How it works
How SelfieToPassport works
SelfieToPassport measures your photo inside your browser: it finds your chin, your eyes and the top of your head, sizes the head to 1.2 inches on a 2 x 2 inch square and checks 17 things the State Department rejects photos for. Then it makes the files you print or upload. The photo is never uploaded.
The three steps
From a phone photo to a 2 x 2 print in three steps
- 01
Take it against a light wall
Stand a few feet in front of a plain white or off-white wall, facing a window. Ask a friend to take it, or prop the phone at eye level and use the timer.
- 02
We measure it in your browser
The tool finds your chin, your eyes and the top of your head, sizes the head to 1.2 inches and checks the wall and the light. The photo is not uploaded.
- 03
Download, then print anywhere
You get the digital file and a 4x6 sheet with two photos. Any photo counter prints a 4x6; at home, print at 100% on photo paper.
The free preview
17 checks before you pay
Each check matches a reason the State Department lists for turning a photo down. A failed check tells you what to change.
- 01Only youNobody else in the photo
- 02EyesBoth open (a baby’s may be partly closed for a passport)
- 03GazeLooking straight at the camera
- 04MouthClosed; a natural smile is fine
- 05PoseHead level, facing forward
- 06ResolutionEnough detail to print 2 x 2 in at 300 dpi
- 07SharpnessNot blurry or grainy
- 08ExposureFace not too dark or too bright
- 09ShadowsEven light across the face
- 10Wall colorWhite or off-white
- 11Wall textureNo objects, lines or patterns
- 12Wall shadowNo shadow behind your head
- 13FramingHead and shoulders in the frame
- 14GlassesNone
- 15Hats and headphonesNone (religious and medical exceptions apply)
- 16Red eyeNone; retake without flash
- 17DateTaken in the last 6 months, when the file records a date
Limits
What the tool will not do
- Replace or whiten the background, for any document: the State Department lists software-cut backgrounds as unacceptable, and other agencies count it as an altered photo.
- Smooth skin, remove blemishes or change your face in any way.
- Upload your photo, or keep a copy of it, on our servers.
- Promise that the State Department or a consulate will accept the photo. A person reviews every photo.
What you get
One file to upload, two sheets to print
- Digital photo
- 1200 x 1200 px JPEG for online passport renewal, between 54 KB and 10 MB. For visas, 600 x 600 px under 240 KB, ready for the DS-160 upload.
- 4x6 print sheet
- 1800 x 1200 px at 300 dpi with 2 photos of 2 x 2 in and crop marks. Any photo counter that prints 4x6 snapshots can print it.
- Letter-size sheet
- A PDF with 6 photos at exactly 2 x 2 in, for a home printer and photo paper.
- Retakes
- Up to 3 photos for the same document within 30 days of purchase.
- More people
- Add another person or another document to the same order for $2.95 each.
Privacy
Your selfie never leaves your phone
Your selfie is processed on your device and is never uploaded to our servers. Measuring, cropping and making the files all run inside your browser. To make the photo again on another device, open your order link there and pick the photo again.
Stays on your device
- The photo you take or choose
- The measurements of your face and eyes
- The preview and the finished files
Reaches our server
- Which document you picked, such as “U.S. passport”
- Your email, for the receipt and your order link
- Whether the order is paid, from Stripe; we never see your card
- Pages you visit on this site, never your photo
FAQ
How long does it take?
The measuring runs on your phone or computer, so there is no upload to wait for. The first time, the browser also downloads the measuring model, about 7 MB, and keeps it for next time.
Does it work without an app?
Yes. SelfieToPassport runs in the browser on iPhone, Android and computers. Nothing to install.
What happens if a check fails?
The preview tells you which rule failed and how to fix it, for example “Step back a little and leave space above your head.” You take a new photo and try again before paying.
Why not just whiten the background?
For U.S. documents we crop and resize your original photo. We do not replace the background: the State Department lists photos with a background cut out by software as unacceptable.
Your passport photo, on one 4x6 print.
Free preview with the measurements. $6.95 for the digital file and both print sheets, with a 7-day refund.
Make my photo