Passport photo maker: print your passport photos at home
Crop any photo to the official size for a US passport, visa or green card (2 × 2 in), or for the UK, Australia, the Schengen area and China. Download a digital photo, a 4 × 6 print to order for a few cents, or a sheet to print at home. Free, and your photo never leaves your device.
- 100% free, no watermark
- No sign-up
- Your photos never leave your device
- Works on phone and computer
Loading the passport photo maker…
Your photo never leaves your device. It is cropped right here in your browser, so nothing is uploaded or stored.
Photo guides by document
How it works
Take the photo
Stand in front of a plain white or light wall, face the camera and look straight ahead. Someone else should take it from about 4 feet away.
Line it up
Choose the document, then drag and zoom until the top of your head touches the blue line and your chin sits in the green band.
Print or upload
Order the 4 × 6 file as a normal photo print, print the PDF sheet at home, or upload the digital photo to an online application.
Why make your passport photo here
Your photo stays private
The photo is cropped by your own browser and never uploaded or stored.
Official sizes and guides
Head-size guides for US, UK, Schengen, Australian and Chinese photos, so the crop matches the rules.
Print for a few cents
A 4 × 6 file you can order as a normal photo print, or a PDF sheet to print at home.
Works on your phone
Take the photo, crop it and download the files without leaving your phone.
US passport photo requirements
The US Department of State asks for a color photo taken in the last six months that is:
- 2 × 2 inches, with the head measuring 1 to 1⅜ inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
- Taken against a plain white or off-white background, with no shadows on your face or behind you.
- A full face, looking straight at the camera, with a neutral expression or a natural smile and both eyes open.
- Without glasses. Hats and head coverings are only allowed for religious or medical reasons, with a signed statement.
- Not edited: no filters, retouching or changed backgrounds. This tool only crops and resizes your photo; it never changes your face or the background.
- Printed on matte or glossy photo paper, with no creases, holes or smudges.
The same 2 × 2 inch photo works for US visas, green cards and most other US documents that ask for a passport-style photo. Always check the State Department's photo page before you send an application.
How to take a passport photo at home
- Light: face a window in daylight. Light from the front gives an even face; light from the side leaves shadows that get photos rejected.
- Background: stand about 2 feet in front of a plain white or very light wall, so your shadow falls behind you and not on it.
- Camera: use the main camera, not the selfie camera, held at eye level about 4 feet away. Close-up selfies make the nose look bigger and the ears smaller.
- Pose: shoulders square to the camera, head straight, hair away from your eyes. Take off glasses, earbuds and anything on your head.
- Take several and pick the sharpest one with both eyes clearly open.
Print it for a few cents
Passport photos at a drugstore counter usually cost around $15 to $17. The 4 × 6 print file puts several photos on one standard 4 × 6 inch (10 × 15 cm) photo, so you can order it like any other print at a drugstore, a supermarket photo kiosk or an online photo lab, often for less than a dollar.
- Order a 4 × 6 print and turn off any automatic cropping, borders or "enhance" options.
- When it is printed, check one photo with a ruler: a US photo must measure exactly 2 inches on each side.
- Cut along the light gray lines with scissors or a paper trimmer.
To print at home instead, use the PDF sheet on photo paper and print at 100% or "Actual size", never "Fit to page".
Photo sizes by document
| Document | Photo size | Head, chin to top | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States: passport, visa, green card | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | 1 to 1⅜ in (25 to 35 mm) | Official rules |
| United Kingdom: passport | 35 × 45 mm | 29 to 34 mm | Official rules |
| Schengen visa | 35 × 45 mm | 32 to 36 mm | Check the embassy or consulate |
| Australia: passport | 35–40 × 45–50 mm | 32 to 36 mm | Official rules |
| China: visa | 33 × 48 mm | 28 to 33 mm | Official rules |
Rules change and each country has more details (background color, expression, age of the photo). Always check the official page for your application. Some countries, including Canada, require photos taken by a professional photographer.
Questions
Will my photo be accepted?
The tool makes the size and head position match the official rules. Whether a photo is accepted also depends on the photo itself: even light, a plain background, a straight-on pose, both eyes open and no glasses. Follow the tips above and check the official rules for your document.
Is my photo uploaded or stored?
No. The photo is read and cropped by your own browser, and the files are created on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.
What is the digital photo for?
For applications you fill in online. For the US it is a square 600 × 600 pixel JPG under 240 KB, the format the US visa application (DS-160) asks for. The online passport renewal checks the photo itself when you upload it. For other documents the digital photo is made at 300 pixels per inch.
Can I smile?
For a US passport, a natural smile is fine as long as both eyes are open. The UK asks for a neutral expression with your mouth closed, and most other countries follow the same rule.
Can I change the background?
No. Passport offices reject photos with edited or replaced backgrounds. Take the photo against a plain light wall instead.
Need something bigger?
Print any picture as a giant poster across several sheets of paper.
Open the big poster maker