Passport photo generator

Our everyday life is full of challenges, plans and dreams. We want to complete our studies, get a driver’s license, travel around the world, get to know other cultures and meet wonderful people. Many of these plans require special preparation. For example, we need to get a passport, and sometimes a visa, if we want to explore the world. We will not be able to do this without professional photographs. To be honest, we cannot even have a driver’s license, school diploma or ID without a photograph. This means that there are a few times in our life where we need to dedicate our time, energy, and money into getting a good photo that looks professional. But does this really mean that we need to spend hours looking for a photography studio that won’t charge an arm and a leg for a photo, as well as all of the time spent getting ready and traveling there? Absolutely not!

Read below to find out how to take your photo wherever and whenever you like, saving you time and money, it really is that easy!

Passport and ID photo tool
To get any official document (passport, ID, different kinds of licenses or cards) you must provide an application and a picture. This photo must meet specific requirements in order to be accepted. Requirements vary depending on the type of document, a country, and the law. Is it possible to take a picture at home without the help of a professional photographer?

All you need in order to take the perfect picture for your American passport is:

a camera (on phone, digital camera or tablet, you cannot use your webcam),
natural lighting, as shadows on your face will cause your photo to be rejected,
tripod or another person to help (selfies are not acceptable),
list of regulations as to the size, background, clothing, hair, jewelry etc. which we present below,
a passport and document photo editor online.
Take a look at our guidelines for pictures that are to be used for documents. All you need to do is have the correct pose and facial expression and not to blink for one second. PhotoAiD will take care of the rest: the proper background, size and crop of the photo.

If you already have a picture that you like and it meets the requirements in terms of composition, coloring etc., you do not have to do anything but upload the image to our photo app and wait 3 seconds.

Passport photos

If you are planning an international trip, you need a passport. Requirements for passport photos are similar in most countries, they differ only in details such as size of the photo or dimensions of the face in the image. Most governments issue biometric documents and it does not apply only to passports but also to IDs, driver’s licenses etc. Biometric photos in passports must satisfy strict requirements and it is the responsibility of the applicant to know and meet them all.

If you are applying for a British passport, you must attach 2 (two) identical photos that are 35 x 45 mm or at least 600 pixels in width and 750 pixels in height in the case of a digital picture. But the required dimensions might vary. For example, in the U.S. official bodies require photos that are 2 x 2 inches. The good news is that you do not even need to know the size requirements as PhotoAiD app automatically adjusts the size of your uploaded picture to the requirements of the country and document you have chosen.

Visa photo

If you want to travel internationally, sometimes you may need a visa, which is permission that allows you to cross the border of the indicated country for a specified period of time. A visa always contains a photo of its holder that must, like a passport photo, meet certain requirements.

Countries have different specifications for a visa photo and sometimes applicants make mistakes which cause a refusal or a delay in the application process. But if you prepare your visa photo online with our tool, you can be 100% sure that your picture will be perfect. It doesn’t matter if you want to apply for a Chinese, Canadian, Japanese or Russian visa, we know exactly how each of those photos must look. Give us a try and check out some of the options that we have for you such as:

Chinese visa photo
Canadian visa photo
Japanese visa photo
Russian visa photo
U.S. visa photo
Malaysian visa photo
Thailand visa photo
German visa photo
Schengen visa photo
Photos for ID cards
If you are an adult, you likely have your ID card already, but maybe you need a renewal? In everyday life we use many cards with our photo and personal data – identity cards, membership cards, licenses etc. You need a dedicated picture for an EAD card or the U.S. citizenship application, you also need photos for a permanent residence card, a leave, pass and many others. The general rule says that an official photograph must be current, which means that the image must not be older than 6 months (in certain cases 1-3 months).

If you are able to dedicate just a couple of minutes (or even seconds if you are really in a rush) to take a new picture. It costs much less than at a professional studio or photo booth and there are many other advantages.

