How to take a passport photo at home: light, background and distance
Made on your own device — nothing is uploaded. The full-size photo file is free; a ready-to-print 4×6 sheet is $3.99. Open the photo maker
Taking your own passport photo with a phone: who should hold the camera, the background, light, glasses and clothing, and babies, quoted from official guidance.
The maker crops and scales your photo to the official head size, checks the background and tilt, and lets you download only when every check passes.
1. Get someone else to take it
GOV.UK tells people taking a photo on their own device during an online application: “You'll need someone to help you take a photo during your application.”
2. A plain, light background
Stand in front of a plain wall in the colour your document asks for — white or off-white for the U.S., light-coloured for a UK digital photo. The March 2026 DV rule says photos with “very dark or patterned, busy backgrounds” will not be accepted. The maker does not repaint the background, so the wall has to be right in the photo itself.
3. Even light, no shadows
Face a window or a soft light so both sides of the face are lit. GOV.UK: no shadows on your face or behind you. Stand a step away from the wall so your head does not throw a shadow on it.
4. Frame head, shoulders and upper body
GOV.UK asks for a photo from your own device to include your head, shoulders and upper body and not to be cropped: “it will be done for you.” The same works with the maker — leave space above the hair and include the shoulders, and it crops to the exact layout.
5. Face, glasses and clothes
- Look straight at the camera with a plain expression, mouth closed and eyes open.
- Take glasses off: the U.S. and DV rules do not accept them, and GOV.UK only when you have to wear them.
- Wear everyday clothes. The DS-11 rules out uniforms, clothing that looks like a uniform and camouflage.
- No hat or head covering unless it is for religious or medical reasons, and then the whole face must show.
6. Babies and small children
GOV.UK: a baby under one should lie on a plain light-coloured sheet and be photographed from above; you can support the head with your hand as long as the hand is not visible. The DV instructions suggest the same, or a car seat covered with a plain white sheet. Children must be alone in the photo, and babies must not hold toys or use dummies.
7. Make the photo the right size
Open the maker, choose your document and take or upload the photo. It finds your chin and the top of your head, scales the photo so the head fits the official range and checks the background and tilt before it lets you download. Everything happens on your device; the photo is not uploaded. The full-size file is free; a 4 × 6 print sheet with a size-check ruler is $3.99 — see how to print it.
Sources: www.gov.uk · www.gov.uk · eforms.state.gov · www.federalregister.gov