How do I make a passport photo at home?
Stand in front of a plain light wall, face the camera with a neutral expression and have someone take a photo from about 1.5 m away. Open it in the tool above, pick your document, and line up the top of your head and your chin with the guides. Download the digital file, or the print sheet to print as a normal 10 × 15 cm photo.
How to make a passport photo online
- Pick the country and document, for example USA passport, UK passport or Schengen visa.
- Choose a photo of your face taken against a plain light background in even light.
- Drag and zoom the photo until the top of your head touches the red line and your chin is inside the green band. Use Straighten if your head is tilted.
- Download the digital photo for online forms, or the print sheet with several photos on one 10 × 15 cm print.
- Print the sheet at a photo shop, pharmacy or online print service and cut along the grey lines.
How do I crop a photo to passport size?
Most rejected passport photos are not badly taken, they are badly cropped: the head is too small, too big or off-centre. Pick your country and the tool crops your photo to its official size, for example 2 × 2 in for the USA, 35 × 45 mm for the UK and Schengen countries or 50 × 70 mm for Canada, with a red line for the top of the head and a green band for the chin. You get a digital file for online applications and a 10 × 15 cm (4 × 6 in) sheet with several photos, ready to cut out.
What size is a passport photo in each country?
| Country / document | Photo size | Head height (chin to top) | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA passport & visa | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | 25–35 mm (1–1 3/8 in) | White or off-white |
| Canada passport | 50 × 70 mm | 31–36 mm | White or light |
| UK passport | 35 × 45 mm | 29–34 mm | Cream or light grey |
| Schengen visa | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm | Light grey or white |
| Germany, Italy, Croatia | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm (Croatia 31.5–36) | Plain light |
| France | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm, hair excluded | Light grey or light blue, not white |
| Spain DNI & passport | 26 × 32 mm | about 22–26 mm | White |
| Australia passport | 35–40 × 45–50 mm | 32–36 mm | White or light grey |
Most countries follow the ICAO standard for machine-readable passports, which is why 35 × 45 mm with a 32–36 mm head is so common. The USA, Canada and Spain use their own formats.
How do I make the background white on a passport photo?
After you load your photo, choose White or Light grey under Background. An AI portrait-matting model (MODNet), downloaded once and run on your own device, works out for every pixel how much of it is you and how much is wall, and a second model (ViTMatte) then refines just the band around your hair, the same trimap-and-matting method photo editors use for hair, so even single strands are kept. Everything behind you is then filled with a flat colour. The colour each country prefers is marked recommended; France does not accept white at all.
- Best results: start from a plain, evenly lit wall. The tool is meant to remove shadows and an off-white tint, not to replace a room or a busy background.
- Check the edges: zoom in on your hair and shoulders. If parts of the hair are cut off or the old wall shows through, take a new photo instead.
- Rules on edited photos: the UK, Canada, the USA and Australia say photos must not be altered by software. The safest photo is one taken against a white or light grey wall to begin with.
Tips for a photo that gets accepted
- Light: face a window or soft lamp so there are no shadows on your face or behind you.
- Distance: have someone else take it from 1–2 m away; selfies at arm's length distort the face.
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
- Glasses: take them off. The USA bans them, and most other countries only allow them without glare.
- No edits: don't use beauty filters or retouching; authorities reject altered photos.
Official sources
The sizes and rules on this page are based on these official guidelines. Check them before you apply, because rules can change.
- U.S. Department of State – Passport photos
- GOV.UK – Get a passport photo
- Government of Canada – Passport photo requirements
- Australian Passport Office – Passport photos
- ICAO Doc 9303 – Machine Readable Travel Documents
Questions
What size is a Schengen visa photo?
35 × 45 mm, with the head 32–36 mm from chin to top of head (about 70–80 % of the photo), on a plain light grey or white background, taken in the last 6 months.
How do I print a passport photo cheaply?
Download the print sheet and order it as a normal 10 × 15 cm (6 × 4 in) photo print at a pharmacy, supermarket kiosk or online print shop. One print holds several passport photos; cut them out along the grey lines.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The photo is cropped and resized by your own browser. Nothing is sent to Okviro Tools or any other server.
Can I change the background to white?
Yes. Under Background choose one of the colours offered for your document (for example White for the USA, Light grey or Cream for the UK). An AI portrait-matting model that runs in your browser (downloaded once, about 40–60 MB) separates you from the wall and puts a plain colour behind you. Use it only to clean up a wall that is already plain and light, because many passport offices reject photos changed with software.
Can I use an iPhone HEIC photo?
Yes. HEIC photos from an iPhone are converted to JPG automatically in your browser, so you can use them straight from your camera roll.
Will my photo definitely be accepted?
The tool makes the size and head position match the official rules, but the authority also checks lighting, focus, expression and background. Follow the tips above and the official link shown for your document.
How do I make a 2x2 photo for a US passport?
Choose USA in the tool, line up the top of your head and your chin with the guides so the head is 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall, and download the 600 × 600 px digital photo or the 4×6 print sheet with two 2x2 photos.