How to take a passport photo at home
Mostly about background, lighting and framing, not equipment. Here is how to get it right with just a phone.
What passport photo rules actually require
Requirements vary a little by country, but the common ground covers most of it: a plain white or off-white background, even lighting with no harsh shadows on the face or background, a neutral expression with both eyes open, no glasses (most countries now reject photos with glasses, even clear ones), no shadow across the face, and the head filling a specific portion of the frame. The US requires a 2×2 inch photo with the head (chin to top of hair) between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches. Most of Europe and the Schengen area use 35×45 mm with similar head-size rules.
Setting up the shot
Stand about 4-6 feet from a plain wall, ideally white or light-coloured, in daylight from a window rather than overhead lighting, which casts shadows under the eyes and chin. Have someone else take the photo (or use a tripod and timer) rather than a selfie, since a selfie's wide-angle lens distorts facial proportions at close range and most rules require it to be taken by someone else or from a fixed camera anyway. Face the camera directly, keep a neutral expression, and remove glasses, hats, and anything covering the face other than religious head coverings, which most countries explicitly allow.
From that photo to a compliant file
Stayput's passport photo maker takes that photo and does the sizing work: it finds your eyes, mouth and hairline, scales your head into the required range automatically, and centres you in either a 2×2 inch US format or a 35×45 mm European format. It can also replace the background with plain white if your wall was not perfectly even, and it produces both a single digital photo and a 4×6 inch print sheet with multiple copies, ready to print at a pharmacy or photo kiosk. All of this happens in your browser; the photo is never uploaded.
Photo-booth vs. DIY: what actually differs
A passport photo both booth costs money mainly for the guaranteed compliant background and lighting, not for anything a phone cannot do at home with a bit of care. The most common reasons DIY photos get rejected are a shadowed or uneven background, glasses, and a head that is too small or too large in the frame, all three of which the steps above and the sizing tool directly address.
Questions
Can I take my own passport photo with my phone?
Yes, most passport agencies accept a photo you took yourself as long as it meets the size, background and lighting requirements; a phone camera is more than sharp enough.
Can I wear glasses in a passport photo?
Most countries, including the US since 2016, no longer allow glasses in a passport photo, even clear prescription glasses.
What background do I need for a passport photo?
Plain white or off-white, evenly lit with no shadows, for almost every country's passport photo.
How is the head-size requirement measured?
From the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair (not including the very top of the head's shadow or hairline flyaways), which must fall within a specific range: 1 to 1 3/8 inches for the US 2×2 photo, and a similar proportion for the 35×45 mm format used across most of Europe.