DIY passport photo – take passport or visa photos at home

You don’t have to worry about your photo being correct or not, as our photo editor checks every photo that gets uploaded, and checks how correct the image is for the document you are applying for. Once PhotoAiD has verified that your photo is correct the authorities will accept the picture too. If you follow our advice you will know how to:

take a correct passport or visa photo with your smartphone.
pose in the photograph.
remove an incorrect background and change it into the required one,
use lighting to take the perfect shot.
dress and wear accessories, such as a head covering or glasses while taking a photo for documents.
avoid the most commonly made mistakes.

How to take a passport photo at home?

We have the pleasure to present to you a short guidebook that helps people all over the world prepare to take the ideal picture for documents.

Tip 1: get the best light

Professional photographers agree that the most favorable is natural light. So if it is possible, plan your photo session during the bright day. Your face must be evenly illuminated on both sides. Your picture must be free of shadows and your features must be clearly visible. The photo needs to be focused, sharp and properly exposed. Overexposed and underexposed images will be rejected.

Tip 2: adjust the background

The background in most formal photos must be white, semi-white or light-gray, and it depends on the country and the type of document. The image must always be free of shadows, patterns and other visible people or objects. Using PhotoAiD, you can take a picture anywhere, even in your kitchen or patio with a view of the mountains. The photo app will automatically remove and change the background into a plain one with the color you need.

Tip 3: ask a friend

Selfies very rarely meet the requirements and are often rejected due to the way your body twists when taking one. You need to ask someone for help or to use a tripod. Your head, neck (and, optionally, the upper part of the shoulders) must be visible in the picture, so the recommended distance between you and the camera or smartphone is between 1.20 and 2 meters.

Tip 4: composition and head position

The composition, head position and direction of your eyesight is described in detail in every set of photo guidelines for official documents. But there are some universal rules such as:

The face must be positioned in the central part of the image.
The head must not be tilted in any direction.
The person being photographed must look straight at the camera.
The mouth must be closed and the eyes open.
A neutral facial expression is a requirement (no smile, no grimace).
The whole face must be clearly visible.
What to wear for a passport photo?
You will travel with your new passport for the next ten years and this is a long time. Therefore, it is best to choose an ageless outfit. A classic button down shirt, a collared shirt, a V-neck dress or even your favorite T-shirt will be fine. In a passport photo, only your face and area around the collarbone will be visible, so it’s not recommended to wear a tank top or a shirt with a wide neckline if you don’t want to look naked.

When applying for a U.S. document, and documents of many other countries, you are not allowed to wear any kind of uniform or clothes resembling a uniform. This also means that camouflage patterns on clothes are not acceptable.

There are no rules about the coloring of your clothes but we recommend that you wear a color other than white, just because it will look better with the light background.

Who can wear glasses in a passport photo?
It depends on the requirements in a given country. The general rule is that sunglasses and tinted glasses are forbidden in an official photo.

For the U.S. passport or visa photo, glasses you wear everyday must be taken off unless they cannot be removed for medical reasons (e.g. you recently had ocular surgery and the glasses are necessary to protect your eyes). In these circumstances you must submit a medical statement signed by a medical professional or health practitioner explaining the reason as to why you cannot remove your glasses.

In many other countries (e.g. in the European Union) prescription eyeglasses are accepted but make sure that:

both of your pupils are clearly visible – the frames of the glasses must not cover your eyes.
there is no glare on the glasses.
There is no shadow on your face or that the light is shining onto your face thanks to the refraction of the lenses.
Can you wear a hijab, hat or other head covering?
You can wear if they do not obscure your face below the hairline and do not cover the oval of your face. In some countries (e.g. the U.S.), if you want to keep your headwear on in the passport photo, you are asked to prove that it is a part of your recognized, traditional religious attire. You must submit a signed document that you wear items like a hijab, yarmulke or hat for religious reasons. Niqabs covering most of the face are not allowed. All fashionable head coverings, such as caps or fancy hats, are forbidden.

