How to take a passport photo at home that gets accepted

A home passport photo is accepted when it meets the rules of the authority that issues the document: the printed size, how big the head is in the frame, the background, the expression, and whether glasses are allowed. Those rules differ by country, so read the official page first. Then shoot in even daylight against a plain light wall, print at actual size, and check the result against the rejection reasons below.

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Check the size and head rule first

Document	Photo size	Head size in the photo	Official source
US passport	2 × 2 in (about 51 × 51 mm)	1 to 1⅜ in (25 to 35 mm), chin to top of head	U.S. State Department
UK passport	45 × 35 mm (high × wide)	29 to 34 mm, crown to chin	GOV.UK
Canadian passport	50 × 70 mm	31 to 36 mm, chin to crown	Government of Canada
Schengen visa (common size)	35 × 45 mm	Set by each consulate	Consulate website

The EU visa regulation says the photo must follow the ICAO Doc 9303 standard for travel documents, so the Schengen size is best confirmed on the consulate's own page. If you apply online to the UK, the digital photo has separate rules: at least 600 × 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 10 MB, and taken within the last month. The GOV.UK guidance also says photos taken in a booth or shop are more likely to be approved than photos taken on your own device.

The pixel side of sizing, which is different from the physical size, is covered in the passport photo size guide.

Why the head size matters

The rule is about the head's share of the frame, so the same head can be right for one country and wrong for another. In the UK's 45 mm frame, a head of 29 to 34 mm fills 64 to 76 percent of the height (29 ÷ 45 and 34 ÷ 45). In Canada's 70 mm frame, 31 to 36 mm fills 44 to 51 percent (31 ÷ 70 and 36 ÷ 70). Keep the whole head inside the frame, with the chin and the top of the head visible. The UK digital guidance asks for the head, shoulders and upper body to be in view, so leave room around the shoulders.

Lighting and background

Stand facing a window in daylight, or put a lamp in front of you and slightly to one side. Light from above or behind leaves shadows on the face or on the wall. Both the UK and Canada list shadows as a reason for rejection.

Do not use the camera flash pointed straight at the face. It causes red-eye and glare on glasses, and both are on the rejection lists.

The background should be plain. GOV.UK asks for a plain cream or light grey background, and the Canadian page asks for plain white or light-coloured. Avoid patterns, furniture, other people and objects.

Pose, expression and glasses

Face the camera straight on, with eyes open and visible, mouth closed and a neutral expression. Keep hair off your eyes. Remove hats and head coverings unless you wear them for religious or medical reasons, which both the UK and Canadian lists allow.

Glasses are the rule that changes most between countries:

• US: eyeglasses have not been allowed in passport photos since 1 November 2016. If you cannot remove them for a medical reason, a signed doctor's note is required.
• UK: do not wear glasses unless you have to. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are never allowed.
• Canada: clear glasses are accepted if your eyes are clearly visible and there is no glare on the lenses. Sunglasses and tinted glasses, including prescription tinted lenses, are not accepted.

Take it, frame it, leave it unedited

Take the photo at eye height. Then open the passport photo tool, drop the photo in, choose the preset that matches your document, and drag and zoom the image inside the guide. The guide shows the head-size band for that preset. The tool gives you the single photo at 300 dpi and a print sheet. It does not judge the photo against the rules, so the checks above are still yours to make.

Do not retouch the photo. Canada says any alteration, including filters and AI tools, can get an application rejected, and the UK digital guidance says the photo must be unaltered by software. Framing and sizing are fine; skin smoothing, background removal and colour filters are not.

If an online form sets a maximum file size, use the compress tool only to get under that limit, and check the result is still sharp.

Print at actual size

Canada lists photos printed at home or on heavyweight paper as a reason for rejection, so check whether your country accepts home prints before you print one. The UK asks for two identical printed photos on a paper form. When you print, choose actual size or 100 percent. Choosing "fit to page" or "shrink to fit" changes the size, and the photo will no longer match the rule.

The print sheet is worked out from the paper size. A 4 × 6 in sheet is 101.6 × 152.4 mm. The tool keeps a 5 mm border and a 6 mm gap between photos so there is room to cut, and turns the layout whichever way fits more copies:

• UK 35 × 45 mm: 2 across and 2 down, which gives 4 photos.
• Canada 50 × 70 mm: 2 side by side, which gives 2 photos.
• US 2 × 2 in: 1 across and 2 down, which gives 2 photos.

An A4 or Letter sheet holds many more, which helps when you need spares.

Common rejection reasons

These come from the UK and Canadian lists and the standard rules:

• Black and white, filtered or edited photos
• Shadows on the face or behind you, glare, or red-eye
• A busy background, or a background too close in tone to your clothes
• Head not facing the camera, mouth open, eyes closed or hidden
• Hair across the eyes, or a head covering without a permitted reason
• Sunglasses or tinted glasses
• A photo that is too old: within one month for the UK online form, six months for Canada
• Other people or objects in the frame

Quick answers

Can I use my phone? Yes, if it meets the rules. A shop or booth photo is safer when you can get one.

Does the tool make sure my photo passes? No. It frames the head, sizes the photo and makes the print sheet. Check the head size, background, expression and glasses against the official page before you submit.