Passport & Visa Photo
FAQ — All the Answers

US passport photos must be exactly 2×2 inches (51×51mm) — square format. The photo must be in color with a plain white or off-white background. Head height must be between 1 and 1-3/8 inches (25–35mm) from chin to crown of head.

US passport photos must be: 2×2 inches, color, white/off-white background, head 1–1⅜ inches tall, eyes 1⅛–1⅜ inches from the bottom, neutral expression, eyes open, no glasses (prohibited since 2016), no hats (unless religious), taken within the last 6 months. PhotoPass automatically checks every requirement.

A natural, relaxed expression is acceptable. A gentle closed-mouth smile is generally fine for US passport photos. You must not have an open mouth, exaggerated smile, raised eyebrows, or any expression that distorts facial features. Both eyes must remain fully open.

No — glasses are not permitted in US passport photos since November 1, 2016. This applies to all applicants, with no exceptions except a signed physician's statement certifying glasses cannot be removed for medical reasons. Always remove glasses before your passport photo.

US passport photos must be taken within the last 6 months and accurately reflect your current appearance. If your appearance has significantly changed — major haircut, facial hair, significant weight change — take a new photo even if your existing one is under 6 months old.

US passport photos require a plain white or off-white background. No patterns, textures, gradients, shadows, or other people visible. The background must be evenly lit. PhotoPass automatically applies a compliant white background, removing whatever was in your original photo.

Most US passport applications require 2 printed 2×2 inch photos. For online renewals using the DS-82 form, the State Department now accepts a digital photo upload instead of printed photos. PhotoPass provides both digital files and printed copies.

Yes. The US State Department permits head coverings worn daily for documented religious reasons. The head covering must not obscure any part of your face — your full face from hairline to chin must be clearly visible. A signed statement indicating the head covering is worn for religious reasons may be required.

Yes — the same 2×2 inch requirements apply to babies and children. For infants, lay the baby on a white blanket or sheet and photograph from above, ensuring the background is all white and the face is clearly visible with eyes open. Babies may have a slightly relaxed expression requirement. PhotoPass supports baby passport photos with the same AI verification.

For US passport photos, eyes must be 1-1/8 to 1-3/8 inches (28–35mm) from the bottom of the photo. Eyes must be open, clearly visible, and looking directly at the camera. This is measured when the photo is printed at 2×2 inches.

Wear everyday clothing — whatever you normally wear. Avoid white or off-white clothing as it can blend into the background. No uniforms (except religious clothing). No camouflage. Glasses must be removed. Hair accessories that obscure the face or hairline should be removed.

Yes. The US State Department accepts digital photo uploads for online passport renewals (DS-82). The digital photo must meet the same 2×2 inch specifications. PhotoPass provides high-resolution digital files formatted exactly for State Department online submission and the USPS photo tool.

There is no single universal standard. Common sizes are: US: 2×2 in (51×51mm) · UK/EU/Australia: 35×45mm · Canada: 50×70mm · India: 51×51mm. Each country has specific requirements. PhotoPass has verified templates for 100+ countries.

UK passport photos must be 35×45mm, color, plain light grey or cream background. Head height 29–34mm. Neutral expression (no smiling). Eyes open and clearly visible. No glasses. Taken within 6 months. Must meet HMPO biometric standards. The same photo works for both UK passport and UK driving licence.

EU passport photos must be 35×45mm, color, white or light grey background. Head height 32–36mm. ICAO biometric standard applies across all EU member states. No glasses. Neutral expression. This specification applies to Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands and all other EU countries.

Canadian passport photos must be 50×70mm — larger than most countries. Head height 31–36mm. White background. Taken within the last 6 months. IRCC biometric compliance required. No glasses. The rectangular format is unique to Canada.

A biometric passport photo meets ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards for machine-readable travel documents. Requirements include a clear, unobstructed face, specific head size ratios, plain background, no glasses and precise eye position. Most modern passports worldwide require biometric photos.

Only if they share the same specifications. For example, UK and EU passport photos both use 35×45mm biometric format, so technically yes. However, US, Canada, and most other countries have different sizes and cannot share photos. Always verify your specific country's requirements.

Australian passport photos must be 35×45mm, color, plain white or light grey background. Head height 32–36mm. Neutral expression. Eyes open. No glasses. Taken within the last 6 months. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) standards apply.

Most countries require white or off-white. Some countries accept light grey or cream (UK, EU). China accepts a blue background option for ID cards. Always check your specific country's requirements — PhotoPass automatically applies the correct background for each country template.

Schengen visa photos must be 35×45mm. Head height 32–36mm. Plain white or light grey background. Eyes open, looking directly at the camera. No glasses. Taken within the last 6 months. The same specification applies to all 26 Schengen member states including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Netherlands.

US visa photos for the DS-160 form are 2×2 inches (51×51mm) — identical to US passport photos. White background, head 1–1⅜ inches tall. The DS-160 application requires a digital photo upload. PhotoPass provides correctly formatted digital files for the State Department's automated photo checker.

