Take Your U.S. Passport Photo at Home
PhotoPasseport is an online service that helps you take, check and prepare a U.S. passport photo at home. A guided camera helps you frame a 2 × 2 photo correctly while you shoot, the result is checked against the U.S. Department of State requirements, and you download a digital photo and a printable 4 × 6 sheet.
$5.99 · Whole family · 30 days of unlimited retakes
Last reviewed
- Face centered
- Correct distance
- Looking forward
- Lighting
- Background
How PhotoPasseport works
Take the photo with a guided camera, let PhotoPasseport check it, then download or print it.
- 1
Take
Open the guided camera on your phone. Use the front camera to take it yourself, or the rear camera when someone else holds the phone.
- 2
Guide
A 2 × 2 frame and head guide show on screen while you shoot, with live instructions such as “move closer” or “center your face”.
- 3
Check
The finished photo is checked against the U.S. passport photo requirements, and each result is shown as pass, warning or fail with an explanation.
- 4
Download and print
Download the 2 × 2 digital photo, or a 4 × 6 print sheet with two photos and cut guides to print at home or at any photo printer.
Current U.S. passport photo requirements
A U.S. passport photo is a 2 × 2 inch color photo taken in the last 6 months, with your head centered against a plain white or off-white background.
- Photo size
- A U.S. passport photo must measure 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) when printed.
- Head size
- Your head must measure between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
- Head position
- Your head and shoulders must be centered, with your head fully visible and not tilted.
- Background
- The background must be plain white or off-white, with no shadows, texture, objects or lines.
- Expression
- Keep a neutral expression or a natural smile, with both eyes open and your mouth closed.
- Eyes
- Both eyes must be open, and the colored parts of your eyes must be clearly visible.
- Glasses
- Take off all eyeglasses, sunglasses and tinted glasses. Glasses are only allowed if you cannot remove them for medical reasons.
- Hats and head coverings
- Remove hats and head coverings, unless you wear one for religious or medical purposes and include a signed statement.
- Lighting
- Lighting on your face must be even, and the photo must be neither too bright nor too dark.
- Shadows
- There must be no shadows on your face or on the background.
- Resolution and image quality
- Submit a high-resolution photo that is not blurry, grainy or pixelated.
- Editing, filters and AI
- Submit the original photo. Do not change it with software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence.
Source: U.S. Department of State — Passport Photos(opens in a new tab). Page last updated March 24, 2026; our summary reviewed September 22, 2026. PhotoPasseport is a private service and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State.
Read the full U.S. passport photo requirements, including clothing, head coverings, children’s photos and digital photos.
Taking the photo yourself or with another person
You can take it yourself with the phone propped at eye level and a timer, or ask someone to hold the camera about 4 feet away.
The State Department lists a friend or family member as a way to get a passport photo. An arm’s-length selfie is usually too close, because the camera should be several feet (about 1.2 m) away. PhotoPasseport can take the photo automatically once you are in position, so you do not need to reach the shutter.
Using the front or rear camera
Use the rear camera when someone else takes the photo, and the front camera when you take it yourself.
PhotoPasseport switches between the front and rear cameras in one tap and saves the photo the right way round. For setup details — background, lighting, height and distance — see how to take a passport photo at home.
How PhotoPasseport checks the image
Each requirement is checked in one of three ways, and the report tells you which one applied.
Measured from your photo — Calculated directly from the image.
- Exactly one person
- Face fully visible
- Head position
- Head size
- Looking at the camera
- Head not tilted
- Both eyes open
- Neutral expression
- Not overexposed
- Not underexposed
- Even light on the face
- Background color
- Background plain
- No shadow on the background
- Sharp image
- Size and resolution
Estimated — Can flag a likely problem, but cannot confirm the requirement is met.
- Glasses
- Hats and head coverings
Confirmed by you — Cannot be determined from an image, so you are asked to confirm.
- Nothing covering the face
- Everyday clothing
- Taken within 6 months
PhotoPasseport never retouches your face or replaces the background. No service can guarantee acceptance; the State Department makes the final decision. Read more about how PhotoPasseport checks your photo.
Digital vs printed passport photos
Online renewals use an uploaded digital photo; applications with a paper form need 1 printed photo.
PhotoPasseport gives you both: a 600 × 600 pixel 2 × 2 JPEG for uploading, and a 4 × 6 print sheet with two photos.
Printing your passport photo
Print the 4 × 6 sheet on photo paper at actual size, then cut out the 2 × 2 photos along the guides.
Print it at home or order a standard 4 × 6 print at any photo counter or online service. See how to print a 2x2 passport photo.
U.S. passport photo questions
Ready to take your photo?
PhotoPasseport guides you live against these requirements while you take the photo, then prepares a 2x2 digital file and a printable 4x6 sheet.
Take Your Passport Photo