How to take a passport photo at home

Quick answerStand facing a window for even daylight. Have someone hold the phone at your eye level about 1.5 metres away, or use a timer. Look straight at the camera with your mouth closed and a natural expression, take off your glasses, and wear a coloured top. A plain wall helps but isn't required: PersonPhoto replaces the background with pure white and sizes the photo for you.

Step by step

Light: face a window in daylight so your face is evenly lit. Avoid overhead bulbs and harsh sun, which cause shadows. Don't use the flash.
Distance: the guidelines suggest about 1.5 m from the camera. A selfie at arm's length can stretch your nose and face, so ask someone to take it or prop the phone up and use the timer.
Angle: keep the camera at eye level and your head straight, not tilted up, down or sideways.
Expression: eyes open, mouth closed, natural and neutral. No wide smile.
Glasses and hair: take glasses off, and keep hair away from your eyes and the edges of your face.
Clothes: wear a coloured, plain top. White blends into the white background.
Camera settings: turn off beauty, portrait and filter modes, and don't zoom in. Take a few shots and pick the sharpest.
Frame: include your full head with some space above it, and your shoulders.

Checklist before you use the photo

Face in focus, evenly lit, no shadows across it.
Eyes open, mouth closed, looking straight ahead.
Top of hair and chin both visible, shoulders in the picture.
No glasses, no filters, no heavy edits.

PersonPhoto checks the head turn, eyes, mouth and framing for you and tells you what to fix before you download.

Ready? Take a selfie or upload your photo and get a white-background passport photo.

Make my photo

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a passport photo with my phone?

Yes. Any modern phone camera is sharp enough. Use daylight, keep the phone at eye level about 1.5 m away, and turn off beauty filters.

Is a selfie okay, or should someone else take it?

Someone else, or a timer, is better: an arm's-length selfie can distort your face. If you take a selfie, hold the phone as far away as you can and keep it at eye level.

Do I need a white wall?

No. A plain wall makes the cut-out cleaner, but PersonPhoto replaces any background with pure white.

What should I wear?

A plain, coloured top. Avoid white, which blends into the background, and busy patterns.

Sources

Indian High Commission, Gaborone: Global Passport Seva 2.0 photo guidelines

PersonPhoto is an independent service, not affiliated with the Government of India, MEA or Passport Seva. Acceptance is always decided by the passport office or mission.