I need to renew my US passport and I’ve already wasted money on two different photobooths that made me pay before I could see what the options were.
The first one didn’t take a square picture and also the background was blue.
The second one didn’t take a square picture either and I had to pay extra to get a white background.
The US only accepts a **2 inches by 2 inches square photo with a white background**. There are no other alternatives to this unlike many countries. Where can I get a 2″x2″ picture on a white background?
9 comments
Use any of the photobooths, take a larger-sized photo, use “premier” or “excellent” or something mode to make background white (usually costs extra few 100 yen, you choose this before taking pics process starts) then use scissors to cut the photo into 2″ square.
reference pic from ki-re-i: https://www.dnpphoto.jp/products/kirei/ex/image/img_01_pc.jpg
If you have the photo print shop take the pictures they can photoshop it into the format you need. When I needed to renew mine (Germany) they needed an odd format as well. So I showed them the example picture and they did it for me. Actually got it wrong the first time and then reprinted without additional charge. Will cost more than the booth but is guaranteed to work. Alternatively, I bet there is a booth at the embassy that takes the right pictures for an arm and a leg.
Download Passport Photo from the Apple Store, pick the photo size you need from the many prebuilt/available or design your own size. Find one of those print kiosks and print it.
Just go to a Fujifilm Shop and have your passport photo taken there. That’s what I did. They can do a 5cm x 5cm photo with a white background that is suitable for a US passport renewal.
Budget solution I used a few years ago. Have someone take your picture in front of a white wall, from slightly further away. Print that picture out at a combini using a bigger size. Cut that picture down to a 2 inches square.
There is a superstition in my country that cutting one’s picture will bring them bad luck. I call bs on that.
Go to the photoshop next to the Japanese passport center. Take the specifications. The man will know what to do.
Go to the US embassy. There’s a photo booth in the lobby you can use for 1000 yen that prints the right size. I just went for my renewal just last week.
Take a photo of yourself against a white background.
Upload to Pic Chan.
https://pic-chan.net
Select photo size by country
Pick US 51x51mm
Get code
Go to your nearest convenience store
Print from copier
Pay 200 yen
Go to a photographer’s studio. Bring the paper with the photo size requirements. They can cut the photo to the size needed.
They can also stamp and date the back as proof it is a recent photo.