How to Take a Passport Photo at Home That Gets Accepted
By the ZypCRM editorial team · · 5 min read
Passport and visa photos are rejected more often for avoidable reasons than for anything else: shadows on the background, a head that’s too small, a slight tilt, glasses glare. The good news is that a modern phone camera is more than good enough. What matters is following the rules carefully. This guide walks through the shot itself, the size requirements and printing.
Important: rules differ between countries and change from time to time. Always read the official guidance from the authority issuing your document before you submit. The figures below were checked in October 2026.
The requirements that matter most
Almost every authority follows the ICAO standard for travel documents, with local variations. The common rules:
- Recent: taken in the last six months, showing your current appearance.
- Plain, light background with no patterns, objects or shadows. The US asks for white or off-white; the UK asks for cream or light grey.
- Facing the camera directly, head straight, eyes open and visible.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed.
- Even lighting with no shadows on the face or behind the head, and no red-eye.
- No glasses for US photos (since 2016); many other countries also prefer none, and where they’re allowed there must be no glare and no tinted lenses.
- No hats or head coverings except for religious or medical reasons, with the face fully visible.
- Not edited – no filters, beauty modes or retouching of your face.
Size and head height
The photo dimensions and the head size (measured from chin to the top of the head) vary:
| Document | Photo size | Head height (chin to crown) |
|---|---|---|
| United States passport / visa | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | 1–1⅜ in (25–35 mm) |
| United Kingdom passport | 35 × 45 mm | 29–34 mm |
| Schengen visa / most EU passports | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| Canada passport | 50 × 70 mm | 31–36 mm |
| Australia passport | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| India visa / OCI | 2 × 2 in | 25–35 mm |
The head-size rule is where most home photos fail. Too far away, and the head is too small; too close, and the face distorts.
Taking the photo
Set up the background
Stand about half a metre in front of a plain, light wall. Standing a little away from the wall prevents your shadow falling on it. A white door, a sheet of white card or a smooth bedsheet pulled tight also works.
Light it evenly
The best light is soft daylight from a window in front of you, not behind or to the side. Side light creates a shadow on one half of the face, which is a common rejection reason. Avoid direct sun and overhead ceiling lights (they cast shadows under the eyes). If one side is darker, a white sheet of paper or card held just out of frame on that side bounces light back.
Ask someone else to take it
Selfies are a poor choice: at arm’s length the wide phone lens makes the nose look larger and the ears smaller, and arms in the frame tilt the shoulders. Have someone stand about 1–1.5 metres away, holding the phone at your eye level, using the normal 1× camera (not portrait mode, which blurs the background artificially). If you’re alone, use a tripod or prop the phone up and use the self-timer.
Frame from the top of the head to the middle of the chest, leaving space around you. You’ll crop later, so don’t zoom in tightly.
Before you press the shutter
- Hair away from your eyes and face edges.
- Remove glasses and earphones.
- Shoulders level and square to the camera.
- Look straight into the lens, neutral face.
Take several shots; one will have the eyes fully open and no blinks.
Making the photo to size
Open Passport Photo Maker and choose the photo. Select your Document from the list. The tool finds your face and positions it automatically using the official head-height range for that document. Guide lines show where the top of the head and the chin should fall – the top of the head on the blue line, the chin between the amber lines. If the automatic placement isn’t perfect, use Move left / right, Move up / down and the size control to adjust, or Reset position to start again.
Background replacement. The tool can replace an uneven background with white. Use this carefully: it is fine for cleaning up a slightly grey wall, but check hair edges closely afterwards, and remember that some authorities (including the US State Department) say photos must not be digitally altered. A good, evenly lit original background is always the safer choice.
When you are happy, download the photo and the 4×6 print sheet.
Printing at the correct size
The print sheet tiles several copies of the photo onto a 4×6 inch (10×15 cm) layout, which is the standard size for photo printing at a kiosk, a pharmacy or an online lab, and is usually very cheap.
The single most important thing: print at actual size / 100%. If the printer or the kiosk “fits” or “fills” the page, the photos are scaled and the dimensions become wrong. After printing, measure one photo with a ruler – it should be exactly the size in the table above.
Use glossy or matte photo paper, not plain paper. Most authorities reject photos printed on ordinary office paper.
Digital submissions
Many applications now take a digital photo instead of a print:
- The UK online passport service requires a digital photo and checks it automatically. It needs to be at least 600 × 750 pixels.
- The US online renewal and DS-160 visa applications use digital photos with their own pixel and file-size requirements.
- Other portals often state a maximum file size (for example 240 KB) and exact pixel dimensions.
If a portal sets a size limit, use Compress Image to bring the file under it, or Crop & Rotate Image to achieve exact proportions. Phone photos also contain location metadata; the EXIF Remover can strip it before upload.
Why photos get rejected
- Shadows on the face or background.
- Head too small or too large for the frame.
- Head tilted or not centred.
- Glasses, glare or hair over the eyes.
- Smiling with teeth, or eyes not fully open.
- Wrong print size because the printer scaled the image.
- Beauty filters or “portrait mode” background blur.
Summary
Use soft, even light from the front, a plain light wall half a metre behind you, and have someone else take the photo from a metre or more away. Size it with the official head-height rules for your document, print at 100% on photo paper, and measure the result. Check the official rules for your country before submitting.