Passport Photo Maker

Every value in the table was read on the issuing authority's own page; a dash means the page does not state it. The physical size is what a printed photo must measure. The digital size and file size apply to online applications, where you upload a file instead of handing in prints. The two do not always match: the UK, for example, asks for prints of 35 × 45 mm but a digital photo of at least 600 × 750 pixels, so the photo for an online renewal and the one for a paper form are made differently.

Sizes alone are not the whole rule. Most authorities also set how large the head must be inside the frame. The US Department of State wants the head between 1 and 1⅜ inches (25 to 35 mm) from chin to the top of the head on a 2 × 2 inch photo. That is why the tool shows a Head-size guide for the chosen document: a photo with the right outer size but a head that is too small or too large is still rejected.

The list in the tool covers more documents than the table, including visas for China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the Indian PAN card and photos for Indian exam portals. For those, the tool uses the size in the document's name. Rules change, and visa sizes in particular can differ between a country's embassies, so always confirm with the office you are applying to; the sources are listed below.

The tool can crop, resize, replace the background and keep the file under a size limit. It cannot fix a photo that is out of focus, unevenly lit or taken at an angle, and those are the reasons most photos are rejected. A few minutes spent on the original pays off.

Stand about half a meter in front of a plain wall, with the light in front of you rather than behind or above. Daylight from a window facing you works well; avoid a single ceiling lamp, which puts shadows under the eyes and nose. Have someone else take the picture with the camera at the height of your eyes, a little farther away than a normal portrait, so the whole head and the top of the shoulders are in the shot with room to spare. Look straight into the lens with a neutral expression and your mouth closed.

Once the photo is uploaded, Auto-center face finds the face and places the eyes and chin where the chosen document wants them, and the frame on the preview shows the result. You can still drag the frame yourself if the automatic placement is slightly off, for example with a hairstyle that adds height. The Head-size guide marks the allowed range from chin to crown, so you can see at a glance whether your head fills enough of the frame.

Background replaces whatever is behind you with plain white, light gray or blue, or keeps the original if your wall already meets the rule. White is the safe choice for most passports. The UK, Schengen countries and Australia also accept light gray or cream, and blue is in the list for the offices that ask for it. Replacement works best when there is a clear edge between you and the wall, so stand a little away from it to avoid your own shadow, and tie back loose hair that would blend into the background.

For paper applications, set Print sheet to 4×6 in sheet or A4 sheet. The tool lays out copies of the photo at the exact physical size on that sheet, with Cut lines between them so they are easy to cut straight. A 4 × 6 inch sheet is the standard small print at most photo kiosks and stores, so you can send the file to a print service and pay for one print instead of a set of passport photos. Copies sets how many photos go on the sheet, up to 40 on A4.

The sheet is made at the DPI shown under File size & DPI, 300 by default, which is the resolution most photo printers expect. The important part is to print at 100% scale. Turn off any fit-to-page, borderless or auto-enhance option in the printer dialog or the kiosk, since those enlarge or crop the sheet slightly and every photo on it ends up the wrong size. Use photo paper with a matte or glossy finish as the authority allows; plain office paper is usually not accepted.

Cut carefully along the lines with a paper trimmer or a sharp blade and a ruler; scissors tend to wander, and a photo that is a millimeter short on one side can be refused at a counter that measures it. Keep the spare copies flat in an envelope. Some paper applications ask for two identical prints, and having extras saves another trip if a form is sent back.

For online applications, choose Single photo and JPG, which almost every portal asks for. Turn on Limit file size if the portal names a KB limit; for the DV Lottery and the Indian exam portals, the spec applies its own limit. If you only need to adjust a photo you already have, Compress Image and Increase Image Size change the file size without touching the crop.