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Guide

How to take a passport photo at home with your phone

You can take a passport photo at home with any recent phone: stand about 1 m (3 ft) in front of a plain white or light wall, face a window, and have someone else take the photo from about 1.5 m (5 ft) away at your eye level, with your shoulders and some space above your head in the frame. Then check it against the official rules before you print or upload it. On IDPlain the check is free, and the finished file costs $3.99.

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  1. 1

    Find a plain, light wall

    Use a plain white or off-white wall or door with nothing on it: no pictures, switches, patterns or texture. Most documents ask for a white or light background, and a few have their own colour (check your document's page). Stand about 1 m (3 ft) in front of the wall, not against it, so your shadow falls behind you instead of on the wall.

  2. 2

    Face a window for soft daylight

    Turn so that the window is in front of you and the light falls evenly on both sides of your face. Switch off ceiling lights that throw shadows under your eyes, and don't use the flash: it causes glare on skin and glasses and a hard shadow on the wall. Overcast daylight is ideal; direct sun is too harsh.

  3. 3

    Ask someone else to take the photo

    Several authorities don't accept selfies: Ireland says "You cannot take a selfie", New Zealand says "Selfies will be rejected", and the UK says you'll need someone to help you. A helper also gives a better result everywhere else: an arm-length selfie distorts the face and usually cuts off the shoulders.

  4. 4

    Hold the phone level, at eye height, about 1.5 m away

    Use the back camera, not the front one. The helper should stand about 1.5 m (5 ft) away and hold the phone level with your eyes, in portrait orientation. Use the normal 1× lens (2× is fine too); don't use portrait mode, beauty mode or filters, which change how you look.

  5. 5

    Get the pose right

    Face the camera straight on with your head level, look into the lens, keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open. Push your hair away from your face. Take off your glasses if your document doesn't allow them (the US, for example, says "Take off any eyeglasses").

  6. 6

    Leave room around your head

    Frame the photo from the middle of your chest to a little above the top of your head, with space on both sides. Don't zoom in or crop in the camera: the photo is cropped to the exact official size afterwards, and cropping needs room around your head. Take five or six shots so you can pick the best one.

  7. 7

    Check the photo before you use it

    Open IDPlain, pick your document and choose the photo. The free check measures your head size, background, light, pose and file size against that document's official rules, on your device, and tells you exactly what to retake. When everything passes, you can crop it to the official size for upload or print.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • A shadow on the wall behind you. It comes from standing too close to the wall or from a light on one side. Step forward and face the window.
  • One side of the face brighter than the other. Turn until the window is straight in front of you, or take the photo on an overcast day.
  • The head too small or cut off. The helper should stand about 1.5 m away and frame from mid-chest to just above your head. Too far away and the head becomes too small to crop without enlarging it.
  • Glare on glasses. If your document allows glasses, tilt them slightly down or move the light; if it doesn’t, take them off.
  • An edited or filtered photo. Even a “light” beauty filter can get a photo rejected. Use the photo exactly as the camera took it.

Where the photo goes next

For an online application, you upload a file at the exact pixel size the official site asks for. For a paper application, you print the photo at the exact size: at home on photo paper, or as an ordinary 4×6 in print at a photo counter. IDPlain makes both from your photo, cropped and resized only, never edited.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my own passport photo with a phone?

Yes, for most documents, as long as it meets the official rules. The US State Department lists "A friend or family member" among the options, and the US visa page says "you may take the photo yourself". Some authorities don't accept selfies (Ireland, New Zealand), so ask someone else to take it, and some don't accept home photos at all, such as Canadian passports, which need a commercial photographer.

Can I edit the photo or remove the background?

No. Official rules forbid it, for example the US: "Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence." If the background isn't right, retake the photo against a better wall. IDPlain never edits the photo; it only crops and resizes it.

What should I wear?

Everyday clothes in a colour that stands out from the background. Avoid white or very light tops against a white wall, uniforms, and anything that covers your face or head unless it's worn daily for religious reasons.

Which phone setting gives the best result?

The standard photo mode with the back camera, flash off, no portrait or beauty mode, and HDR left on automatic. Tap your face on the screen to focus before taking the photo.

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