Framefare

How to take a passport photo at home

You can take your own US passport photo with a phone. The State Department only asks that it follows the rules. This is what to set up, and how to check it before you send it.

Free preview. $2.49 once for the digital photo and a print sheet.

Start with your photo

1 of 3

Face the camera.
A white wall is best.

Free watermarked preview. No signup. Photos are deleted after 24 hours. JPG, PNG or WebP.

$2.49 once, after your preview
  • Digital JPEG for online passport renewal
  • 4 × 6 print sheet with six 2 × 2 photos
  • No-questions refunds within 30 days

Photos deleted within 24 hours. We do not train on photos. Photos are processed by fal for basic checks and background removal.

What you need

  • A phone with a rear camera, set to its highest quality.
  • A plain white or off-white wall, or a white sheet or blanket (the State Department suggests covering a non-white wall with one).
  • A window or even light in front of you. No light from the side or overhead that makes shadows.
  • A second person, or a stand and the camera timer.

Take the photo

  1. Hang the sheet flat with no folds or texture. Stand a few feet in front of it so your shadow does not land on it.
  2. Face a window or lamp so light falls evenly on your face. Check the wall for shadows.
  3. Put the phone at eye level, about 4 feet (1.2 m) away. The State Department says the camera should be several feet from you. A selfie at arm’s length makes your head too large and distorts your face.
  4. Remove glasses and hats. Pull hair back from your eyes. Face the camera, shoulders square, head level.
  5. Use a neutral expression or a closed-mouth smile, with both eyes open.
  6. Frame head and shoulders with some space around you. The online app lets you crop, and extra room is easier to fix than too little.
  7. Turn off filters, beauty mode and portrait blur. Take several shots.
  8. Pick the sharpest one. Zoom in on your eyes and the wall edge. Reject anything with shadows, glare or a tilted head.

Turn it into a 2 × 2 photo

Upload your best shot to Framefare. You get a free preview with basic checks. For $2.49 you download a 600 × 600 JPEG and a 4 × 6 print sheet with six 2 × 2 photos. For a paper application, print the sheet at a drugstore.

Framefare crops and sizes your photo and, if your wall is not white, replaces the background with plain white. The State Department says photos must be original and unedited, and that a background removed with a retouching tool is not acceptable. The safest route is a real white wall or sheet. If you use our background step, look at the preview and keep in mind that staff decide.

Selfie or helper?

The online renewal page tells you to have someone take your photo. The rules do not ban a phone on a stand with the timer, but a helper is simpler. A phone propped on a stack of books at eye height, 4 feet away, with a 10 second timer, gives the same result.

Common questions

Can I take my own passport photo?

Yes. The State Department says a friend, family member or any photo company can take it. It must meet the same rules as a store photo.

Can I use a selfie?

A true arm’s-length selfie is usually a bad idea: your head will be too big and slightly distorted. Use a timer or a helper and stand several feet from the camera.

What if I have no white wall?

Cover a wall with a plain white sheet or blanket. If you cannot, our tool can replace the background, but the State Department prefers original photos and may reject edited ones.

How much room should I leave around my head?

Enough that your whole head and shoulders are in the frame. You can crop later. For the printed 2 × 2 photo the head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches.

Sources

Rules checked October 21, 2026. Framefare is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State, USCIS or any government agency, and cannot guarantee that your photo is accepted.

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