China visa photos must be 33×48mm — a unique size not shared by many other countries. Plain white background. Head height 28–33mm. Taken within 6 months. Required for all China Embassy and consulate applications including tourist, business, student and work visas.

India visa photos (e-Visa and embassy) must be 51×51mm, color, plain white background. The face should cover 70–80% of the photo. No glasses. Neutral expression. Required for tourist, business, medical and conference visas.

It depends on whether the passport and visa use the same specifications. For US applications: yes, passport and visa photos are both 2×2 inches. For UK or EU applications: your 35×45mm passport photo can often be used for Schengen and UK visa applications too. Always verify the specific visa authority's requirements.

Most visa authorities require photos taken within the last 6 months. Some immigration forms (like USCIS) require photos taken within 30 days of filing. The photo must accurately reflect your current appearance at the time of application.

Yes. Stand in front of a plain white or light grey wall in good, even lighting. Use your smartphone rear camera at eye level. Remove glasses. Neutral expression, eyes open. Upload to PhotoPass — AI removes the background, crops to the exact visa size for your destination country and verifies all embassy requirements.

The main difference is the size and destination. US passport and US visa photos are both 2×2 inches. But Schengen visa photos are 35×45mm, China visa photos are 33×48mm, and India visa photos are 51×51mm. PhotoPass automatically applies the correct specifications for each visa type.

Many visa systems now accept digital uploads including the US DS-160, India e-Visa, Australia online applications and Canada IRCC portal. Schengen embassies increasingly accept digital photos too. PhotoPass provides high-resolution digital files sized for each portal's specific requirements.

Canada visa photos (for IRCC applications) must be 50×70mm, color, plain white background. Head height 31–36mm. Neutral expression. Eyes open. No glasses. Taken within the last 6 months. This applies to visitor visas, student permits, work permits and immigration applications.

US State ID and REAL ID-compliant driver's license photos follow the same 2×2 inch specification as US passport photos. White background, head 1 to 1-3/8 inches tall, neutral expression. PhotoPass creates DMV-ready ID photos for all 50 states.

USCIS green card photos (Form I-485, I-90, N-400) must be 2×2 inches, white background, taken within 30 days of filing — stricter than passports. Both eyes open, neutral expression, no glasses. PhotoPass creates USCIS-compliant photos for all immigration forms.

UK DVLA driving licence photos must be 35×45mm, color, plain light grey or cream background. Head height 29–34mm. Neutral expression — no smiling. Eyes open. No glasses. Taken within 6 months. The same photo can be used for both UK passport and UK driving licence.

Yes — in the UK, both use the same 35×45mm HMPO biometric format. One photo can be submitted for both, provided it meets all requirements and was taken within 6 months. PhotoPass creates a single photo that satisfies both UK passport and driving licence specifications.

An IDP photo must be 35×45mm with a white background. It allows you to drive in 150+ countries combined with your home driving licence. Issued by AAA (US), RAC/AA (UK), ADAC (Germany) and others. PhotoPass creates IDP photos accepted by all major issuing organisations.

EU National ID card photos follow the ICAO biometric standard — 35×45mm, white or light grey background, head height 32–36mm, no glasses. This applies uniformly across Germany (Personalausweis), France (Carte Nationale d'Identité), Spain (DNI) and all other EU member states.

Most countries do not permit glasses in driving licence photos. UK DVLA, US DMV (REAL ID), EU transport authorities, Canada and Australia all follow biometric standards that prohibit glasses. Some countries allow prescription glasses if they don't cause glare — always check your country's specific current rules.

Stand in front of a plain white wall in good natural or diffuse indoor lighting. Use your phone's rear camera at eye level. Remove glasses. Face the camera directly with a neutral expression, eyes open. Make sure your full face and top of head are in frame with space above the crown. Upload to PhotoPass — AI handles everything else.

Absolutely. Modern smartphones easily meet the quality requirements for passport photos. Use the rear camera (much higher resolution than selfie camera). Stand in good lighting against a white wall. Use a timer or ask someone to take the photo. Upload to PhotoPass for AI processing.

The best lighting is soft, even, diffuse light from the front. Natural daylight facing a window is ideal. Indoors: use two lamps at eye level on either side of your face. Avoid overhead lighting (creates shadows under eyes), harsh direct light (creates hot spots) and back-lighting.

Common reasons for rejection: glasses, wrong background, shadows, incorrect head size, expression issues, poor image quality, photo too old, or wrong size. PhotoPass prevents all of these with AI verification + expert human review. If you receive a rejection anyway, our 100% guarantee means we remake it free.

Avoid: glasses, sunglasses, hats (unless religious), white or off-white clothing (blends into background), heavy shadows on face or background, head tilting or turning, eyes closed or squinting, open mouth, exaggerated expressions, photos taken in low light or with flash directly on face.

For babies: lay the baby on a white blanket or sheet on the floor and photograph from directly above. Or hold the baby against a white background and step out of frame, photographing the baby's face. Eyes must be open if possible. Babies have slightly more relaxed expression requirements. PhotoPass supports infant passport photos.