Jewelry and accessories in ID and passport photos
In most countries small jewelry is allowed in an official photo. You can choose an elegant necklace, pendant, or a pair of earrings on the condition that they do not touch the oval of your face. So huge earrings are not recommended, and don’t wear headbands or massive, decorative hair accessories either.

If you have a facial piercing and removing it may cause problems, you can leave it. Make sure that the piercing does not give off any glare or cast any shadows on your face.

All hands-free devices such as wireless headphones, and others, are not allowed, unless it is a hearing aid that is medically required.

The most commonly made mistakes in visa/passport photos
While taking a photo ourselves, we risk making a mistake that may cause rejection of our application. Now we can do more and more things via the Internet, and take professional photos for documents with a 100% guarantee of acceptance.

The most common mistakes in rejected photos are:

an incorrect size – check which size is required, do not assume that it will always be 2 x 2 inches.
poor lighting, e.g. shadows on the face will cause a picture to be rejected, so make sure that your face is evenly lit and that you have chosen the right light to take a photo in, preferably daylight.
wrong background and forbidden color, patterns or spots in the background cause automatic refusal. Visible objects, or other people in the background, are forbidden so ensure that your background is clear.
Do not smile in your passport photo.
hair or headwear obscuring facial features – you may have your hair down but make sure that your face is visible. If you wear your head covering for religious reasons, the rule is the same, but you must provide a signed statement from a religious leader in your community stating why you must wear it.
head tilted or semi-profile – you are only allowed to pose with your head directly facing the camera, and your eyesight must be directed to the camera lens, you cannot tilt your head in any way.
Other fails and mistakes made in passport and visa photos are less common but can also cause your photo to be rejected. Remember not to attach a photo that is:

older than indicated in the requirements,
overexposed or underexposed,
printed on your home inkjet printer or on low quality paper,
not original (cut out from a larger picture or interfered with in any way).
Passport photo tool
PhotoAiD utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) using the latest achievements in technology. The AI is able to verify a photo immediately after it has been uploaded and mark it as “correct” or “incorrect”. If the photo is approved by this technology, you can be 100% sure that the image will be accepted by authorities.

Passport photo cropping tool
In the passport photo all of the head and neck must be visible and, optionally, the upper part of the shoulders. The face must be centered and the dimensions of the head must fit the measurements that are required. How can you do this if you are not a professional photographer?

Stop worrying about cropping your picture, just let us do it for you! PhotoAiD photo cropping tool is able to do it in one second. You upload your favorite picture and choose the type of document you need it for and you will have a perfectly cropped and resized photo in an instant.

Passport photo background remover
In every official document’s requirements, we can find a rule about the background. Most commonly, the required background is white or off-white, always plain and free of shadows. Sometimes the background’s color must be blue or grey. You can have any color that is needed if you use our tool that removes an unsuitable background and changes it to the required one.

Passport photo resizer
But you do not need to search the Internet to find out information about your desired document. Instead, you can pick a suitable document from our database and let the AI do the rest. Our application will automatically resize your picture to the size specified for your chosen document and it will also adjust the definition and dimensions.

Passport photo checker
The process is automated and the task of checking is done by softwares whose role is to validate any photos that are sent. The same technology is used in PhotoAiD checker, so you can be sure that there will be no surprises. If you attach a photo that has been validated by our technology, it will be accepted by an embassy or consulate.

Passport photo template
When the software modifies your picture, you get a template that you can use as many times as you wish to print photos. So sometimes it will be enough if you take a picture once and during the next 3-6 months you can exploit it.

Passport photo app for iPhone
If you use Apple devices, you can create passport photos with our app that is available for iOS and can download it from the AppStore. Once it is installed you can take a picture for an ID card, passport, driver’s license and other documents. Additionally, the app can assist you with creating a portrait-style photo that you can print off and give to someone you care about.

