How to take a passport photo at home with your phone

What you need

• A phone camera (use the main rear camera, not the selfie camera)
• A plain white or off-white wall, or a sheet taped flat
• A window with daylight, or two lamps
• A friend, or a tripod with a 10-second timer

Step 1: Set up light and background

Stand about 50 cm (20 in) in front of the wall so your shadow falls behind you and out of frame. Face the window so light hits your face evenly. Avoid overhead light alone, which creates shadows under the eyes and nose, and never use direct flash at close range.

Step 2: Position the camera

Have your helper hold the phone at your eye level from about 1.2 m (4 ft) away. Close-up selfies distort facial proportions, which is a frequent reason photos are flagged. Frame from the top of your head to mid-chest, with space around you, and don't zoom in digitally.

Step 3: Pose

• Look straight at the lens, shoulders square, head level.
• Neutral expression or a natural closed-mouth smile (check your document's rules), with both eyes open.
• Remove glasses, hats and headphones. Keep hair off your face.
• Wear everyday clothing that contrasts with the background. No uniforms or camouflage.

Step 4: Size it correctly

Each country specifies an exact photo size and head height. A US passport photo is 2×2 in with the head between 1 and 1⅜ in. Rather than cropping by hand, upload your best shot to the EasyIDPhoto photo tool: it detects your face, scales and centers it, and replaces the background.

Step 5: Print

Download the 4×6 print sheet and print it as a standard 4×6 in photo. See how to print passport photos on a 4×6 sheet.

Common rejection reasons

• Shadows on the face or background
• Photo too dark, too bright or blurry
• Head too small or too large in the frame
• Glasses glare or tinted lenses
• Filters, beauty modes or AI edits (turn these off in your camera app)
• Printed on plain paper instead of photo paper