How to make a passport size photo online

The short answer

To make a passport size photo online, take a clear, front-facing portrait against a plain light wall, then use a resizer that outputs the exact frame you need. The passport size photo tool makes 35 x 45 mm, 2 x 2 inch or 51 x 51 mm pictures at 300 dpi, in your browser, without uploading your photo. Before you use any photo for an official document, read the rules of the authority you are applying to.

Which size do you need?

Passport and visa photo sizes depend on the country and the document, so confirm the size on the official instructions. Three sizes cover most requests:

• 35 x 45 mm: used in many countries, including the UK, EU countries and Australia, and often in India. At 300 dpi this is 413 x 531 pixels.
• 2 x 2 inch: the United States size. At 300 dpi this is 600 x 600 pixels.
• 51 x 51 mm: a square size requested by some forms. At 300 dpi this is 602 x 602 pixels.

This is general information, not legal advice. Some forms want a different size, a specific head height or a particular file format, and an application can be rejected over a small mistake. Always check the current requirements of the passport office, embassy or exam body.

Step 1: take a good source photo

A good passport photo starts with a good original, because no tool can fix poor lighting or a tilted head. Follow these habits:

• Stand about one to two metres from a plain wall, light grey or white works best.
• Face a window so light falls evenly on your face. Avoid a lamp from one side, which creates shadows.
• Keep your head straight, eyes open and looking at the camera, with a neutral expression unless the rules say otherwise.
• Ask someone to take the photo at eye level. Selfies distort the face because the camera is too close.
• Leave space around your head and shoulders so you can crop it to the frame.

Step 2: make the passport size photo

1. Open the resize image to passport size page.
2. Add your portrait. On a phone you can choose it from the gallery.
3. Choose the size: 35 x 45 mm, 2 x 2 inch or 51 x 51 mm.
4. Choose how to fit it. Crop to fill cuts the centre of the photo to the frame shape, so nothing is stretched. The white option keeps the whole photo and adds white bars where the picture does not reach the edges.
5. Download the result as a JPG.

If your face is not centred, crop first with the crop image tool, then run it through the passport size tool. Phone photos that carry a rotation tag keep the right way up.

Step 3: check the background

Most authorities want a plain, light, evenly lit background with no shadows, patterns or objects. The white option only adds white bars around the edges; it does not remove a busy wall behind you. That means the background has to be right when you take the photo. A plain wall is far easier than trying to edit it afterwards. Check whether your document requires white, off-white or light blue, because it varies.

Step 4: reduce the file size if needed

Online forms often want a passport photo below a size limit, for example 50 KB or 100 KB. After you make the correctly sized photo, run it through compress image to 50KB or 100KB. The compressor keeps the pixel size as close as possible and lowers the quality only as far as needed. For the full process, read our guide to compressing a photo to 50KB for online forms.

Printing at home or at a shop

For a printed photo, 300 dpi means the 35 x 45 mm image is 413 x 531 pixels, which prints sharply at that physical size. When you print, make sure the print settings say "actual size" or 100 percent, because "fit to page" will resize the photo and change the dimensions. A photo studio can print several copies on one sheet from your file, which is cheaper than printing singles.

Mistakes that get photos rejected

• Wearing glasses with glare, or a hat or head covering when the rules do not allow it for your document.
• An expression that does not match the rules, such as a wide smile or closed eyes.
• Shadows on the face or on the wall behind you.
• Over-editing: heavy filters, skin smoothing or changed colours.
• A file in the wrong format or size. Check the file type, pixels and KB before you submit.

Privacy

A face photo is personal data, so where it is processed matters. The Toolbyte tool runs in your browser and does not upload the photo, so we never see it. The tool sets the pixel size and fit only. It does not check that your photo meets official rules, so you remain responsible for the framing, head size and expression.