How to take a compliant passport photo

SurePhotoID guides you through all of this live, with framing and lighting hints in the camera. This page is the same advice in written form — useful before you start, or when a check keeps failing.

1. Start with the right template

Pick your country and document first. SurePhotoID then loads the official specification for that exact document — head size, eye line, background, dimensions — and cites the official government source it came from. Every check that follows is measured against that specification, so starting from the right template matters more than anything else on this page.

2. Light your face evenly

• Face your light source. A large window with daylight, straight in front of you, is ideal.
• Avoid light that comes only from above or from one side — it casts shadows across the face.
• Both sides of your face should be equally bright, with no glare on skin or glasses.
• Watch the app’s live lighting hints: they flag uneven light while you can still fix it.

3. Choose your background

• Stand in front of a plain, evenly lit wall, about half a step away from it so you don’t cast a shadow on it.
• Don’t worry about the exact wall color: SurePhotoID replaces or evens out the background on your device to match what your document requires.
• The cleaner the starting background, the better the result — avoid busy patterns, strong shadows, and objects behind your head.

4. Frame it right

• Hold the phone at eye level, straight-on — not tilted up or down.
• Follow the live framing guides: they position your head size and eye line where the official specification wants them.
• Keep your shoulders square to the camera and your head straight.
• If you can, have someone else hold the phone, or prop it up — it’s easier to hold position.

5. Stay sharp

• Wipe the camera lens — a smudged lens is the most common cause of soft photos.
• Hold still, or prop the phone against something stable.
• Good light helps here too: the darker the room, the more motion blur creeps in.

6. Expression and appearance

Keep a neutral expression with your eyes open and clearly visible, and your face fully unobstructed. Rules for glasses, head coverings, and expression vary by document — SurePhotoID applies the requirements of your document’s cited official specification, and for details it can’t measure automatically, the citation tells you exactly where the official rules live.

7. After the shot

The instant you capture, SurePhotoID measures the photo against the official specification: head size, eye line, background color and uniformity, and sharpness. Checking and preview are free — you only pay when you export. Export gives you an exact-pixel digital file (correct dimensions, DPI, and file size for online applications) or a print-ready PDF laid out for standard photo paper, and one export credit covers all re-exports of the same photo.

If an authority still turns a photo down, the rejections guide walks through what to fix.