How to take a passport photo at home with your phone
Yes, you can take a UK passport photo at home for an online application: GOV.UK lets you take one on your own device with someone to help (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo). Stand in front of a plain light wall, face a window, and have your helper hold the phone at your eye level about 1.5 metres away. Below is the method, and the checks to do before you use it.
GOV.UK's photo rules and nidirect's photo guide checked on 3 November 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the linked GOV.UK page before you pay.
An example made with AI, not a real person: plain light wall, even light from the front, head straight.
Step by step
Find a plain light wall. White, cream or light grey, with no pattern, and stand about half a metre in front of it so your shadow falls behind you.
Face a window. Soft daylight from in front lights your face evenly. Turn off overhead lights that cast shadows under the eyes.
Ask someone to take it. GOV.UK says you'll need someone to help you. They stand about 1.5 metres away with the phone at your eye level.
Show head, shoulders and upper body. Don't zoom in or crop: the service crops it, and so does Picproved.
Plain expression, eyes open. Mouth closed, hair off your eyes, glasses off if you can.
Take a few and check them. Zoom in for shadows, blur and red eye, and pick the sharpest.
The distances come from nidirect's guide for the same digital photo rules: stand 0.5 metres from the background, and the person taking it stands 1.5 metres from you (nidirect: The photo for your driving licence).
The rules your photo must meet
Online: in colour, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, 50 KB to 10 MB, taken in the last month (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo).
Paper form: 2 identical prints, 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, on a plain cream or light grey background, the head 29 to 34 mm from crown to chin (GOV.UK: Printed passport photos).
A plain expression with your mouth closed, eyes open, no hair over your eyes and no shadows on your face or behind you (GOV.UK: Get a passport photo).
Open the camera on your document's page and an oval shows where your face goes. As you move, it tells you what to fix: move closer or back, centre your face, keep your head straight, look at the camera, open your eyes, close your mouth, or face the light. A light meter shows when your face is evenly lit. When everything is right it says "Perfect. Hold still", and with auto-capture on it takes the photo by itself. Voice guidance reads the tips aloud, which helps if you're taking it alone, and Baby mode relaxes the checks for babies the way GOV.UK does.
Then it checks the photo again, makes the upload file and a 6×4 print sheet, and you add the file to your GOV.UK application. HM Passport Office still makes the final decision.
Mistakes to avoid
A shadow behind your head: step further from the wall.
Or make it at home. Picproved costs £5.99 (free while we launch) for one person's photo in every size you need, and it checks the size, background, head size and face rules before you save. The office still makes the final decision. Make your United Kingdom Passport (online) photo
Questions
Can I take my own passport photo at home in the UK?
Yes, for an online application. GOV.UK lets you take a photo on your own device with someone to help you, as long as it meets the rules.
Can I take a passport photo with my phone?
Yes. Use the back camera if someone helps you, at eye level about 1.5 metres away, against a plain light wall.
Can I take a selfie for my passport?
HM Passport Office can accept a selfie if it meets every other rule, but arm's-length photos often look distorted. Ask someone to take it.
What background do I need for a passport photo at home?
A plain light-coloured wall with no pattern or texture, with no shadows on it.
Can I print my passport photo at home?
For a paper form GOV.UK wants prints to a professional standard, so print a 6×4 sheet at a photo kiosk instead.
