How to Take a Passport Photo at Home

Can You Take Your Own Passport Photo at Home?

Yes. HM Passport Office accepts digital photos that you take yourself, so you don't need a photo booth or a studio. All you need is a smartphone, a plain wall and some daylight.

The catch is that your photo must meet strict rules. GOV.UK asks for a clear, in-focus, recent colour photo with a plain light-coloured background, no shadows and a neutral expression. Photos that break these rules are one of the most common reasons for a delayed application. Taking a passport picture at home is easy once you know what to check, and the steps below cover it.

What You Need to Take a Passport Photo at Home

• A smartphone with a decent camera (any recent phone will do)
• A plain, light-coloured wall or a plain sheet or board to use as a backdrop
• A window with soft daylight
• A tripod, a stack of books or a helper to hold the phone
• About 15 minutes

How to Take a Passport Photo at Home in 7 Steps

1. Choose a plain background. Stand in front of a plain, light-coloured wall with no patterns, texture or objects behind you. Cream or light grey works best.
2. Use soft, even daylight. Face a window during the day so light falls evenly on your face. Turn off the flash and avoid direct sun or overhead lights.
3. Set up your phone. Prop your phone at eye level on a tripod or stack of books, or ask someone to take the photo. Keep the camera about one to one and a half metres away.
4. Get your pose right. Face the camera straight on with your head upright. Keep a neutral expression, your mouth closed and both eyes open and clearly visible.
5. Remove glasses and head coverings. Take off glasses, and move hair away from your eyes. Remove hats and head coverings unless you wear one for religious or medical reasons.
6. Take several photos. Take at least five or six shots so you have a choice. Use the rear camera if you can, and don't use filters or beauty modes.
7. Check, crop and upload. Pick the sharpest photo, crop it to head and shoulders, and run it through a photo checker before you upload it with your passport application.

UK Passport Photo Requirements at a Glance

Requirement	What GOV.UK expects
Background	Plain, light-coloured (cream or light grey), no pattern or texture
Lighting	Even, with no shadows on your face or behind you
Expression	Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open
Pose	Facing forward, looking straight at the camera
Glasses	Not allowed, unless you can't remove them for medical reasons
Head coverings	Only for religious or medical reasons, with your face fully visible
Quality	In focus, clear and not blurred, with no red-eye, glare or filters
Age of photo	Taken within the last month
Digital size	At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, as a JPG

These rules can change, so check the latest guidance on GOV.UK before you apply. Rules for babies and young children are different, and our UK passport photo requirements page covers every rule in full, including baby passport photos.

How to Take a Passport Photo From Your Mobile

Most people use their phone, and a few settings make a big difference:

• Use the rear camera. It gives a sharper image than the front camera. Ask someone to take the photo, or use a tripod and a timer.
• Don't take a selfie at arm's length. Close-up selfies distort your face because the camera is too near. Stand back and let the phone sit at eye level.
• Switch off filters, HDR and beauty mode. These change your skin and features, which can get the photo rejected.
• Keep the phone level. Tilting it up or down changes how your head looks in the frame.
• Use portrait orientation and leave space above your head and around your shoulders so you can crop later.

If you only have a phone and no helper, a timer and a stack of books can replace a tripod. iPhone users can follow our step-by-step guide to taking a passport photo on iPhone.

Common Mistakes When You Do a Passport Photo at Home

• Shadows behind your head or on your face. Step away from the wall and face the window. Then run the photo through our UK passport photo checker to spot any shadows that remain.
• A busy or dark background. Use a plain, light wall, not a door, curtain or patterned wallpaper.
• Smiling or tilting your head. Keep a neutral face and hold your head upright.
• Photos that are too dark or blurry. Use bright but indirect daylight, and hold the camera still.
• Editing or filtering the photo. Don't retouch it, smooth it or change the colours.

Fix Your Background and Check Your Photo Before You Submit

If your wall isn't quite plain enough, our passport photo maker can replace the background with a compliant one and crop the photo to the right size. It can't fix problems with your face, such as shadows, a tilted head or glare, so get those right when you take the photo. Before you submit, run your photo through the UK passport photo checker to catch problems early. Applying by post? Use our guide to printing passport photos at home. The same steps also work for a visa photo or a DVLA driving licence photo.