No digital manipulation or filters are permitted in passport photos. No Photoshop retouching, beauty filters, brightness/contrast adjustments that alter appearance, or background replacement done manually. PhotoPass uses only government-approved processing: background removal, correct cropping and colour calibration.

There are no specific hairstyle requirements, but hair must not cover your face. Avoid styles where hair obscures eyes, eyebrows or the outline of your face. Hair accessories (headbands, clips, etc.) are fine as long as they don't cover your face or make it hard to see your hairline.

Don't try to resize manually — it's easy to get the dimensions or DPI wrong. Simply upload any photo to PhotoPass and select your country. Our AI automatically crops and resizes to the exact passport photo dimensions (2×2 in for US, 35×45mm for UK/EU, etc.) at the correct resolution (300+ DPI).

Normal, everyday make-up is fine. However, avoid heavy make-up that significantly alters your appearance — your passport photo must accurately represent how you look day-to-day for identification purposes. Heavy contouring, theatrical make-up or make-up that changes your facial structure should be avoided.

Upload any photo → AI processes it → Expert reviews it → Download in 3 minutes. Our AI automatically removes the background, crops to the correct size for your country, checks compliance with all government requirements, and alerts you to any issues. A trained human expert then reviews the final photo before delivery.

Your digital passport photo is ready in under 3 minutes from upload. AI processing takes about 30 seconds. Expert review typically takes 1–2 minutes. Digital files are delivered instantly. Printed photos ship via USPS and typically arrive in 1–3 business days.

PhotoPass delivers digital passport photos as high-resolution JPEG files at 300–600 DPI. For US passport photos: 600×600 pixels at 300 DPI (2×2 inches). For UK/EU: 413×531 pixels at 300 DPI (35×45mm). Files are formatted exactly for online government portals and print services.

Yes. PhotoPass works on any device via browser, and we also have dedicated iOS and Android apps. The mobile apps include a live camera alignment guide so you can position your face correctly before taking the photo — making the whole process even faster.

You can print your PhotoPass digital file at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target, FedEx, Staples, Boots (UK), Tesco Photo (UK) or any other photo printing service. Print on glossy or semi-gloss photo paper at 300 DPI. The file is sized so that printing at 4×6 inches gives exactly 4 copies at the correct 2×2 inch size.

Yes. PhotoPass offers professional printing and mail delivery. Our Complete Package includes 4 printed passport photos plus a digital file, delivered via USPS First Class (1–3 business days). Priority shipping options are also available.

PhotoPass supports passport photos, visa photos, ID photos and driving licence photos for 100+ countries. Every template is calibrated to the exact government specifications for that country and updated automatically when requirements change. Select your country from the dropdown and the correct format is applied.

PhotoPass is GDPR and CCPA compliant. Your photos are processed securely over encrypted HTTPS connections. Photos are stored only for the duration needed to process and deliver your order, then deleted. We never sell or share your photos with third parties. See our full Privacy Policy for details.

No account is required for a basic digital passport photo order. Simply upload, pay and download — no registration needed. Creating an account lets you access your order history, re-download photos, use saved templates and access faster checkout for future orders.

PhotoPass offers a 100% acceptance guarantee. If your photo is rejected by any government authority — US State Department, USPS, DVLA, USCIS, embassy, DMV — for any technical reason, we will either: (1) remake your photo for free, or (2) issue a full refund. Whichever you prefer. No questions asked.

If your photo is rejected, contact us within 30 days with documentation of the rejection (a note from the acceptance facility or an email from the authority). We will either remake your photo immediately or process a full refund — typically within 24–48 hours.

AI photo processing is fast but can miss subtle issues that cause rejection: slight shadows, glasses reflections, ambiguous expressions, or edge cases in expression guidelines. Our trained human experts review every photo before delivery, catching what algorithms miss. This dual-review system is why we can offer a 100% acceptance guarantee.

PhotoPass offers: (1) Full refund if photo rejected by any government authority. (2) Full refund if we are unable to process a photo to compliant standards. (3) Order cancellation refund within 1 hour if photo processing hasn't started. Digital downloads that have been accessed are non-refundable except under the acceptance guarantee.

PhotoPass offers: AI + expert human verification (not just a kiosk), a 100% acceptance guarantee (pharmacies offer none), digital files for online submissions, lower price, available 24/7 from home, and prints delivered to your door. Pharmacy kiosks are convenient but offer no quality guarantee and can't produce digital files for government portals.

PhotoPass has a 99.7% first-submission acceptance rate across all photo types. We have created over 18 million photos and served more than 18 million customers. Our dual AI + expert review system catches virtually all compliance issues before the photo reaches a government authority.

PhotoPass has 24,387+ verified reviews with a 4.9/5 average rating on Trustpilot and app stores. Our iOS app holds a 4.9/5 rating on the App Store and 4.8/5 on Google Play. We are regularly featured in major publications including the New York Times, BBC, Forbes and CNN.