Passport Photos Requirements

You can get passport photos taken at some chain stores and drugstores. However, to insure that your photos are taken professionally and meet the requirements of the Department of State, we recommend that you have your photos taken at PixPlaza Studio on Three Rivers road, near Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

Where can I take passport photos?

While you have several options available, we will refrain from listing any because customers have oftentimes taken passport photos outside our studio and had their passport (or visa) applications rejected, and then had to come to us to take photos that correctly meet the official photo requirements. Our customers never had to retake their passport photos.

Pix Plaza Studio’s address is

9424 Three Rivers road, Suite D
Gulfport, MS 39503

We are located behind Super Walmart, have way between Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport roundabout and Sonic.

If you have any question, please call us on
(228) 334-8000. You can book your passport photo appointment by phone, or online here. You save 10% on our fee by booking online.

Can I take passport photos myself?

Sure, take a photo, or a couple of photos, with your phone and sent to us. We will examine your photos against the passport photo requirements. If we find that the photo(s) you sent is acceptable, we will make any fine adjustments necessary, print your passport photo and have it ready for you to pick up, or mail it to you if you live anywhere in the world more than 20 miles from our print studios.

Please note we cannot legally, and shall not, modify the person’s image in any way, and that some countries do not accept passport photos taken by non-professionals. For example, Canadian authorities require that the photos are taken in a professional studio, and that the studio name and attestation are written on the back of each photo.

What are the standard passport photo requirements?

The photo requirement for passport photos of country and visa photos to a country and almost always the same. Each country, however, has its own requirements for passport and visa photos. Nevertheless, there are common requirements that all passport/visa photos must meet. These are:

  • Front Facing: the subject in the photo must look straight in the lens of the camera, perpendicular to the camera, without head tilting
  • Full Face must be visible. Hair or clothes must not cover any part of the face.
  • Glasses must be removed. Medical prescription glasses can be worn as long as the eyes can be centralized behind the lens (thick frames may be considered unacceptable)
  • Facial expression must be neutral
  • No shadows and no highlights on the face from strong light sources
  • The background must be plain, seamless, evenly lit and rather bright, with no shadows or gradients. Background color requirements vary.
  • The picture must be sharp and printed on photo quality paper
  • The picture can be used within six months of the date it was taken
  • Head coverings are generally only allowed for religious purposes. Some countries require showing the fall face edge to edge, others require showing the ears as well. Forehead and chin must be visible.

What are each country’s specific passport photo requirements?

The main differences in passport photo requirements between countries are print size, the percentage of the photo that the head/face occupies, and background color.

Our standard professional profile photos already meet all the technical requirements listed above, and our system is setup to print passport photos for any country.

At Pix Plaza Studio, we have designed our own templates for passport photos for most popular work and vacation destination countries around the globe. Our passport photo service in the city is quick and easy, and the photos are ready for pick up within 10 to 30 minutes in most cases. You can wait an hour reception area, or return at your convenience to pick up the photos.

United States Passport Photo Requirements

U.S. passport, visa and immigration forms applications requires submission of pictures taken within the last six months and meet specific pose, lighting, size and photo paper requirements.

United States Passport Photo Requirements:

In addition to the standard requirements, US passport photo requirements include:

  • Clean, clear and color- correct photos without digital editing or added filters
  • Must be front facing without any face coverings, including eyeglasses
  • Must use plain white or off white background
  • must not be a selfie
  • Photo paper in his must be of high resolution and be printed on matte or glossy photo paper  
  • Print dimensions must be 2”X2” and have the right image proportions (Head must be 25 – 35 mm)
  • Must have Poker face or natural smile. Eyes must be visible.
  • Attire: wearing daily casuals, or suits, for passport photos is recommended. Avoid white and off-white colors so that your clothes don’t blend with the background—no uniform, face covering, or head covering without signed statement or doctor’s note. See travel.state.gov for more info.
  • Red-eye flashlight effect would render the photo unusable. You must take and submit a different photo.
  • Photos of Babies and toddlers must not include any other person’s image. Photos with eyes closed are only acceptable if taken of infants.

Canadian Passport Photo Requirements:

Canadian Passport Photos requirements are pretty much similar to those of the US passport photo, at differ primarily in print size and face proportion. They also must be taken in a professional studio and have the studio’s attestation written on the backside of each photo.

Other countries passport and visa photos

We take passport and visa application photos for all countries around the world. Please choose the correct country when booking your session online or choose Other Countries if yours is not listed

Related Images:

Leave a Reply