Passport Photo Tool

What this tool can help with

• Cropping a photo to a selected country or document format.
• Positioning the face inside a visual guide for that format.
• Locking the aspect ratio so the export is the right shape.
• Showing the published size, head band and background for the country you pick.
• Linking you to that authority’s own requirements page.

What this tool cannot guarantee

This tool helps you crop and prepare a photo. It does not guarantee acceptance by any government, embassy, consulate, airline or application service.

• It cannot judge lighting, shadows, sharpness or expression.
• It cannot detect glare on glasses or an unsuitable background.
• It cannot tell whether a photo has been retouched, filtered or beauty-smoothed.
• It cannot know rules that differ by application channel, applicant age or document type.
• It cannot confirm that a requirement has not changed since this page was last reviewed.

See what actually causes rejections · Set up a home photo properly

How the passport photo tool works

Select the country and document type, upload a photo, and position your face inside the guide overlay. The tool crops and resizes to the dimensions stored for that country and produces a file you can print or upload.

Everything happens in your browser — the image is not uploaded to a server. The tool handles the geometry; whether the photo itself meets the rules on expression, lighting, and background is down to how it was taken.

Common size requirements

Two formats cover most countries. Confirm the current requirement with the issuing authority before you submit, since specifications change.

Head size and position

Getting the crop right is the most common failure point, and it is not the same as centering your face in the frame. Most authorities specify both how much of the frame the head occupies and where the eyes sit vertically.

As a rule of thumb, the head from chin to crown takes up between 70% and 80% of the image height, the face is square to the camera, and there is a small margin of space above the head. Selecting your country applies its specific ratio rather than a generic one.

Lighting and background checklist

• A plain, light, single-colored wall with nothing behind you.
• Even light from the front. Window light facing you works well; overhead light creates shadows under the eyes.
• No shadow falling on the background — stand a step or two away from the wall.
• A neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.
• Hair clear of the eyes, and nothing covering the face.
• Photo taken from a couple of steps back rather than at arm length, which distorts features.

Mistakes that cause rejections

• Shadows on the face or the background.
• Wrong head size or the eyes at the wrong height in the frame.
• Smiling, or a tilted head.
• Glasses, where the country does not allow them.
• A busy or colored background, or another person visible.
• Low resolution, heavy compression, or a filtered or retouched image.
• A photo older than the maximum age the authority accepts.

Always check the official requirements

The stored dimensions here are a convenience, not a compliance guarantee. Requirements differ by country, by document type, and sometimes by whether you are applying at home or at a consulate, and they are updated from time to time.

Before submitting, check the current specification published by the authority issuing your document. If a photo is rejected, the official page is also where the reason will be explained.

Frequently asked questions