How to Take a Passport Photo at Home With Your Phone

The setup that gets approved

• Background — plain white or off-white wall, zero texture, no doorframes or corners visible
• Light — face a large window in daylight, or two lamps at 45° each side. Kill all shadows on the wall behind you
• Camera distance — 4-6 feet away, lens at YOUR eye level (a helper or tripod — a visible selfie arm fails)
• You — neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed, hair off the face outline, everyday clothes

Step by step

• Tape a plain white sheet over the wall if the paint isn't white
• Position yourself ~2 feet in front of the wall — this kills the shadow halo that gets DIY photos rejected
• Helper holds the phone at your eye height, portrait orientation, 4-6 feet back
• Take 10-20 shots — pick the sharpest with a fully neutral expression
• Crop to 2×2 in (51×51 mm), head 1-1⅜ in chin-to-crown (full specs)

The rejection traps

• Shadows behind the head — the #1 DIY killer
• Glasses of any kind — banned since 2016
• Filters, beauty mode, or retouching — instant rejection and a flag
• Headphones, hats, or uniforms
• Red-eye — retake rather than edit

Getting it checked and printed

Don't trust your eye — run the crop through a compliance checker. iVisa's passport photo tool auto-crops to spec, removes backgrounds, and guarantees acceptance — digital file for online renewals or printed delivery. Cheaper than CVS/Walgreens ($15-20) and the guarantee matters.

Printing at home: use matte or glossy photo paper at 300+ DPI — office paper gets rejected on weight and sheen.

Baby and child photos

For infants, lay them on a white sheet and shoot from directly above — eyes can be partially closed, mouth can be open. No hands, toys, or parents visible. This is the ONLY category allowed imperfect expressions. More in our minors guide.