How it works
PhotoPasseport is a measuring instrument, not a photo editor. Here is exactly what happens between opening the camera and downloading the file.
From camera to file
- 1
A guide that matches the final crop
The square on screen is the photo you will get. Inside it sits the head oval, the eye line and the shoulder curve, positioned from the same numbers the specification uses — 1 to 1 3/8 inches of head height, eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom edge.
- 2
Measurements, not opinions
A face mesh runs on the video as you move. We read head height, eye line, horizontal centering, head rotation in three axes, gaze direction and eyelid opening, then compare each number against the tolerance the specification allows.
- 3
Pixels, too
Separately from your face, we sample the frame: overall exposure, the difference in brightness between the left and right half of your face, how plain and how white the area behind your head is, whether the image is sharp, and whether there is a strong horizontal edge across your eyes that suggests glasses.
- 4
One instruction at a time
Rather than a wall of red, you get the single most useful correction — “move slightly closer”, “lower your chin”, “turn your head to face the camera”. The shutter unlocks only once the critical checks hold steady.
- 5
A crop, and nothing else
When you press the shutter we copy the guide square out of the camera frame at full resolution and save it. No smoothing, no relighting, no background replacement, no generative fill. Passport photos must be unedited, so we do not edit them.
- 6
Ready to use
You get a 600 × 600 pixel JPEG at 300 DPI for online applications, and a 4 × 6 sheet holding two correctly positioned photos with cut guides for printing at any photo counter.
Every check we run, and how far it goes
Each requirement below says how its result is reached. A measurement comes from the pixels or the face landmarks. An estimate can raise a flag but can never confirm that a requirement is met. The rest cannot be read from an image at all, so we mark them not checked and leave them to you — we never turn an unknown into a pass.
- Exactly one personMeasured
- A passport photo must show one person, with nobody else in the frame.
- Face fully visibleMeasured
- The whole head must be inside the frame, from the chin to the crown.
- Head positionMeasured
- Chin to crown must sit inside the accepted vertical window.
- Head sizeMeasured
- Head height must measure between 1 and 1 3/8 inches.
- Looking at the cameraMeasured
- Face the camera squarely, with your eyes on the lens.
- Head not tiltedMeasured
- Your head must be level, not tipped to either shoulder.
- Both eyes openMeasured
- Both eyes must be open and unobstructed.
- Neutral expressionMeasured
- A neutral expression with your mouth closed, and no broad smile.
- Not overexposedMeasured
- The photo must not be washed out, with facial detail lost in the highlights.
- Not underexposedMeasured
- The photo must not be too dark, with facial detail lost in the shadows.
- Even light on the faceMeasured
- Even light on your face, with no shadow falling across one side.
- Background colorMeasured
- A plain white or off-white wall behind you, with no color tint.
- Background plainMeasured
- No patterns or objects on the wall behind you.
- No shadow on the backgroundMeasured
- No shadow cast on the wall behind you. Step away from the wall, or light it evenly.
- Sharp imageMeasured
- The photo must be in focus, with no motion blur.
- Size and resolutionMeasured
- The photo must be square and at least 600 × 600 pixels.
- GlassesEstimated
- Glasses are not accepted on U.S. passport photos.
- Hats and head coveringsEstimated
- Hats and head coverings are not accepted, except when worn daily for religious or medical reasons with a signed statement.
- Nothing covering the faceNot checked
- Face masks, headphones, earbuds and hair across the eyes are not accepted. We cannot detect these reliably, so please confirm yourself.
- Everyday clothingNot checked
- Everyday clothing only — no uniforms, camouflage or clothing that resembles a uniform. We cannot detect this reliably, so please confirm yourself.
- Taken within 6 monthsNot checked
- The photo must have been taken in the last 6 months and look like you do now. Only you can confirm this.
What we will not do
We will not tell you a photo is perfect when it is not, we will not report a score out of a hundred, and we will not guarantee acceptance. Automated checks catch the measurable requirements — size, position, pose, expression, exposure, background — and those are the reasons most photos get rejected. Things a camera cannot settle, such as whether a scarf is worn daily for religious reasons or whether the photo still looks like you, belong to the person reviewing your application.
We also will not retouch your face. Editing a passport photo is grounds for rejection, so the file you download is a straight crop of what the camera saw.