How to take a passport-size photo at home

What you need

• A plain, light-coloured wall with nothing on it
• Daylight from a window, or a bright overhead light
• A phone, and ideally someone to hold it

Step by step

1. Stand half a metre from the wall. Standing right against it creates a shadow behind your head.
2. Face the window. The light should fall evenly on both sides of your face. Turn off any yellow bulb behind you.
3. Wear a dark or coloured top. A white shirt against a white wall makes your shoulders disappear when the background is cleaned.
4. Hold the phone at eye level, about one metre away. Use the normal camera (1×), not the wide-angle lens, and not portrait mode, which blurs your hair edges.
5. Look straight at the camera. Keep a natural expression, mouth closed, both ears visible, hair away from the eyes.
6. Remove caps, masks and spectacles unless your exam allows glasses and you wear them every day. Religious headwear is usually allowed if the face is fully visible; check your notification.
7. Take five or six shots and choose the sharpest.

Finish it in ExamPic

Choose your exam, add the photo, and the tool frames your face to that exam's rule. Tick "Replace background" to make the wall pure white, check that every item shows a green tick, and download. If you need prints, open "Print copies" to lay out the right size on 4 × 6 inch or A4 paper.

Selfie or someone else?

A selfie held at arm's length makes the nose look bigger and the face slightly distorted, and you tend to look up or down. If you're alone, prop the phone on a shelf at eye level and use the timer.