How Online Passport Photos Work at PhotoForPass

PhotoForPass is built so you never pay for a photo you cannot use. The free check comes first and runs on your device; editing and downloads come only after you pay.

This order matters for two reasons. You see whether your photo works before spending anything, and your photo stays private while you decide. If the check finds a problem, such as a shadow or closed eyes, you retake the photo in seconds instead of discovering the issue at a passport acceptance facility.

The whole flow takes about two minutes on any phone, tablet or computer. There is no app to install and no account to create.

The smart check is an automated review that runs inside your web browser. Your photo is not uploaded to our servers during the check, so it never leaves your device before you order.

What the check looks at

• Lighting: whether your face is evenly lit, without dark sides or strong shadows.
• Focus: whether the photo is sharp enough for an official document.
• Background: whether the area behind you is plain enough to clean up.
• Head position: whether your head is straight, centered and fully in the frame.
• Eyes: whether both eyes are open and visible.

How to read the result

Each item shows a pass or a short tip, for example to face a window or step back from the wall. Fix the issue, retake the photo and check again. You get up to 5 photo checks per person.

The check is an estimate that helps you avoid common mistakes. It cannot guarantee acceptance, because the final decision belongs to the issuing agency. If you want to test a photo you already have, try our passport photo checker.

After a one-time payment, we edit your photo the way a careful professional photo editor would. There are three jobs: lighting, background and framing.

• Lighting: we even out uneven light and soften harsh shadows on the face and behind the head.
• Background: we replace your wall with the plain background your document requires, such as white or off-white for a US passport.
• Framing: we straighten and center the photo so it can be cropped to the official proportions.

We keep your face exactly as it is: no changes to face shape, skin, eyes, hair or expression, and no beauty filters or smoothing. Agencies such as the U.S. Department of State do not accept retouched or altered photos, so this matters. Editing usually takes 30 to 60 seconds.

Once the edits are done, the photo is cropped and sized to the exact specification of the document you chose. Every specification comes from official government sources and is listed with its source on the document page.

For a US passport, that means a square 2 x 2 inch photo with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall, about 50 to 69 percent of the photo height, and the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom. Other documents use their own numbers. A UK passport photo, for example, is 35 x 45 mm, and a DV lottery photo is exported at exactly 600 x 600 pixels.

Before you use the finished photo, compare it with your original. It should look like a true, current likeness of you. You can run a check on the finished photo too, and if anything looks off, ask for a redo.

Your files are ready right after editing. You can download them on the confirmation screen, from the link in your order email, or from My photos if you created an optional account.

Digital photo

A JPG sized to the official proportions of your document. For US online passport renewal, the State Department accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC and HEIF files from 54 KB to 10 MB, and our file fits those limits. Upload it directly; texting it to yourself compresses it.

4x6 print sheet

Included with Photo + print and family packs, as both JPG and PDF. A US 2x2 sheet holds 6 photos when printed borderless, or 2 photos with cut guides. Print it at CVS, Walgreens or Walmart, or at home on photo paper. Choose actual size, with no auto crop, so each photo stays 2 x 2 inches. Our printing guide has step-by-step instructions.

You have two safety nets after payment. First, you can use your 3 free redos per person if you would like us to edit the photo again. Second, every order has a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Most problems come from the original photo, not the editing. If the result looks dark or uneven, a fresh photo facing a window usually fixes it faster than another redo. If an agency rejects your photo, email contact@photoforpass.com with your order number for a full refund.

Your photo is handled with the minimum exposure needed to make your document photo. Before you order it stays on your device; after you order it is encrypted and kept only as long as you need it.

• Your photo is encrypted in transit and at rest once you order.
• Photos and finished files are deleted automatically after 90 days.
• You can delete them sooner from My photos, or with the link in your order email.
• Photos are never sold or shared for advertising and never used to identify you.
• Payments go through Stripe, so we never see your full card number.

Read the details in our privacy policy and biometric data notice.

Our holiday and family products follow the same simple flow, with one key difference: the results are festive portraits and cards created from your photo, not official photos. You upload a photo, choose the product and pay, and your new images are ready within minutes.

• Christmas portraits: 6 festive portraits of your family, $14.95.
• Photo with Santa: 4 photos of your kids, family or pets with Santa Claus, $12.95.
• Christmas photo cards: a 5x7 card in one of 3 designs with a preset greeting, $9.95.
• Family album portraits: 6 portraits in six styles, $14.95.

Couple portraits, memorial portraits and photo greeting cards are in the photo studio.

The same data safety rules, 90-day deletion and 14-day money-back guarantee apply.