How to Take a Perfect Passport Photo at Home (2026 Requirements)
Getting a passport photo right is crucial — the US Department of State rejects over 200,000 applications each year due to incorrect photos. Here's everything you need to know to take a compliant photo at home.
US Passport Photo Requirements (2026)
- Size: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm)
- Head size: Between 1 inch and 1-3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from chin to top of head
- Background: Plain white or off-white
- Color: Full color (no black and white)
- Recency: Taken within the last 6 months
- Expression: Neutral or natural smile, both eyes open
- Glasses: NOT allowed (since November 2016)
- Head coverings: Not allowed unless for religious purposes (with a signed statement)
How to Take the Photo at Home
- Find a white wall — Stand about 3 feet in front of it
- Use natural lighting — Face a window; avoid harsh shadows or flash
- Use your phone camera — Set it to portrait mode, 3–4 feet away
- Keep your head centered — Look straight at the camera
- Take several shots — Pick the best one with even lighting
👉Free Online Tool
Use our US Passport Photo Tool to automatically crop your photo to the exact 2×2 inch specification and print it at home on 4×6 photo paper.
Common Rejection Reasons
- Shadows on the face or background
- Wearing glasses (even with clear lenses)
- Wrong background color (colored or patterned)
- Head too large or too small in the frame
- Overexposed or underexposed photo
- Photo older than 6 months
⚠️Watch Out
The most common rejection reason is shadows — especially when using a phone flash. Always use natural daylight facing a window, and let the AI tool check your photo for compliance issues before printing.
Printing Your Photo
After cropping, print on 4×6 glossy photo paper at a local drugstore or home printer. The tool arranges multiple copies on one sheet to save paper. Cut carefully along the guide lines.
💡Money-Saving Tip
One 4×6 print sheet fits six passport photos. At $0.35 per print at CVS/Walgreens, that's less than $0.06 per photo — compared to $15+ at a passport photo service.
Related Free Tools
Put this guide into practice with our free browser-based tools — no signup, no upload, 100% local processing.