Passport Photo Maker

How to use the Passport Photo Maker

1. Pick the Photo type: United States, United Kingdom, Schengen, Canada, India e-Visa, China or Custom. The hint line shows the pixel size and file limits.
2. Drop a portrait on the box, or click it to choose one. Face the camera in front of a plain wall in even light.
3. Drag the frame and its round handles so the top of the head touches the top of the dashed oval and the chin touches the bottom.
4. Set a Max or Min file size if your form needs one. Leave the background option off unless your form allows edited photos.
5. Press “Create photo”, read the checklist, and download the JPEG. Open “Printable sheet” to lay out copies for printing.

Take a photo that will pass

The best software cannot rescue a bad photograph, and most rejections have nothing to do with size. These habits fix nearly all of them.

• Light. Stand facing a window in daylight, or put a lamp on each side of the camera. Avoid a single light from the side, which casts shadows on one half of the face and onto the wall.
• Background. Use a plain white or light wall and stand about 50 cm in front of it so your own shadow does not fall on it. No patterns, doors, picture frames or objects.
• Camera. Put the phone at eye height, about one to one and a half metres away, and zoom in slightly rather than standing close, since wide-angle lenses distort faces. Ask someone else to take the picture: a selfie held at arm’s length is rarely straight.
• Face. Look straight at the lens with a neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. Keep hair away from the eyes and wear no sunglasses. Many countries also ask you to take ordinary glasses off, with exceptions for medical reasons, so check the rules for yours.
• Resolution. Use the normal camera mode at full resolution, with no filters, beauty effects or portrait blur, which several authorities consider alteration.

How this tool sizes your photo

Each preset knows the proportions, the pixel dimensions, the share of the picture the head should fill and the file size limits of its country. The frame is locked to the right shape, so you only move and scale it. The dashed oval marks the middle of the allowed head size: place the crown and chin at its edges, and keep the eyes roughly on the line one third from the top.

When you press the button, the picture is cut out, scaled to the exact pixel size and saved as a JPEG with the 300 dpi tag. If a maximum file size is set, the tool searches for the best quality that stays under it; if a minimum is set, small files are padded to reach it. The checklist underneath lists what to verify by eye, such as the head size and background.

What it does not do

• It does not guarantee acceptance. Only the issuing authority decides, and its rules change. The tool helps with size, shape and file limits, and you remain responsible for checking the picture against the official rules.
• It does not retouch. There are no beauty filters, hair or skin edits, or face replacement, because authorities reject them.
• Background replacement is optional and experimental. It can turn a plain, evenly lit background white, but the US, UK and Canada treat a changed background as an altered photo. Use it only where the form allows edited photos, and otherwise retake the picture against a plain wall.
• It does not replace a studio for countries that require a photo taken by a professional, such as Canada, whose rules are explained on the Canada page.

Photo type at a glance

Need the printed version? Print several copies on one sheet of 4 × 6 in, A4 or Letter paper.

Frequently asked questions