Measurements, take with cell phone, convert online

To do one passport size photo (or card) you only need its correct measurement, according to your country, and if your cell phone camera is good enough, also a mobile app or online tool that helps you obtain a good result.

In some countries they still require that you deliver one or more passport-type photos to be issued this document. It is recommended that you do them in a professional studio. But if time or money is an issue and camera of your cell phone allows it, you could take some acceptable photos that you can later edit, cut and even formalize with a suit or shirt, through applications or online utilities.

Do you need a photo to get the passport?

Before starting the task of taking a passport photo, find out on the official website of your country if you really need it (in addition to the rest of the requirements). In some countries you NO longer have to bring your photo, as they take it at that time. That is the case of Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia O Ecuador, where the document is known as an «electronic passport».

Passport size photo measurements

If this is not your case, the first thing you should do is find out from official sources the size of the passport photo (2 × 2, 3 × 4, 5 × 5, etc.), since the measures THEY ARE NOT THE SAME everywhere. To get the passport of USA, the measures in the photo are different from those required by the Spanish or Argentine government:

Other photo requirements

In addition to the size, check other requirements that the photo must meet. Some countries agree on certain things. For example, it must be a recent photograph, clear and frontal, without retouching and with a white background. When it comes to sharpness, look for the highest resolution possible. Preferably 300 ppi minimum.

How to take a passport size photo

Passport Photo Size Maker

This Android app is one of the most prominent on the Play Store for homework. It tells you exactly how to take the photo and can trim the result quite well. However, the suggested measurements for certain countries are incorrect, so be sure to verify them.

Always take the photo on a white background in good condition, because otherwise you will have to delete it and this APP only allows you to do it with a payment. There are free apps that remove the background of a photo en Play Store, but that involves extra work. The other option is to use Passport Photo Maker (link) that includes this function for free, but does not have the guides to take photos.

Make sure to follow the instructions in the app. For example, the head must fill the circle. Eliminate lights or fixtures at the top that can create shadows. Get as close to the background as possible to avoid shadows behind.

Editing tools allow you to accurately correct the tilt and rotation of the photo. What you should avoid is the use of the available filters, because if you abuse them, your photo may be rejected at the chancery or civil registry.

Download from Play Store

Visafoto (online)

If you have a good quality photograph saved on your cell phone or PC, the page visafoto.com can help you convert to passport photo easily. It takes care of cropping and editing automatically (although only basically). And the established measures are correct (at least for the countries indicated above).

Make Passport Photo (online)

I just got to know the page makepassportphoto.com And although it is in English, I liked it a lot because it allows you to independently control the brightness, contrast, exposure and saturation of the photo, in addition to being able to add a formal men’s or women’s suit (shirt, jacket and tie), and others less formal as just shirts and jackets. Obviously you can also crop the photo and center it precisely. And if you buy the paid version (3.99), you can erase the background and other benefits, although to avoid that I recommend taking the photo with a white background.

Its disadvantage is that, in addition to not being in Spanish, it does not have the passport photo sizes of certain countries in South America, although if you know the measurements you could choose one of the available countries where the same sizes as in yours are used.

Passport photo

The APP Passport Photo Maker (link) also allows you to create photos with a custom size. This option can be used to create passport photos. Similarly, the measurements in this photo vary by country. While in Spain the passport photo size is 32 x 26 mm, in Ecuador it is 32 x 43 mm. Therefore, you must check the measure required by the institution where the procedure is being applied.

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