How to Take a Passport Photo at Home with Your Phone
You don't need a photo studio for a passport photo. A recent phone, a window and a few minutes are enough. Here is how to take a photo that passes the checks.
What you need
- A phone with a working rear camera (it is sharper than the selfie camera)
- Someone to take the photo, or a tripod and the camera timer
- A plain, light-colored wall
- Soft daylight from a window
Step by step
- Stand about 50 cm in front of a plain, light wall so no shadow falls behind you.
- Face a window so daylight lights your face evenly. Avoid direct sun and overhead lamps, which create harsh shadows.
- Ask your helper to hold the phone at your eye level, about 1–1.5 m away. Don't use the wide-angle lens or zoom.
- Look straight into the camera with a neutral expression, mouth closed and both eyes open.
- Keep your head straight, not tilted, with your shoulders square to the camera.
- Take several photos and pick the sharpest one, with no shadows on your face or the wall.
What to wear and how to look
- Wear everyday clothes in a color that contrasts with the background; avoid white on a white wall.
- Take off hats and headphones. Religious head coverings are usually allowed if your whole face is visible.
- Hair must not cover your eyes or the outline of your face.
- Remove glasses if you can. Some countries, such as the United States, don't allow them at all.
Common mistakes
- Holding the phone too close, which distorts the face
- Shadows behind the head or under the eyes
- Smiling with teeth showing or raising the eyebrows
- Beauty filters, portrait mode blur or any retouching
- Cropping the photo yourself to the wrong size
Turn it into an official photo
Once you have a good photo, Nouply crops it to the exact size for your document, puts your head at the right height and replaces the background with a clean, even color. It also creates a print sheet you can order at any photo kiosk. Everything happens in your browser, so your photo is never uploaded.
Related guides
- Passport Photo Rules: Background, Expression, Glasses and MoreThe rules most passport and visa photos must follow: background color, head size, expression, glasses, head coverings and photo age.
- Passport and Visa Photo Sizes by CountryPhoto size, head height and background color for passport and visa photos of the US, Schengen, UK, Canada, Türkiye, China, India and more.
- How to Reduce a Photo's File Size (to 100 KB or Less)Online forms often limit photo uploads to 50, 100 or 200 KB. Here is how to shrink a photo to an exact file size without losing visible quality.
- Can You Wear Glasses in a Passport Photo?Whether glasses are allowed in passport and visa photos depends on the country. The rules for the US, Türkiye and ICAO-based photos, and what to do if you can't take them off.
- How Old Can a Passport Photo Be?Most countries want a passport or visa photo taken within the last six months. The rules for the US, Türkiye, Australia, China, South Korea and Schengen visas.