How to use the Passport Photo Maker
- 1 Choose the country and the document, then open a photo – a straight-on portrait in even light, ideally on a plain wall.
- 2 Click the top of the head and the bottom of the chin. The editor sizes and places the photo; drag, zoom or straighten it to fine-tune and watch the checks.
- 3 Download the single photo, or pick a paper size and download a print sheet (PDF or JPG) with as many copies as fit.
How the passport photo maker works
Every country sets its own rules for the photo in a passport, ID card or visa: the size (35 × 45 mm in most of Europe, 2 × 2 inch in the United States and India, 50 × 70 mm in Canada), how tall the head must be from chin to crown, the background colour, and sometimes the file size for online applications. This editor knows those numbers per country and document. You mark the crown and the chin, and it scales, places and centres the photo so the head sits where the rules want it – then checks the result and says what is still off.
What it checks
- Head size against the allowed range, head in the frame, centred and upright.
- Sharpness: whether your photo has enough pixels for the print resolution of the format (300 dpi and up).
- Pixel and file size for online applications that set limits.
It cannot judge your expression, glasses, hair across the eyes, shadows or lighting. Those matter to the issuing office, so look at the photo critically too.
Tips for a photo that gets accepted
- Face the camera straight on, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible.
- Light the face evenly from the front or from a window; no shadows on the face or the wall behind you.
- Use a plain wall in a light colour. The Replace a plain background option removes an evenly coloured wall and fills it with the colour the format asks for; it is not a cut-out tool, so a patterned or shadowed background stays as it is.
- Shoot from about an arm’s length with the camera at eye height, and use a photo with plenty of pixels – the checks warn when it is too small.
- Print on real photo paper at 100% size (not “fit to page”). Photo labs and many shops print a 10 × 15 cm sheet cheaply.
Official sources
The formats follow the issuing authorities’ own guidance. Rules change, so each format links to its source and shows when it was last checked.
- Government of the Netherlands – requirements for photos
- GOV.UK – photos for passports
- U.S. Department of State – passport photos
- Government of Canada – passport photo requirements
- Australian Passport Office – camera operator guidelines
- ICAO Doc 9303 – machine readable travel documents (the international portrait standard behind most national rules)
Privacy
The photo is opened, edited and saved in your browser. It is not uploaded, and nothing about it is stored on our server. Only your choice of country and paper size is remembered, on this device.
Frequently asked questions
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. Everything happens in your browser. The photo stays on your device.
What is the standard passport photo size?
35 × 45 mm in most of Europe and in Australia; 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) in the United States and India; 50 × 70 mm in Canada. Choose the country and the editor sets it.
Why do I have to mark the head myself?
Automatic face detection needs a machine-learning model that would have to be downloaded to your device. Two clicks are quick, work on every device and keep the editor light.
Can I use the photo for my application?
Often yes, but some authorities only accept photos taken by a photographer or printed professionally (Canada, for example), and online forms may add rules for file size. Check the official source linked at the format.
Can I change the background colour?
Yes. Pick any colour, or use the format’s own. If the wall behind you is plain, “Replace a plain background” swaps it for that colour.
Which country or document is missing?
The list grows. Formats are kept up to date by hand from official guidance; if you miss one, let us know.
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