How to make a passport or visa photo at home

Common photo sizes

Requirements are set by each country and change from time to time: the head size, background colour, glasses and even whether a printed photo is still accepted. Always check the instructions of the office that will receive the photo; treat this table as a starting point only.

Step 1: take the photo

• Background: a plain white or light-grey wall, with no patterns and no shadows behind you.
• Light: even light on the face. Face a window, or place lamps on both sides. Avoid light from above, which shadows the eyes.
• Camera: have someone else take it from 1–1.5 m away, at eye height. Arm’s-length selfies distort the face.
• Pose: face and shoulders straight to the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open.
• Clothing and glasses: wear something that contrasts with the background; take glasses off unless the rules allow them.

Take several photos and pick the sharpest one. If the wall is not plain enough, remove the background with Remove background (the “People” mode) and choose a white background.

Step 2: crop to the exact size

Open the passport photo maker, choose the size and position the crop frame. The dashed oval shows where the head should sit: fit the face inside it, keep it centred, and leave a little space above the hair.

You can download the single photo at 300 DPI for online applications, which increasingly ask for a digital photo instead of a printed one.

Step 3: print a sheet of copies

Download the sheet: several copies of your photo with thin cut lines on a 10 × 15 cm print (the standard photo size), 13 × 18 cm or A4. A 10 × 15 cm print from a photo shop or kiosk costs very little and has true photo quality.

• Order or print at 100% with no cropping or “fill”, so the photo keeps its exact size.
• Use glossy or matte photo paper rather than plain office paper.
• Cut along the lines with a ruler and a sharp blade for straight edges.

Check one printed photo with a ruler: a 35 × 45 mm photo should measure exactly that. If you print at home and it is off, see our guide How to print at exact real size.

Frequently asked questions