Need to secure a passport photo but couldn’t get to a photo studio? If that is so, then you can just use your iPhone to process it for you. Here’s a quick guide on how to take a passport photo with an iPhone.
Passport Photo Processing
As the world continues to transition to digital, most of the things we need are now available online including goods and services. This offers a lot of convenience to many people as going to physical stores are no longer necessary. All you need to get what you need is your smartphone, computer or tablet, plus sufficient funds in your digital wallet to pay.
Before you proceed, take note that there are certain requirements that you need to meet for your passport photo to be accepted. This therefore denotes the need for you to be prudent when taking a passport photo online with your smartphone.
Do’s and Don’ts when taking DIY passport photos with your iPhone
Based on the passport photo requirements set by the government, your passport photo must meet the following criteria in order to be accepted. Consider these as your handy reference.
- The image size must be 51×51 mm or 2×2 inches
- Facial expression must be neutral and the eyes are looking directly in the camera
- Use a plain background (pure white background is highly recommended)
- Wear decent clothes
- Wearing of eyeglasses (any kind) are not allowed
- The photo must be taken recently or within the last 6 months
- Selfies are not allowed
- Distance from the person taking your photo must be 1.5 meters away and half a meter from the background wall.
Also be sure to keep a straight posture with your shoulders rolled back and look straight to the camera with your head straight. Thrust your jaw a bit forward to avoid having a double-chin.
As for the lighting, a medium light source is recommended as it will cast even lighting on your face. There should be no shadows, too.
However, using contact lenses for medical reasons is accepted given that the contact lenses you’re using do not change your true eye color. But just to avoid any future issues, better take your contact lenses off before having your photo captured. You can always put them back on afterwards.
Aside from eyewear, accessories such as earrings and hair accessories are also not allowed and thus you should remove them prior to photo capturing. Your hair must be neatly arranged to show your full frontal facial image.
You may be allowed to smile a little without showing your teeth and gums. But the overall required expression should be neutral with both eyes open and mouth closed (neutral facial expression).
To sum everything up, you will need to have proper lightning, equipment, background and comply with the facial feature guidelines in order to generate a proper passport photo using a downloaded passport photo editor.
Don’t hesitate to contact the passport processing department of your government for the complete passport requirements and official guidelines for passport photo application.
Suggested Method to take passport photo with iPhone
Now that you’ve already got an idea about the prerequisites, the next thing you’ll have to do is to get a dedicated photo editing tool. Although your iPhone comes with a number of advanced camera features integrated into the built-in photo application, it does not guarantee that the final image output would comply with all the official requirements.
To avoid the possibility of your passport photo being rejected, using a dedicated passport photo maker app is recommended.
This denotes the need for you to download and install a third-party application, which you think has everything that’s needed to create passport photos that comply with all the set requirements.
There are many great apps you can download from the App Store or iTunes for this purpose. Some of them are downloaded for free (with in-app purchases) while others are offered via one-time purchase.
Tagged among the widely-used and most credible passport photo making apps for an iPhone in 2024 are as follows:
- Passport Photo & ID Maker
- Passport Booth
- ID PHOTO-PASSPORT PHOTO APP
- PASSPORT PHOTO BOOTH US
- PASSPORT PHOTO – ID PHOTO
- ID PHOTO – PASSPORT PHOTO
- PASSPORT ID PHOTO MAKER
- BIOMETRIC PASSPORT PHOTO
Just pick the passport photo app that best suits your needs and preferences. Reading previews reviews and ratings will help you decide which app to choose.
Also care to verify the minimum system requirements for each application to see if it is compatible with your iPhone’s operating system. Most of the 2022 version of these apps are able to run on iOS 12 and later versions.
Once you’ve decided on which app to use, download the app from the App Store and install it on your phone.
Once the app is completely installed, you can start creating a printable passport photo from home using the app’s built-in photo editing features.
Aside from taking photos, these apps also come with in-built editing features that allow you to make necessary adjustments to your photo to convert it into a standard passport photo size.
Once you’re done editing your photo, you can set up your printer and print the final output.
As for the printing requirements, you can either use a 4×6 photo printer or standard home printer with some glossy photo papers.
Again, the standard passport photo size is 2×2 inches and the head must be between 1 – 1 and 3/8 in height. If necessary, you can use a photo cropping tool to meet the said requirements.
Aside from passport photos, these apps can also be used to take any ID photo you’d like to generate using your iPhone.
Most of these apps are able to rework and reformat photos to fit for other legal documents like driver’s license, student ID cards, and visas.
Some passport photo making and editing apps also allow you to replace your clothes directly on your image. All you have to do is drag the clothes you like and drop them on the photo to apply.
For more information about the best passport photo apps to use when taking passport photos at home with your iPhone, check out this page.
Complying with these tips increases your chances of a much faster return and acceptance of your passport by your country’s government.
And that’s all about taking your own passport photo at home using a passport photo making and editing app on your iPhone.
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