Passport Photo Creator FAQs

What is the Passport Photo Creator?

Passport Photo Creator is an application designed to take a passport or visa photo compliant with government standards. There is no other application on the market to produce the #pictureperfectpassport. Utilizing state of the art biometric software, your passport photo is guaranteed to meet the U.S. Department of State passport photo requirements with a 99% accuracy rate. Once you take your passport photo and it meets all of the U.S. Department of State passport compliance standards, you print to Walgreens with your choice of over 8000 Walgreens locations. The added benefit of using the Passport Photo Creator app is that you can take the passport photo as many times as you desire- until you are happy with how your passport photo will look- all while making sure it meets the strict compliance requirements set by the government passport photo standards.

Ultimately, the U.S. Department of State Passport Agencies (and any embassy or consulate for visa photos) can reject your photo and application for any reason they deem fit. The Passport Photo Creator cannot guarantee that your passport photo will be accepted every time. You should review your passport photo prior to submitting your passport application to make sure it meets the requirements and is an accurate representation of your current appearance.


Where can I download the Passport Photo Creator application?
The Passport Photo Creator application is available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play. The app is coming soon as a web service and on other mobile devices. To learn more about our application click here.

Do you have examples of acceptable photos?

The Passport Photo Creator will ensure that your passport photo is 100% compliant with the U.S. Department of State’s passport photo requirements. The compliance checks built into the app will also provide explanations and tips to help users create the perfect passport photo. With a helpful tutorial and instructions, the Passport Photo Creator also provides on-screen examples of acceptable and unacceptable passport photos.


Can I adjust the exposure settings?

The Passport Photo Creator allows users to adjust the shutter exposure. Increasing or decreasing the exposure settings will help minimize the hotspot errors. You can raise exposure to .05 or 1.0 to achieve a brighter background.

The exposure setting also allows users to raise the temperature to show a lighter background without any digital altering. Both photos below are taken on the same wall with the exposure settings adjusted and raised to 1.0 in the second image for a better quality passport photo.


Will this application take quality passport photos?
The Passport Photo Creator application is the only way to get the #perfectpassportphoto. Whether you need passport or visa photos, the app will guide you through the process to give you the highest quality passport photo. Leveraging state of the art biometric technology to scan an applicant’s face, the Passport Photo Creator can guarantee the passport photo meets all the strictly enforced government compliance requirements. With an easy-to-use process, the Passport Photo Creator allows the user to save their favorite compliant photo and print to Walgreens. Your perfect passport photo will be ready in less than 1 hour at your local Walgreens. Walgreens provides the highest quality photo prints for your perfect passport photo.

What are the passport photo requirements?

Did you know over 200k passport applications are denied annually due to non-compliant passport photos?

Our Application will guide you through all the requirements so every passport photo will be 100% passport and visa photo compliant.

U.S. Department of State Passport Photo Requirements

  • A recent color photo taken within the last six months
  • Printed in color, on photo quality paper.
  • 2”x2” in size (51mm x 51mm)
  • Head size must be between 1 inch and 1 ⅜ inches.
  • No smiles. You must have a neutral facial expression. Directly face the camera. No shadows on your face.
  • Normal clothing. No uniforms, except for religious clothing worn daily.
  • Background must be white or off-white in color.
  • You cannot wear a hat or head covering. Nothing can cover your hair or hairline unless you normally wear it daily for religious purposes.
  • No headphones, sunglasses, or similar items can be worn unless it is a hearing aid or medical device worn daily. Medical certification may be required as proof.
  • Prescription glasses are no longer acceptable (Nov 1, 2016).

What can I use these photos for?

You can use our application for any 2×2 compliant passport photo

  • Passports
  • Visas
  • Immigration Documents
  • School Identification
  • Firearm Permits
  • The SAT’s
  • The ACT’s
  • Notary
  • International Driving Permits
  • Access A Ride
  • Corporate Identification

Safety and Security

The Passport Photo Creator app is designed with safety and security in mind. Once you have your perfect passport photo and you are pleased with how it looks, you will have the option to print at Walgreens. Your photo will be sent over a secure connection through cellular or wifi. You will not pay for your passport photo until you pick up your order at Walgreens. The added benefit of this process is the added security where your payment details are never entered in the app. Your passport photo will be available for pickup at the Walgreens location of your choice.


How will I know if it’s a perfect passport photo?

The Passport Photo Creator will trigger alerts when your photo is not 100% passport photo compliant. Select the error for additional information and take the photo again. You can take as many photos as you wish, until you are satisfied with the passport photo and it has met all of the compliance requirements.

passport photo errors

 


Can I print an unacceptable photo?

The Passport Photo Creator will trigger alerts when your photo is not 100% passport photo compliant. You can ‘Print Anyway’ if you are aware of the error code and still wish to proceed. We do not recommend this course of action unless you are certain the error will be accepted by the U.S. Department of State Passport Agency.

passport photo errors

We recommend using the app to create the perfect passport photo. The best case scenario is an all-green compliance screen.


