Passport, visa and ID photos in the US

How it works

1. Pick the document you are applying for. Each one has its own size, head height, background colour and file rules, and we use that document's published spec, not a generic passport size.
2. Take a photo on your phone against a plain wall in even daylight, or upload one you already have. Face the camera, keep your expression neutral and your eyes open.
3. We crop and size it, replace the background with the colour the document needs, and check the result before you pay. Your face is never retouched.
4. Download a JPEG for online applications and a print sheet you can print at home or at any photo shop, for $8.99. Your photo is deleted within 72 hours.

Guides

• Baby passport photo tips that actually work

  How to take a passport photo of a baby or toddler at home, with no hands in the frame, a plain background and the relaxed rules for infants.

• Can you wear glasses in a passport photo?

  Which passports and visas allow glasses in the photo, which ban them, and how to avoid glare if you keep yours on, country by country.

• How to take a passport photo at home

  Light, background, distance and phone height for a passport photo you take at home, step by step, with the rules side by side.

• US visa photo requirements in plain English

  The 2x2 inch US visa photo explained, with the digital upload rules, the glasses rule and how passport and DV lottery photos compare.

All photo guides