How to make passport photos at home in under 5 minutes.

Studios charge $10–$20 for a strip of passport photos that takes them 3 minutes. You can make the same digital passport photo at home for free using your phone and a free online tool. This guide shows you exactly how — from lighting to printing.

What you'll need

• A smartphone with a decent rear camera (any phone from the last 5 years works).
• A plain light wall, white sheet, or door — the background will be replaced anyway.
• Soft daylight from a window (no direct sun, no overhead bulbs).
• Optional: glossy 4×6" or A4 photo paper and a home printer for physical copies.

Step 1 — Set up lighting

Lighting is the single biggest factor in whether your photo passes acceptance. Stand facing a window during the day so soft, diffused daylight hits your face evenly. Avoid:

• Overhead ceiling lights (they cast shadows under your eyes and chin).
• Direct sunlight (it creates harsh hotspots and squinting).
• Backlight from a window behind you (your face goes dark).

Step 2 — Pose correctly

Stand about 50 cm in front of a plain light-colored wall. Face the camera straight on, shoulders square, eyes open, mouth closed, neutral expression. Remove glasses, hats, and anything covering your face or ears. Hair should be tucked behind so your face outline is clearly visible.

Step 3 — Take the photo

Hand your phone to someone and ask them to shoot from chest height, about 1.5 meters away, using the rear camera. Don't take a selfie — the wide-angle front camera distorts faces and most passport agencies reject the result. Take 3–4 shots and pick the sharpest one with neutral expression.

Step 4 — Upload to PassportSnap

Open PassportSnap, upload your photo, and the AI will automatically remove the background and replace it with the correct color for your country (white for India, US, Japan, China; light grey for UK and EU). Everything runs in your browser — your photo never leaves your device.

Step 5 — Pick your country and crop

Choose the country preset that matches the document you're applying for. PassportSnap ships with presets for India (35×45mm), the US (2×2in / 51×51mm), the UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia, Japan, and China. See the full passport photo size reference if you're unsure. Adjust the crop so your head fills 70–80% of the frame and your eyes sit roughly two thirds up from the bottom.

Step 6 — Generate the print sheet

PassportSnap lays out 6–8 copies of your photo on a 4×6" or A4 sheet at 300 DPI, ready for printing. Optional: enable thin cut guides to make trimming easier, and pick a border color (white or beige works well for most documents).

Step 7 — Print at home (or at a kiosk)

Download the PNG and print on glossy photo paper. Most home inkjet printers handle 4×6" glossy paper directly. If you don't have a printer, take the file on a USB drive or your phone to any photo kiosk (Walgreens, CVS, Snapfish, local photo shop) — a 4×6" print typically costs $0.30–$0.50. Then cut along the guide marks.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Smiling or showing teeth — neutral expression only.
• Shadows on the background or face — move closer to the window.
• Wearing white against a white wall — your shoulders disappear. Wear a darker top.
• Selfies — always have someone else take the photo.
• Printing on plain paper — most agencies reject matte or copy paper; use glossy photo paper.

Need a stamp size photo too?

Many Indian forms ask for both a passport size photo and a stamp size photo (20×25mm or 25×30mm) on the same sheet. PassportSnap can mix both sizes on one A4 page — no separate session needed.

Make your passport photo now

Everything in this guide takes under 5 minutes with our free passport size photo maker. No login, no watermark, no upload to a server — your photo is processed entirely in your browser.