Thanks to PhotoAiD you can store, print, or email your passport photos. You can save them and print them on photo paper at photo booths, kiosks or labs of your choice. You can also send the template via the Internet and order a delivery of prints right to your place.

Passport photo app for Android
If you are looking for a photo app that allows you to save, print or send multiple biometric passport photos for Android, visit Google Play Store. Download our app which works for Samsung, LG, Huawei, HTC, Lenovo and Sony smartphones.

The app automatically saves photos taken in JPEG format which is required by official institutions and offices all over the world.

PhotoAiD offers passport photo templates for 100 countries. Just pick the template you are interested in, upload a picture from your phone, camera or from the album and wait 3 seconds to have all the work done for you.

5 reasons to choose our photo app while taking a passport picture
Why does our app have so many satisfied users? Of the many reasons that have been cited the most common, that will be detailed below, are:

it saves time,
you can take as many shot as you like,
great value,
it is 100% accurate,
approval guarantee.
Number 1: time saving
Let’s say that you chose to not use our app and decided to get your passport or visa photo taken the old-fashioned way. There are many things that need to be done, the first of which is booking an appointment, which could be days away. So right there you will already be spending a few days before getting your photo, sure you can do other things in the meantime but you still don’t have a passport photo. Then you need to get ready, choose your outfit, travel to the photography studio and then get three or four photos taken so you can choose one. Now how long this took depends on how long it took you to get ready. But even with all this time spent you can still be left feeling unsatisfied with your photo.

Let’s compare this with if you chose to use our app. You simply have to rope someone in to take your photo, a friend or family member, or use a tripod. You get your face and hair ready and quickly throw a good top on, because the photo is of the upper part of your body you don’t even need to worry about pants, and then have your photo taken. Within seconds of uploading the photo to our app you will have a passport and visa ready photo.

Comparing the two it can take up to a few days before you have your passport or visa photo if you go to a photography studio, but with us you can have it whenever you’re ready.

Number 2: unlimited number of shots
We don’t always take the best photo on our first try, even with a photographer, so we like to take many different pictures so that we can choose the right one. If we go to a photographer we only get as many chances as we pay for, the more photos we want to take the more we pay, it is the same with a photo booth, you will need to pay again if you aren’t happy with the photos that you get.

With PhotoAiD you can take as many photos as you like, until you get the perfect one that you will be happy with, at no extra cost. This is important because the photo we use will be on our document for years to come, especially when it comes to passports as they are usually valid for 10 years, meaning you will have 10 years of showing your photo to other people, so getting the right photo is definitely something you want to do.

When taking your photo and using our app you can try out many different looks, such as changing your makeup, jewelry or clothing, to get the perfect combination that will make you look perfect in your photo. The only photo you will end up paying for is the one you choose to use for your document.

Number 3: cost effective
There is nothing we like more than finding a good bargain, it’s why sales and Black Friday are so popular with consumers, the thrill of paying less for something that usually costs more.

Number 4: 100% accuracy
PhotoAiD is 100% accurate thanks to the artificial intelligence that it uses. Whenever you upload a photo it will check to see if the picture is correct according to the requirements for the document you need the photo for. If there is anything wrong the app will let you know exactly what the problem is, so you can take the photo again, but if nothing is wrong then it will mark the photo as correct. This part of the process is completely free, so you can use it as many times as you need and you will only pay once you have a satisfactory picture that has been marked as correct. If it’s correct with PhotoAiD, it’s correct with whomever you are applying with.

Number 5: approval guarantee
If, and it is a very big if, your photo is not accepted, we will give you your money back, and that is our guarantee. We do this because there is such a small chance of your photo being rejected that it’s almost impossible to calculate without delving into a form of mathematics that doesn’t even exist yet. This is why you can trust us with your photo, because you either get your photo accepted or your money back, so in the end you lose nothing.