Passport Photo Questions, Answered

PhotoForPass costs $16.95 for a digital photo and $18.95 for a digital photo plus a print-ready 4x6 sheet. Family packs cost $29.95 for 2 people and $39.95 for 3 people. Holiday products cost $9.95 for a Christmas photo card, $12.95 for Photo with Santa and $14.95 for Christmas portraits or family album portraits. Every order is a one-time payment with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

No. PhotoForPass has no subscriptions and nothing renews. You pay once for each order with Apple Pay, Google Pay, a card or Link. There are no shipping fees, because all files are digital downloads. If sales tax applies where you live, it is shown at checkout before you confirm, so the total you see is the total you pay.

Every PhotoForPass order includes a free in-browser smart check before payment, up to 5 photo checks and 3 free redos per person, editing in about 30 to 60 seconds, downloads from your order email or My photos, encrypted storage with automatic deletion after 90 days and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Photo + print and family packs also include a print-ready 4x6 sheet as JPG and PDF.

A photo check happens before you pay. It runs in your browser and reviews lighting, focus, background, head position and open eyes, so you can retake the photo if needed. A redo happens after you pay: we edit your photo again if you would like a different result. Each order includes up to 5 photo checks and 3 free redos per person.

Yes. The PhotoForPass family pack covers 2 people for $29.95 or 3 people for $39.95. Each person gets a digital photo and a print-ready 4x6 sheet, with their own checks and redos. For more than 3 people, place an additional order. You can upload photos of yourself, your children or anyone who has given you permission.

PhotoForPass accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, major credit and debit cards, and Link. All payments are processed by Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 certified provider, so we never see or store your full card number. Apple Pay and Google Pay appear automatically on supported devices and browsers. Your receipt and order number arrive by email right after payment.

No. Each PhotoForPass order is made for one document type, and its checks and redos cannot be moved to another document or person. Even documents with the same 2 x 2 inch print size can have different digital limits. For example, a DV lottery photo must be exactly 600 x 600 pixels. If you need a second document, place a new order for it.

A US passport photo must be 2 x 2 inches, in color and taken within the last 6 months. The head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of head, with the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom. The background must be plain white or off-white with no shadows. Glasses are not allowed, and filters or retouching are not accepted.

No. Glasses are not allowed in US passport photos. The only exception is when glasses cannot be removed for a medical reason, which requires a signed statement from your doctor submitted with your application. US visa photos follow the same rule. Take your glasses off before you take the photo, because PhotoForPass does not remove glasses in editing.

Yes, a little. The U.S. Department of State accepts a neutral expression or a natural, unexaggerated smile in a passport photo. Both eyes must be open and you must face the camera directly. Avoid a big grin that narrows your eyes, raised eyebrows or a tilted head. If you are unsure, a relaxed, closed-mouth expression is the safest choice.

Yes, if you wear it daily for religious or medical reasons. For a US passport you need a signed statement confirming that, and your full face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with no shadows on it. Permitted head coverings should be one plain color without a pattern. Hats and caps worn for fashion are not allowed.

No. The U.S. Department of State does not accept passport photos changed with filters, beauty apps or retouching, and red-eye is not allowed either. Turn off portrait mode and beauty settings on your phone before taking the photo. PhotoForPass only adjusts the background, lighting and framing and keeps your face exactly as it is, so the photo still shows your real appearance.

A US passport photo must be taken within the last 6 months and reflect how you look now. US visa photos follow the same 6-month rule, and DV lottery entries must use a new photo, not one from a previous entry. If your look has changed a lot, for example after growing a beard or a big change in weight, take a new photo even if the old one is recent.

The rules are very similar: all three use a 2 x 2 inch photo, a head height of 1 to 1 3/8 inches and a white or off-white background. The difference is the format. The DS-160 visa form needs a square digital JPEG of 600 to 1200 pixels and no more than 240 KB, while green card forms need two printed photos. Choose the right document in the tool so the file matches.

Stand facing a window in daylight, a few feet in front of a plain wall. Ask someone to hold the phone at eye level about an arm's length or more away, or prop it up and use a timer. Remove glasses and hats, tuck hair behind your shoulders if it covers your face, keep your head straight and look at the lens. Then run the free PhotoForPass check.

No. You need a plain, uncluttered wall, but it does not have to be white. After payment, PhotoForPass replaces the background with the plain white or off-white your document requires. Avoid busy patterns, doors or shelves right behind your head, and stand a few feet away from the wall to keep shadows off it. Light-colored walls give the cleanest edges around hair.

You can, but a photo taken by someone else, or with a timer, usually works better. Arm's length selfies are close to the face, which can make the nose and face look wider and tilt the head. If you take a selfie, hold the phone straight at eye level and as far away as you comfortably can, then let the free check confirm your head position.

Soft daylight from a window in front of you is best. It lights both sides of your face evenly and avoids hard shadows. Do not stand with a window behind you, and avoid a single ceiling light, which casts shadows under the eyes. Turn off the camera flash if it causes glare or red-eye. PhotoForPass evens out mild lighting problems when editing, but cannot rescue a very dark photo.

Lay the baby on a plain white sheet, or place them in a car seat covered with a white or off-white blanket, and take the photo from directly above or in front. No parent, hands or toys can be visible, and pacifiers should not cover the face. Newborns may have their eyes partly or fully closed. Children under 16 apply in person with Form DS-11 and a printed photo.

Wear normal everyday clothes, ideally in a medium or dark color that contrasts with a white background. Uniforms, clothing that looks like a uniform and camouflage are not allowed in US passport photos. Remove hats, headphones and wireless earbuds. Head coverings worn daily for religious or medical reasons are allowed with a signed statement, as long as your full face is visible.

Yes, if it meets the rules. The photo must be taken within the last 6 months, show your full face straight on with both eyes open, have no glasses, filters or portrait blur, and be sharp and evenly lit. Group shots, cropped party photos and screenshots rarely work. Upload it to PhotoForPass and the free check will show whether it is usable before you pay.

The PhotoForPass digital photo is a JPG sized to the official proportions of your chosen document, ready for online applications. For a US passport it is a square 2 x 2 proportion file that fits the online renewal limits of 54 KB to 10 MB. For a DS-160 visa it is a square JPEG of 600 to 1200 pixels and no more than 240 KB. You download it right after processing.

Yes. The State Department's online renewal system accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC and HEIF files from 54 KB to 10 MB, and the PhotoForPass digital file fits those limits. Download the file and upload it directly. Do not text or message it to yourself first, because messaging apps compress photos. Children under 16 cannot renew online and need a printed photo with Form DS-11.