Skip to content
fotoklarPassbild · Bewerbungsfoto

Taking a passport photo with your phone: step by step

All you need is your phone, a window and a second person – or the self-timer. FotoKlar crops the photo, replaces the background and checks it – in the browser, no app to install.

1What do you need?

2Document

3Your photo

Example: biometric photo 35 × 45 mm

Example with a fictional person

Drop a photo here or – the preview is free.

Driving licence (Germany)

We check your photo and crop it to 35 × 45 mm.

  • Facing the camera, head straight, mouth closed
  • Even daylight, no shadows
  • Space above the head, shoulders in frame
  • Glasses only without glare

Have the photo printed at a photo lab or an instant-print kiosk. Some offices do not accept self-printed photos – if in doubt, ask your driving licence office first.

Size
35 × 45 mm
File
827 × 1063 px (600 dpi)
Submission
printed
Source
Landratsamt Tübingen, Fahrerlaubnisbehörde

How you get your photo

Preview

Free

Cropped, background replaced and checked – with a watermark.

Biometric photo

€7.99

  • Photo without watermark at your document’s size
  • Digital file for uploads and a 10 × 15 cm print sheet
  • Download for 24 hours, copy by email

100% money back if the office rejects the photo for not meeting the requirements. Terms

  • Payment via Dodo Payments · final price incl. VAT · no subscription
  • Files available for 24 hours, then deleted
  • Questions: support@approvavisa.com

Create the photo in 3 steps

  1. Take a photo with your phone

    Facing the camera, in daylight. We replace the background.

  2. Crop and biometric check

    Head size, eye height, light – with tips if something is off.

  3. Download

    File and 10 × 15 cm print sheet for €7.99.

In short

For a passport photo with your phone, have someone take it from about 1.5 metres at your eye level, using the main camera with 2× zoom, in daylight from a window in front of you, with no flash. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression. FotoKlar then crops, replaces the background and checks the photo in the browser.

Last updated: · FotoKlar editorial team

What you need

  • Your phone – the main camera, not the selfie camera
  • A second person, or a stand and the self-timer at eye level
  • A window with daylight in front of you
  • A plain wall behind you

Instructions: taking a passport photo with your phone

  1. 1Stand facing a window so the light falls evenly on your face; no flash
  2. 2Ask someone to hold the phone at your eye level, about 1.5 metres away
  3. 3Use the main (rear) camera, 2× zoom if available – a selfie from arm’s length distorts the face
  4. 4Look straight into the lens, mouth closed, eyes open, hair away from your face
  5. 5Upload the photo in the tool above and check the free preview

Camera settings for iPhone and Android

  • Photo mode, not portrait mode (it blurs the edges)
  • No filters, no beauty mode, no HDR effects
  • Highest resolution; JPG or HEIC both work
  • Tap your face to set focus and exposure

Do I need a passport photo app?

No. FotoKlar works in your phone’s browser: upload or take the photo, preview it free and download it – nothing to install.

App or browser, what matters is that the result meets the biometric rules – head size, light, neutral expression. FotoKlar checks exactly that in the free preview before you buy.

Typical mistakes

  • Selfie from arm’s length – the face looks distorted
  • Window or lamp behind you – the face is too dark
  • Shadows on the face or the wall
  • Head tilted, hair over the eyes
  • Portrait mode, filters or beauty mode switched on

Where can I use a phone photo?

For the health insurance card, many driving licence offices, visas and job applications – not for German ID cards and passports.

Health insurers such as DAK explicitly allow photos you take yourself. Some driving licence offices, for example Stuttgart, do not accept self-made photos. The full overview is on making your own passport photo.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Anything else? Write to us at support@approvavisa.com.

Can I take a passport photo with my phone?

Yes, for many uses – health insurance card, many driving licence offices, visas. Not for German ID cards and passports, which need a digital photo from a registered provider.

Can I use a selfie?

Better not: from arm’s length the face looks distorted. Have someone take the photo from about 1.5 metres.

Can I take the passport photo at home?

Yes – with daylight from a window, a plain wall and a second person or the self-timer. This does not apply to German ID cards and passports, which need a digital photo from a registered provider.

Which background should I use?

Any plain wall is fine; FotoKlar replaces the background anyway.

What does it cost?

The preview is free; the files cost €7.99 including VAT.

Related pages

Home · support@approvavisa.com