Page not loading…

The Passport Photo Creator will take up to 30 seconds when uploading the photo to Walgreens order form once you’ve taken your perfect passport photo. If the app is loading for more than 30 seconds, check your internet connection. If you are still having screen loading errors, close the app and re-open. The Walgreens order form will reconnect and your photo will be saved. If you still have issues with loading errors, please contact us immediately. We will help you resolve your issue right away.


Face not frontal error message
The subject’s head should not be tilted up or down. The photographer should have the subject’s face positioned directly in front of the camera. The subject’s eyes should be in direct line with the camera lens. f your head is tilted more than 5 degrees in any other direction, you will not pass this compliance check.

Not detecting my face?
The Passport Photo Creator uses biometric technology to detect a user’s facial features. If the application produces this error message that the face cannot be detected, re-align the subject within the template. Make sure there is the proper lighting and re-take a photo of the subject.

What is a hotspot error?

The Passport Photo Creator uses biometric technology to detect a user’s facial features and background for uniformity. If the application produces an error message that hotspots are present, you should adjust the shutter exposure. Increasing or decreasing the exposure settings will help minimize the hotspot errors. You can raise exposure to .05 or 1.0 to achieve a brighter background.

The exposure setting also allows users to raise the temperature to show a lighter background without any digital altering. Both photos below are taken on the same wall with the exposure settings adjusted and raised to 1.0 in the first image.


Background not white?

The Passport Photo Creator will determine if the background is white (or slightly off-white) and uniform. No shadows or background images can be present.


Can I use a selfie?

While the Passport Photo Creator can take a perfect passport photo in selfie mode, it can be difficult to capture. The requirements set by the U.S. Department of State are very strict. Unfortunately, that means it can be very difficult for a user to capture the perfect passport photo while using the selfie camera mode. We recommend users take their passport photos with the help of a friend or associate.


Do you have tips for baby passport photos?

No one else can be in the passport photo so you’ll need to get creative when taking a baby or child’s passport photo. When taking a photo of your baby or toddler, no other person should be in the photo.

We recommend laying the baby down on a plain white or off-white sheet. Make sure there are no shadows on the face of the subject.

Another helpful tip is to place a white sheet in the car seat and place the child or infant in the car seat. This will help with head support.

If the eye’s on a baby or infant are not open or entirely open, it’s acceptable. You may need to override the compliance requirement and use judgement for child and baby passport photos. Aim to have the subject facing forward with a straight ahead gaze towards the camera.


Photo Size Too Small/Low
Help! My photo is below 250kB.
When the user tries to export the photo from our app, the iOS system gives the user an option to compress the image before exporting it. The user should not compress the image before exporting it. This compress and export is a feature in the iOS system, not in our app. Re-save the image without compressing and your photo will be larger and higher quality.

Perfect Passport Photo

When your passport photo has successfully met all of the compliance requirements, you will get an alert that the photo is 100% acceptable. Save this photo and select the Walgreens logo for your passport photo to print at Walgreens. Your perfect passport photo will be ready in less than one hour.


Why is the only option to print at Walgreens?
The U.S. Department of State is very strict on the photo quality accepted for a passport photo. We’ve partnered with Walgreens to provide the most trustworthy source of passport photo prints. When you use the Passport Photo Creator, you will have a 100% compliant passport photo. Ensuring that your print is accurately printed, on photo quality paper, and in the strict size requirement is also critical for the perfect passport photo. Over 250,000 passport applications get denied every year. We trust Walgreens to provide the best passport photo prints of the Passport Photo Creator. We are proud to work with Walgreens on this initiative to end passport photo rejections nationwide.

What if my photo doesn’t print correctly?
One of the main benefits of using the Passport Photo Creator is that you are assured to have a compliant passport photo. The app will trigger an alert if your photo doesn’t meet the strict passport photo requirements. Once you have a compliant photo prepared, the option to print at Walgreens will further assure you that your photo will be printed correctly. If you find any issues with the print experience, please let us know. But we are confident that you will be 100% satisfied with your passport photo print at Walgreens.

Can I print at home?
Passport photos are the #1 reason a passport photo application is rejected. Printing at home may seem convenient but it’s not guaranteed to print accurately or correctly. When you use the Passport Photo Creator to print at Walgreens, you will have a 100% compliant passport photo. Presently the option to print at home is not available. However, when you print at Walgreens, your passport photo will be ready in less than an hour.

Where do I pick up the passport photos?
When you’ve taken your perfect passport photo through the Passport Photo Creator, you will have the option to print to Walgreens. Simply choose the Walgreens location that is most convenient for you. Your photo will be ready in less than one hour at the Walgreens Photo Center. Your photo will not be printed at the kiosk. You will need to see the Walgreens Photo Associate for assistance as they will prepare your photo and make sure it’s printed and cut out correctly.

What do I need to pick up my passport photo?
Your perfect passport photo will be printed at Walgreens. Visit the photo center associate as they will assist you with your order. They may only need to look you up by name, but we recommend having the order ID number and a photo ID. You will pay for your perfect passport photo at the Walgreens Photo Center.

How many passport photos will I get?

Your perfect passport photo will be printed at Walgreens and will come in a set of two. Most passport applications only require one photo but we provide two so you have an extra in case you also need to apply for a visa. You can print as many passport photos as you’d like. The cost for a passport print at Walgreens is $14.99 for the two passport photos.