Guide · Updated October 20, 2026
How to take a passport photo at home
Short answer
- Plain white wall, light from the front, glasses off.
- Have someone else take it from about 4 feet, at your eye height.
- Don't edit it: no filters, no swapped background. Only crop it to 2×2.
Step by step with a phone
- 1Find a plain white or off-white wallA white door or a flat white sheet works too. Stand about 2 feet in front of it so your shadow doesn't land on it. No patterns, frames or furniture behind you.
- 2Face a window or soft lightDaylight from in front is best. Avoid a lamp from one side (it puts a shadow on half your face) and direct sun or flash (glare and washed-out skin).
- 3Ask someone to take it from about 4 feetSelfies at arm's length make the nose look bigger and are often rejected. Your helper holds the phone at your eye height, level, using the main (back) camera with no zoom or portrait mode.
- 4Glasses off, nothing on your headNo glasses since 2016, no hats or headphones. Religious or medical head coverings are allowed with a signed statement, and they must not cover the face.
- 5Neutral face, eyes open, look straight at the cameraMouth closed. A small natural smile is allowed on passports; visas want a neutral face. Hair away from the eyes.
- 6Take several, keep the originalLeave space above your head and include your shoulders. Don't use filters, beauty mode, background removal or any editing app: the State Department asks for the original, unedited photo.
The official rules, in plain words
- Size
- 2×2 inches printed; for online renewal and the DS-160, a square JPEG of 600×600 to 1200×1200 pixels, up to 240 kB.
- Head
- 1 to 1⅜ inches from chin to top of hair (50–69% of the photo).
- Eyes
- 1⅛ to 1⅜ inches from the bottom of the photo (56–69%).
- Background
- Plain white or off-white, no shadows, textures or objects.
- Age of the photo
- Taken in the last 6 months, showing you as you look now.
- Editing
- None: no filters, retouching or AI changes. Cropping to size is fine.
- Babies
- Eyes may be closed for babies under 1. Lay them on a white sheet and shoot from above; no hands or toys in the photo.
Source and full list: travel.state.gov. The same 2×2 rules apply to US visas and USCIS (green card) photos.
Why photos get rejected
- A shadow on the face or the wall
- Glasses on, or glare
- An arm's-length selfie (distorted face)
- Head too small or too big in the frame
- A gray, colored or busy background
- Blurry, dark or pixelated photo
- Filters, beauty mode or an app-replaced background
- A photo older than 6 months
Check it and crop it in 2 minutes
Our passport photo tool guides the camera, checks the photo against these rules for free, and crops it to 2×2 without editing your face or background. $8.99 for the digital file for online renewal plus a 4×6 print sheet. If it's rejected, a free new photo or your money back.