How to Take a Passport Photo at Home (2026)

You don't need a photo studio. With a phone, a window, and a plain wall, you can produce a compliant passport, visa, or ID photo in about three minutes. The capture technique is the same for every country — only the size and rules differ, and our tool handles those once you upload.

What You Need

• A phone with a recent camera (iPhone 11+, Pixel 5+, Galaxy S20+ all work fine) — use the rear camera, not selfie
• A plain white wall, sheet, or large piece of white paper
• Diffuse natural light (a large window during daytime is ideal)
• Someone else to hold the phone — selfies introduce wide-angle distortion
• Three minutes

Camera Settings First

• Turn off beauty mode, skin smoothing, portrait filters, and HDR — passport offices reject retouched photos
• Turn on the grid overlay (Camera → Settings → Grid) so you can centre your face
• Use the default camera app, not Instagram, Snapchat, or any beauty app
• Live Photo / motion modes off — you only need a still frame

Step-by-Step

1. Set up the background. Plain white wall, sheet, or poster paper. Smooth, no patterns, well-lit. Stand at least half a metre (50cm) from the wall to avoid casting your shadow on it.
2. Set up the lighting. Face a large window during daytime — diffuse natural light from in front of you is the gold standard. Avoid overhead lights (shadows under the eyes), side lighting (uneven shadows), and direct sunlight (harsh contrast). Overcast days produce the best passport photo lighting.
3. Have someone else take the photo. Selfies introduce wide-angle distortion that exaggerates the nose and shrinks the ears. Hand the phone to a friend standing 1.5–2 metres away, holding it at your eye level. Camera level with your eyes — not looking up or down at you.
4. Pose correctly. Stand straight, shoulders square, face directly at the camera. Mouth closed, neutral expression — no smile, even slight. Eyes open, looking at the lens. Remove glasses (banned in most countries since 2016–2017). Pull hair back so both edges of your face are visible.
5. Take 5–10 shots. Vary the framing slightly between shots so you have options. Different shots capture subtle differences in lighting, expression, and head position — having choices prevents you from being stuck with a marginal photo.
6. Upload to our tool. Pick the best shot. We crop to the exact size for your country (50×70mm Canada, 51×51mm US, 35×45mm UK/EU, etc.), replace the background with pure white if needed, and run compliance checks. $1 per photo, file stays on your device.

What Most People Get Wrong

Selfie distortion

Holding the phone at arm's length introduces wide-angle distortion: nose looks larger, ears smaller. Always hand the phone to someone else.

Wrong light direction

Overhead room lights create dark shadows under the eyes ("raccoon eyes"). Side lighting from a single window or lamp makes one half of your face brighter than the other. Front-facing diffuse light from a large window is what passport photographers use.

Standing too close to the wall

Your shadow falls behind your head if you're within half a metre of the wall. Step back so the wall is far enough away that any shadow falls below the frame.

Subtle smile

Most people unconsciously smile slightly when a camera is pointed at them. Practice in a mirror first. Lips touching but relaxed, no upward curl.

Country-Specific Specs

The capture technique above works for any document type, but the final photo has to match your country's spec. For exact dimensions, head ratio, and rules:

• US passport — 51×51mm (2×2 inch)
• Canada passport — 50×70mm (requires photographer's stamp)
• UK passport — 35×45mm
• Australia passport — 35–40 × 45–50mm