Passport Photo Apps (2026): 10 Ways to Take Yours at Home

Queueing at a photo booth, only to be told your eyebrows are hidden or the background's too grey, is nobody's idea of fun. Doing it at home with your phone is quicker, and you can retake the shot as many times as you like.

The catch is that passport offices are strict, and every country has its own size and framing rules. The apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and each description comes from the provider's own website, read this week. If you also want a polished photo for your CV or LinkedIn, my round-up of where to get AI headshots for free covers that separately.

Passport photo apps side by side

I checked the free plan column on each provider's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names the tool, an account or a plan or version of it as free. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start, so check the provider's own page before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
123PassportPhoto	Online passport photo maker	Print-ready photos for many countries	Not stated
AI Ease	AI photo editor with a passport tool	A free AI passport photo in your browser	Yes
ePassportPhoto	Passport photo editor and app	Printing your own photo sheet at home	Yes
MyPassportPic	Free passport size photo maker	A quick free crop to passport size	Yes
Passlens	Browser passport photo maker and iOS app	No signup and no watermark	Yes
PersoFoto	DIY biometric photo maker	Bus passes, railcards and driving licences	Yes
PhotoAiD	Passport photo website and app	AI plus human expert checks	Yes
PhotoGov	US passport and visa photo maker	Checking a US photo before you submit	Not stated
Pi7 Vision	Online ID photo maker	Swapping outfits and backgrounds	Yes
Visafoto	Passport and visa photo service	Fixing a tilted or badly lit selfie	Not stated

Ten passport photo makers to try

123PassportPhoto

Best for: People printing at home who want automatic face-detection cropping, a white background and print-ready sheets for dozens of countries' passport sizes.

AI Ease

Best for: Casual users who already like AI photo editing and want a free passport photo maker alongside background removal and photo restoration tools.

ePassportPhoto

Best for: Families who'd rather skip the shop queue, take a biometric photo in minutes and print a free template at a local photo kiosk.

MyPassportPic

Best for: Students and job seekers who just need a photo cropped to passport size and laid out on a page ready to print.

Passlens

Best for: Privacy-minded people who want to make passport, visa and ID photos in the browser with preset sizes and no account to create.

PersoFoto

Best for: UK users who need photos for more than a passport, from railcards and bus passes to driving licences and health cards.

PhotoAiD

Best for: Anyone nervous about rejection who wants a selfie turned into a passport photo, then checked by AI and verified by a human expert.

PhotoGov

Best for: US applicants who want to check size, crop, background and head position for passport, visa or green card photos before they download.

Pi7 Vision

Best for: Last-minute applicants who want to resize, crop, change the background and even change their outfit for ID photos in many countries.

Visafoto

Best for: Visa applicants whose selfie isn't quite right and want head tilt, background and contrast fixed, with exact requirements for each document.

Which app fits your situation

• A free crop to passport size: MyPassportPic.
• UK railcards and bus passes too: PersoFoto.
• A US photo checked before you submit: PhotoGov.
• Extra reassurance from a human check: PhotoAiD.
• No account and no watermark: Passlens.

What GOV.UK says your digital photo must be

GOV.UK says a digital passport photo must be clear and in focus, in colour, unaltered by computer software, and at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall. It also explains that a photo booth or shop can give you a photo code to enter during your online application.

That word unaltered matters. Some apps offer to smooth skin, swap your clothes or brighten your face, and those edits can work against you. Use an app to crop, size and check the photo, not to beautify it, and keep your expression neutral and your eyes clearly visible.

Taking the photo at home

1. Stand in front of a plain, light-coloured wall with even light.
2. Ask someone else to take the photo, held at eye level.
3. Keep your face straight on, mouth closed and hair off your face.
4. Take off glasses and anything covering your head, unless it's for religious or medical reasons.
5. Take several shots and pick the sharpest one.
6. Check the size rules for the exact document you're applying for.

Free croppers, checkers and full services

Free croppers are the simplest. You upload a photo, pick your country and download a correctly sized image or a sheet of prints. They're ideal if you're confident the photo itself is right and you just need the dimensions sorted.

Checkers and full services go further. They look at head position, background and lighting, and some add a human review or reprint promise. They're worth considering for a child's passport, a visa with tight rules or any application where a rejection would mean a missed trip.

Common reasons photos get rejected

• Shadows on the face or background. Light from the front, not from one side.
• Head too big or too small in the frame. Let the app crop to the guide.
• A smile or open mouth. Keep a neutral expression.
• Filters or retouching. Official photos must look like you on the day.

Applying for citizenship too? The test has its own roundup of citizenship test practice apps.

Signs you should get a photo taken in person

• You can't get even light at home.
• The photo is for a baby or young child.
• You need a photo code for an online form.
• Your application deadline is very close.

Do you make passport, visa or ID photo tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on passport photo apps

If you're renewing a UK passport online, start with a free cropper and a carefully taken photo against a plain wall. It's quick, and you'll know within a minute or two whether the result meets the size rules.

For a child's passport or a visa with tricky rules, pay attention to checking rather than editing, and choose a service that reviews the photo before you submit. For the wider world of photo editing, my guide to AI photo editors is a better home for the fun stuff.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my own passport photo with my phone?

Yes, as long as the photo meets the official rules for size, background, lighting and expression for the country you're applying to.

Is there a free passport photo app?

Several providers on this list name a free tool or free template on their own site, so check the free plan column.

Can I edit my passport photo with AI?

GOV.UK says a digital photo must be unaltered by computer software, so crop and size it but don't retouch it.

What background should a passport photo have?

A plain, light-coloured background with no shadows, though each country publishes its own exact rules.

Can I wear glasses in a passport photo?

It's safest to take them off, and many countries now ask you to remove them.

Do passport photo apps work for visas too?

Many of them cover visa and ID sizes for lots of countries, so choose the exact document in the app.