it’s sharper than the front one. Keep the phone upright and level, and leave room around your head and shoulders, because cropping is easier than adding space that isn’t there.

3. Get your face and expression right

• Look straight at the lens with your head level, and keep your shoulders square to the camera.
• Keep both eyes open, with a neutral expression and your mouth closed. Some countries allow a natural smile, so check yours.
• Take your glasses off unless your country allows them, and make sure hair isn’t covering your eyes or face.
• Don’t wear a hat or head covering, unless it’s worn for religious or medical reasons and your country allows it.
• Skip any beauty filter, portrait mode or retouching.

4. Take several shots

Take ten rather than one. Small things (a blink, a head tilt, a shadow) are easy to miss on a small screen. Pick the sharpest one where you’re looking straight ahead, and zoom in to check that your eyes are in focus.

5. Crop to the exact size and print it

Then comes the part that trips people up. The photo has to be cropped to your document’s exact size, with the head at the right size in the frame. The usual route is to fit several copies on a 4 × 6 inch (10 × 15 cm) sheet and have one standard print made at a pharmacy, supermarket kiosk or online photo lab. It usually costs less than a coffee.

Turn off any “crop to fit” or border option when you order, or the photos will be resized. If you print at home, use glossy or matte photo paper and print at 100% (“Actual size”), not “Fit to page.” Cut carefully so no white border is left.

If it’s for an online application

You don’t print anything. You upload a digital file, and it has to have the pixel size and file size the application asks for. Check the instructions on the form for the numbers.

Doing it with Passport Photo Studio

Passport Photo Studio does the cropping, the background and the checks, so you only need a decent photo of yourself.

1. Open the app and search for your country or document on the home screen, then tap it. The Requirements card shows the size, head height, background, glasses and expression rules, and the For the best result tips repeat the lighting and distance advice above.
2. Tap Take Photo. The camera gives live guidance as you line up, and has a timer if you’re on your own. Or tap Choose from Photos to use a picture you already have.
3. On Your Photo, the app straightens the photo, crops it to the official size, replaces the background and runs the Automatic checks. If one is flagged, follow the tip, tap Retake, or fine-tune with Adjust.
4. Tap Save & Print to unlock your photo. You can preview it for free first.
5. Share or save the Digital photo for online applications. For a print, choose a Print sheet size (4×6, A4 or Letter) and tap Save or Print. The 4×6 sheet has cut guides.

Your photos are processed on your iPhone and aren’t uploaded. The app checks against the published rules, but the issuing authority makes the final decision, so read your country’s official guidance before you apply.

Related guides

• US Passport Photo Requirements: Size, Head Position and Background
• DV Lottery Photo Requirements: Size, File Size and Common Mistakes

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