How to Take a Passport Photo at Home

The background must be plain and free of shadows. A smooth painted wall or a closed white door works well. If none of your walls is white, the State Department suggests covering one with a white sheet or blanket — pull it tight so folds do not cast lines.

The State Department asks you to stand several feet from the wall. Standing right against it almost always puts a shadow of your head behind you, and shadows on the background are not accepted.

• Avoid overhead lights, which cast shadows under your eyes and nose.
• Avoid a single light far off to one side, which leaves half your face in shadow.
• Avoid direct sun, which is too bright and overexposes the photo.
• Turn off the flash. It causes glare and red eye, and red eye cannot be edited out.

You must face the camera directly with your head straight. A camera held below your chin or above your head changes the angle of your face and makes it look tilted, even when it is not.

Too close and your head is too large in the frame and your features distort; too far and your head is too small. Your head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of head in the final 2 × 2 photo, which you can check against the U.S. passport photo requirements.

Jewelry and facial piercings are fine as long as they do not hide your face. A religious head covering you wear daily is allowed with a signed statement.

• Eyeglasses, sunglasses and tinted glasses — and do not rest them on your head. A signed doctor’s note is required if you cannot remove them for medical reasons.
• Hats and head coverings, unless worn for religious or medical purposes with a signed statement.
• Headphones, earbuds and wireless hands-free devices.
• Face coverings and medical masks.
• Hair covering your eyes.

A neutral expression or a natural smile is fine; an exaggerated expression is not. Keep your shoulders square to the camera and your head level, not tilted to either side.

You can take your own passport photo if the camera is propped up at eye level, several feet away, and triggered with a timer.

An arm’s-length selfie is usually too close. Lean the phone against books on a shelf or use a small tripod, step back to about 4 feet, and use the timer.

Having a friend or family member take the photo is the easiest way to get the distance and camera height right.

Ask them to stand about 4 feet away and hold the phone level with your eyes. They must stay completely out of the frame — no other person can appear in the photo, including a hand steadying a child.

Use the rear camera when someone else is taking the photo, and the front camera when you are taking it yourself and need to see the screen.

On most phones the rear camera captures more detail, which helps with sharpness. The front camera lets you check your own position. Either can produce an acceptable photo if it is sharp and the distance is right.

• Standing against the wall, which casts a shadow on the background
• Holding the camera too close, which makes the head too large and distorts the face
• Overhead lighting that leaves shadows under the eyes
• Leaving glasses on, or resting them on the head
• An open-mouth smile or exaggerated expression
• Using filters, beauty modes or background-removal apps
• A blurry photo from a moving hand or low light

PhotoPasseport checks the photo for you. It measures what can be measured in an image — such as head size and position, background brightness, lighting and sharpness — flags what can only be estimated, like glasses and head coverings, and lists what only you can confirm, such as when the photo was taken. See how PhotoPasseport checks your photo.

Follow our guide on how to print a 2x2 passport photo at home or at a photo-printing service.