Passport Photo at USPS Office for 35c

Print USPS-style passport photos for less than 35 cents!

Many Americans use the US Postal Service (USPS) for all their passport needs. And why not? After all, it’s where you turn in your completed applications. Since the post office also makes passport pictures, it’s easy to let the USPS passport office be your one-stop shop. It’s also expensive.

The USPS charges $15.00 for a pair of passport pictures. If you have a small family in need of passports for an upcoming vacation, this adds up to a tidy sum! Let me tell you how you can save money and get your pictures printed for only 35ȼ per pair.

How to save money on USPS passport photos

The trick for saving money on passport photographs is easy: just print your passport photos as a standard 4x6 color glossy photograph. While the USPS charges $15.00 for a single pair of passport photos each one a 2” x 2” square most copy shops like Rite Aid, Duane Reade, Walgreens or Costco will print 4x6 photos for 35 cents apiece. And you can easily fit two 2” x 2” passport photos onto a single 4x6 photo.

All you have to do is download our online passport photo cropper to get a 4x6 photo template made for two US passport photos. Slide your digital photo into our app, and we automatically adjust the size and make sure your picture meets US passport regulations. Then, simply print the 4x6 photo at your favorite drugstore or copy shop. Cut out the individual passport photos following the guidelines in the template, and submit them with your passport application.

This simple trick lets you save big money on all your biometric photos, including travel visas and student IDs. Want a backup copy of your passport photo in case you need to replace your passport overseas? At the USPS, that’ll be another 15 dollars at the drugstore, it’ll only be another 35 cents. 

USPS passport photos made easy and more convenient

And you’ll save more than just money: you’ll save the time (and aggravation) involved in one more trip to the USPS post office. By taking your picture at home on your smartphone, you can take as many pictures as you like to get the right one. Try on different clothes. Try out different hairstyles. Experiment with makeup. Take your time and get a picture you love. You pay only for the final, finished product.

If you have kids, the savings in time, money and aggravation can be substantial! Do you really want to shepherd your youngsters down to the USPS post office for a process that could take hours? Yes, you have to take them to the post office eventually, when you submit your applications but believe me, it is far better to arrive at the USPS with your passport pictures already made, than to try and get them done right then and there. Taking your passport pictures at home is faster and easier, and the results will be the same as USPS passport photos if not better.

Guidelines: how to take a USPS passport photo at home

Your USPS-style passport photo must meet all the official U.S. passport photo requirements. When you use our passport photo template editor, you won’t have to worry about the exact size or correct background. However, there are some other things you need to know before taking your passport photo at home. The wrong posture or facial expression can cause a photo to be rejected. Keep reading to learn the main passport photo requirements you need to pay attention to.

USPS passport photo - general requirements

• The passport photo cannot be older than six months and must actually look like you.
• The photo background must be a plain and uniform white or off-white.
• Wear normal clothing when taking the photo. Uniforms and extravagant clothes are forbidden. Religious clothes are allowed.
• Make sure your hair and jewelry do not obscure your face. Your entire face must be visible on the passport photo.
• Take off your glasses. Remove headphones and earbuds.
• Look directly at the camera, straight into the lens.
• Do not smile in the photo. Your facial expression should be natural and neutral.

USPS passport photo office hours

Most USPS passport offices are open from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, but be sure to check their office hours before driving to the closest store. On account of the coronavirus plague, most if not all USPS passport offices have gone over to a reservations-only system, and you will need to make an appointment online. Some USPS passport locations offer Saturday hours; almost none will schedule Sunday appointments.

If there’s no USPS passport office near you, or if your schedule doesn’t easily allow you to visit one, you can use our passport photo generator to prep your photos and then order printed pictures delivered to your door using our Premium Mail Service. Continue reading to find out more about our Premium Service.

Premium passport photo mail service

Upload your selected photograph to Passport Photo Online site, where in just seconds the image will be transformed into a professional U.S. passport photo that meets all official requirements. When the photo is ready, choose one of three options: 

• Get a ready-to-print digital passport photo template for free, and print as many copies as you like.
• Pay $6.95 to have your digital photo edited and revised by real live humans. You also get a guarantee that it will be accepted at any passport office.
• For only $9.95, you will receive all the services above plus have the passport photo printed and shipped to your address.

Last update: 11/24/22