How to take a passport photo at home with your phone

You don't need a studio. A phone, a plain wall and daylight are enough.

1. Find a plain, light wall

A white or off-white wall with nothing on it. If you don't have one, hang a white sheet. Stand about half a meter (2 ft) in front of the wall so you don't cast a shadow on it.

2. Face the light

Stand facing a window during the day. Light from the front removes shadows on your face. Avoid overhead lights alone and don't use the flash.

3. Have someone else take it

Selfies distort the face and usually crop too tightly. Ask someone to hold the phone at your eye level, about 1.5 m (4–5 ft) away, using the main camera with no zoom or portrait mode. If you're alone, prop the phone on a shelf and use the timer.

4. Frame head and shoulders

Leave space above your head and include your shoulders. The tool crops the photo for you — it just needs room to work.

5. Pose

• Face the camera straight on, chin level.
• Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
• Glasses off, hair away from your eyes.
• Everyday clothes in a color that contrasts with the wall (avoid white on white).

6. Crop it to the official size

Upload the photo to the passport photo tool and choose your document. It measures your head, scales it to the exact size the authority requires, checks lighting and background, and gives you a digital file and a 4×6 print sheet.