How to Prepare a Polish Passport Photo at Home

You can take a passport photograph at home, but the image must meet the rules for the issuing country and application route. An online cropping tool cannot guarantee acceptance.

This guide concerns Polish documents. Do not use it as a universal specification for UK, US or other passports. Preparing a digital photograph is also different from being eligible to apply for a passport online.

Polish guidance specifies a recent colour photograph taken no more than six months before the application. A paper photograph is 35 mm wide by 45 mm high. The face should occupy 70-80% of the image, with the whole head and upper shoulders visible. Use a white, evenly lit background and a natural expression, looking straight towards the camera with the mouth closed. Eyes must be clearly visible.

Digital file requirements depend on the document and application route; do not substitute an ID-card specification for a passport specification. Check the current instructions from the issuing authority, including any relevant exceptions. Guidance reviewed on 24 September 2026: Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration, "Zdjecie do dowodu lub paszportu - informacje".

Ask someone to hold the camera at eye level, or use a stable support. Leave enough room to crop without cutting into the head. Avoid a close wide-angle selfie, which can distort facial proportions. Check that the face is sharp and the lighting is even before taking several frames.

Look closely for shadows on the wall, reflections in glasses and stray objects in the background. Move the camera or lighting and reshoot rather than trying to repair a fundamentally unsuitable photograph.

Do not use beauty filters, face reshaping or creative colour presets. Check the exported file, not only the preview inside an app. If printing, confirm the physical dimensions after printing; a correct file can still be resized by a printer.

No. The receiving authority decides whether the photograph is acceptable.