Passport and ID photo maker
Choose the document first, then take or add a photo. The maker sizes your head to that document's rule, fixes what can be fixed, and tells you exactly what to change when something needs a new photo.
1. Choose the document
2. Add your photo
No photo yet? Take one now with your phone or computer camera.
A selfie is fine. The photo is taken by itself only when position, shoulders, facing, expression and light are all right; size and framing are set automatically.
Add one photo of your face looking straight at the camera (JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC).
or drop a file here
How to take a photo that passes
- Stand about 1 m in front of a plain light wall, facing a window or soft light.
- A selfie is fine: hold the phone at arm’s length at eye level (both hands keep the shoulders level), face and shoulders square to it. A phone right in front of the face makes the nose and forehead look bigger.
- Look straight at the camera, mouth closed, both eyes open, hair off the eyes and ears.
- No hat, no tinted glasses; keep your shoulders in the picture.
- Use a photo taken in the last 6 months.
Your photo stays on this device. Only the AI model files (about 41 MB, once) are downloaded from this site.
Some things need a new photo
These problems cannot be fixed automatically. A new photo taken like this will most likely pass:
Checks
Your photo never leaves this device. Everything runs in your browser.
How to use it
- Under ‘1. Choose the document’, set ‘Country’ and ‘Document and size’. Press ‘Show size and rules’ to read the measurements, the allowed backgrounds and the rules on glasses and expression before you take the photo.
- Under ‘2. Add your photo’, press ‘Open the camera’ for the guided camera, or add a photo from your phone or computer (JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC).
- Read the ‘Checks’. Anything listed under ‘Some things need a new photo’ comes with the reason and how to retake it; the rest has already been corrected.
- Open ‘Fine-tune’ to change the head size within the allowed range, the position, the background or the brightness. For passports and ID cards, leave ‘Face, hair and clothes’ on ‘No touch-ups’.
- Press ‘Save file’ for an online application, or ‘Save print sheet’ for several copies on 4×6 in, 10×15 cm or 89×127 mm paper.
What it does
A rule card for every document
‘Show size and rules’ lists the photo size, the head height range, the space above the head or the eye height where a country sets one, the allowed backgrounds and the rules on glasses, expression and retouching, with a link to the official page.
The head measured the way the office measures it
Korea, the UK and the Schengen countries measure from the chin to the top of the skull, not counting hair; the US, Japan and China measure to the top of the hair. Each size uses its own rule, so thick hair does not leave your face too small.
Checks you can read
One person, facing the camera, head level, eyes open, mouth closed, no smile where a neutral face is required, even light, the whole head and the shoulders in the picture, and enough sharpness for the size. A tilted head is straightened for you.
A camera that waits for you
The guided camera follows your face and takes the picture after a three-second countdown, only when position, shoulders, facing, expression and light are all right. The saved photo is not mirrored, as Japan requires.
Background and light put right
The background can be made white, light grey, light blue or cream, or kept and evened out. A dark photo, a colour cast, a shadow on one side of the face and red eyes are corrected before you see the result.
Files that stay within upload limits
Files are saved as JPG at the pixel size the form asks for, and the quality is adjusted to keep within limits such as 240 KB for the US visa application (DS-160) or 10–300 KB for the Indian e-Visa.
Good to know
Most ID photos are turned down for a handful of reasons: the head is too small or too large in the frame, the top of the head or the shoulders are cut off, one side of the face is in shadow, glasses reflect the light, or the background is patterned or tinted. Each has a check here, and the problems a computer cannot fix, such as a fringe over the eyebrows, glare in glasses or a blurred photo, are named so you can retake the picture.
A photo taken at home can pass if it is taken well. Face a window rather than a lamp, stand about a metre in front of a plain light wall so that no shadow falls on it, and hold the camera at eye level: a phone close to the face makes the nose look larger. If nobody can take it for you, use the guided camera at arm's length with both hands.
Some documents cannot be made at home at all. Since 1 May 2025 German passports and ID cards take only digital photos from certified studios or the office's own terminal; French ID cards and passports need a professional photographer or an approved booth; Canada asks for a commercial photographer; and in Portugal the photo is taken at the counter. The maker tells you so when you choose these countries or documents, and the issuing office always has the final word.
Questions and answers
What size is a passport photo?
It depends on the country. Korea, the UK, Australia, Japan and the Schengen countries use 35 × 45 mm, the US uses 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) and China uses 33 × 48 mm. The head height rule differs even where the paper size is the same, so choose your country and document rather than only the size.
Can I wear glasses in my ID photo?
Some documents forbid them, including US passports and visas and Australian passports. Others accept clear glasses without glare or tinted lenses, such as the UK passport and the Schengen visa. The rule card under ‘Show size and rules’ says which applies to yours.
Does the background have to be white?
Not always. The US accepts white or off-white, the UK asks for light grey or cream, and France does not accept white. The maker starts with the background your document asks for, and you can change it under ‘Fine-tune’.
How do I print it at the right size?
Choose ‘Save print sheet’, then print the file as a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo at a shop or online service, or on your own printer at 100 % with ‘fit to page’ turned off. Cut along the grey lines.
Can I use the file for an online application?
Yes. Choose a document made for online use, such as the Korean passport photo file or the US visa, and press ‘Save file’. The picture is saved at the required pixel size and kept under the file size limit.
Are retouched photos allowed?
Not for passports, ID cards or driving licences, which turn down retouched or composited photos, AI edits included. Keep ‘No touch-ups’ for those. Make-up, hair colour and a suit are meant for résumé photos and other uses where they are accepted.