Visa photo - can I do it myself?
Hi everyone! I need a photo for a visa, and I don't want to go to a studio. I heard that there are strict requirements for t size and format of the files. Has anyone tried taking photo at home and sending it online? How can I be sure that it will pass the check? I am especially concerned about the background and head size, because there are many articles with different rules.
Comments
Hi! I recently took a photo for a visa online https://digital-passport-photo.com . There is an option "all country visa photo size", you can choose a country and a standard, and the site adjusts the photo to the necessary requirements. For the USA, for example, it is important: square 600 × 600 px, JPEG, ≤ 240 kB, white background, head 50-69%, eyes 56-69% from the bottom. I took it at home with a phone on a tripod, shot in daylight, without glasses and filters. The site automatically checks the head size and background, and photo turned out perfect. So you can do it without a studio, the main thing is to follow the instructions and check through the website.
You need to carefully monitor the proportions and light. A white background is a must, any shadows or filters can reject the photo. It is better to take several shots and choose the best one. This method saves time and money if you do everything carefully.
I totally get the hesitation visa photos have all those tiny requirements that make them stressful to do at home. I’ve had the same doubts about background shades and making sure the head size matched the guidelines. What worked for me was first taking a simple photo with good natural light and then fixing the details in editing. That’s where the choice of software really mattered. I once compared on1 vs lightroom to see which handled background cleanups better, and this guide helped me a lot . With a bit of tweaking, my photo came out clean enough to pass the official check, so it’s definitely doable if you’re careful.