How to Take a 2x2 Passport Photo at Home (US Guide)

Updated 13 October 2026 · 8 min read

A US passport photo looks simple: a 2 x 2 inch square with your face in the middle. Yet photos are one of the most common reasons applications get delayed. The good news is that you do not need a studio. With a phone, a plain wall and a bit of care, you can take a photo at home that follows the US Department of State rules, then crop and print it yourself.

This guide walks through the whole process, from setting up the shot to printing a 4 x 6 sheet at a pharmacy or photo kiosk. Rules can change, so always check the current photo requirements on travel.state.gov before you apply.

Already have the photo? Crop it to 2x2 with head-size guides, free and in your browser.

Open the US Passport Photo tool

What the US State Department asks for

Before you pick up your phone, know what the final photo must look like. The key requirements for a US passport photo are:

Size: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).
Head size: 1 to 1-3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, including hair.
Recent: taken within the last 6 months, showing how you look today.
Color: color photo, not black and white.
Background: plain white or off-white, with no patterns, objects or shadows.
Pose: facing the camera straight on, full face visible, both eyes open, neutral expression or a natural smile.
No eyeglasses: glasses have not been allowed since 2016, except in rare medical cases with a signed doctor's statement.
No hats or head coverings, unless worn daily for religious or medical reasons (a signed statement is needed). Your full face must still be visible.
No filters or editing: the photo must not be digitally altered. Basic cropping is fine; changing your appearance or replacing the background with obvious edits is not.
Someone else should take it. The State Department says selfies are not acceptable, mainly because arm's-length shots distort the face and are often tilted.

Printed photos should be on matte or glossy photo-quality paper, high resolution, and not blurry, grainy, damaged, or stapled. Nothing else may be in the photo: no other people, no hands on your shoulders, no headphones.

What you need

A phone or camera with a decent rear camera. Use the rear camera, not the front selfie camera.
A plain white or off-white wall, door or sheet. A large piece of white poster board works well too.
Soft, even light. A window during the day is ideal.
A helper to take the photo (or a tripod and a timer, though a helper is easier).
A way to crop the photo to 2 x 2 inches with the right head size. Our free 2x2 photo tool does this in your browser.

Step 1: Set up the background

Stand about 2 to 4 feet in front of the wall, not pressed against it. Standing away from the wall lets your shadow fall behind you on the floor instead of on the background. Remove picture frames, light switches or anything else in the frame. If your wall is beige, grey or textured, hang a white bedsheet or use poster board instead. Iron or smooth the sheet so creases do not show.

Avoid cropping out a busy background and pasting in white. The State Department checks for altered photos, and hair edges almost always look wrong after a cutout.

Step 2: Get the lighting right

Lighting causes most home photo problems. You want light that is even across your face and the background, with no strong shadows.

Face a window. Indirect daylight from a window in front of you gives soft, flattering light. Avoid direct harsh sun.
Turn off overhead lights if they cause shadows under your eyes and nose, or mix warm and cool light that makes the photo look orange.
Check both sides of your face. If one side is darker, reflect light onto it with a white sheet of paper or board held just out of frame.
Do not use the phone flash straight on if it creates glare on skin or a hard shadow behind you. If you must, step further from the wall.

Step 3: Pose and clothing

Sit or stand up straight with shoulders level and square to the camera.
Look directly into the lens. Keep your head straight, not tilted or turned.
Keep a neutral expression or a natural, relaxed smile, with both eyes open.
Take off glasses, hats, headphones and wireless earbuds.
Wear normal everyday clothing. Avoid uniforms and camouflage. A white top can blend into a white background, so a darker or colored shirt usually looks better.
Keep hair away from your eyes. Your face from forehead to chin should be clearly visible.

Step 4: Take the photo

Have your helper stand about 4 feet (around 1.2 m) away, holding the phone at your eye level. Shooting from closer makes the nose look bigger and the ears smaller, which is why selfies look different from how other people see you. Do not use zoom tricks, portrait mode or beauty filters. Turn off any "face retouch" or "beauty" setting in the camera app.

Leave plenty of space around your head and shoulders. You will crop later, so it is better to have room than to cut off the top of your hair. Take 10 or more shots and pick the sharpest one with your eyes fully open.

Step 5: Crop to 2 x 2 inches with the correct head size

This is where many home photos go wrong. The photo must be square, and your head (chin to top of hair) must measure 1 to 1-3/8 inches on a 2 inch photo. That is 50% to 69% of the photo height. Your eyes should sit roughly 1-1/8 to 1-3/8 inches from the bottom of the photo.

In the Crop Desk US Passport Photo tool:

Choose US passport (2x2 in).
Upload your photo. It stays in your browser and is never sent to a server.
Drag and zoom until the top of your hair sits in the green band, your chin in the red band and your eyes in the blue band.
Click Download JPEG for a digital file, or Download 4x6 print sheet to get six 2x2 copies on one 4 x 6 inch image.

The tool also checks the corners of your photo and warns you if the background looks darker than white.

Step 6: Print the photo

For a paper application (Form DS-11 or DS-82) you need one printed photo. The 4 x 6 sheet is the cheapest way to print, because almost every pharmacy, supermarket photo counter and online print service offers 4 x 6 prints for a low price.

Order a standard 4 x 6 inch print of the sheet file.
Choose matte or glossy photo paper.
Make sure the print is set to actual size, with no "fit to page", borderless cropping or auto enhancement. Otherwise the 2 inch squares will not be exactly 2 inches.
Measure one square with a ruler after printing. It should be 2 inches on each side.
Cut along the light grey lines with sharp scissors or a paper trimmer. Do not bend, staple or write on the front of the photo.

If you print at home on an inkjet printer, use real photo paper and the printer's highest quality setting. Plain office paper is not acceptable.

Using the photo for online renewal

If you are eligible to renew online, the State Department asks you to upload a digital photo instead of mailing a print. The online renewal page lists its own file rules (format, minimum pixel dimensions and file size range). Follow what the page says at the time you apply. A 600 x 600 pixel JPEG from our tool is a common starting point; you can also export 900 or 1200 pixels if you want more detail. The online system checks the photo, and if it is rejected you will be asked for a new one.

Common mistakes to avoid

Head too small: standing far away and not cropping tightly enough. Use the guide bands.
Head too big: cropping so tight that hair or chin is cut off.
Shadows on the background or under the eyes from overhead lights.
Tilted head or phone, making the face look uneven.
Glasses left on, or glare from glasses.
Old photo from more than 6 months ago, or a photo that no longer looks like you after a big change in appearance.
Edited photo with filters, skin smoothing or a fake background.

Photos of babies and children

Children need passport photos too, and the same rules apply: plain white background, face clearly visible and nobody else in the shot. For a baby, lay them on their back on a plain white sheet and take the photo from above, or place a white sheet over a car seat. Your hands must not be visible. Try to catch a moment when the baby's eyes are open and looking towards the camera.

Quick checklist

White or off-white plain background, no shadows
Even light, facing a window
Taken by someone else from about 4 feet, at eye level
No glasses, hats, headphones or filters
Cropped square, head 1 to 1-3/8 inches (50-69% of the height)
Printed at actual size on 4 x 6 photo paper, then cut to 2 x 2

Make your 2x2 photo now

Crop Desk is not affiliated with the US Department of State. This guide explains the published rules in plain language; the official requirements on travel.state.gov always take priority.