Getting your passport photos right is critical. The US government has very strict requirements when it comes to the size, composition, and background of passport photos. Fail to meet those requirements and your passport application will get rejected.
If you want to get your passport in time for your travel, make sure your passport photos adhere to all the requirements set forth by the government. The best way to do so is to get your passport photos taken at a specialized passport photo service.
UPS Store is the cheapest place to get your passport photo taken and printed. It costs $11.99 to get it done, but they often have coupons available online, bringing their passport photo service price down to $9.99.
There are many places to get passport photos. In this section, we will look at some of the cheapest ones.
| Number of Locations | Price | Coupon | |
| The UPS Store | 4,500 | $11.99 | Sometimes – typically $2 off |
| CVS Photo | 10,000 | $14.99 | Sometimes – typically $2 off |
| FedEx Office | 2,100 | $14.95 | Sometimes – typically $2 off |
| Walgreens Photo | 9,000 | $14.99 | Sometimes – typically $2 off |
| Meijer | 250 | $12.99 | No |
One thing to keep in mind – the list below is for places that take passport photos. If a retailer only prints but does not take passport photos, it will not be included in our list.
Many “Cheapest Places for Passport Photos” list you see online conflate places that take passport photos (such as The UPS Store and FedEx Office) with places that only print passport photos (such as Walmart, Target, and Costco).
Those are 2 completely different types of service with different price points. They are apples and oranges.
Many online lists include Sam’s Club or Costco as a place for passport photos. That is an outdated piece of information.
As of Sept 2019, all Sam’s Club Photo Centers are permanently closed and passport photos are no longer available at Sam’s Club. Costco Photo Centers inside of Costco’s warehouse facilities nationwide have permanently closed since 2021. You can only order online photo prints from Costco.
Rite Aid is in a similar situation – it no longer offers passport photo service. So make sure you are not misled by obsolete information online.
The UPS Store
The UPS Store is a great choice to get passport photos. While there are more than 4,500 UPS Stores in the US, not all locations can take your passport photos. So make sure you call your local UPS Store before you visit one.
The price of 2 passport photos is $11.99.
Tip: The UPS Store often offers discount coupons for passport photos. The typical discount is $2 off. That brings its price to a very competitive $9.99. So search for “UPS passport photo coupon” before you go to a UPS Store for photos.
Meijer
Meijer is a family-owned, regional retailer with close to 250 locations in 6 states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin. All Meijer locations offer passport photo services.
The service at Meijer is one of the fastest you will ever find. Your passport photos will be ready in just 15 minutes.
The price of passport photos is $12.99.
FedEx Office
Like UPS, FedEx will also take your passport photos. There are more than 2,100 FedEx Office stores in the United States. Not as numerous as the UPS Store, but there is still a good chance you live close to one.
The good thing about FedEx Office is that many of their locations open later than The UPS Store. If you have a busy schedule, FedEx Office might be a better fit for you. Call beforehand to make sure your local FedEx Office offers passport photo service.
The price of 2 government-compliant, 2″x2″ passport photos at FedEx Office is $14.95.
Tip: FedEx Office often offers discount coupons for passport photos. The typical discount is $2 off. That brings its price to a more competitive $12.95. So search for “FedEx passport photo coupon” before you go to a FedEx Office for photos.
Walgreens Photo
Walgreens has more than 9,000 locations in all 50 states of the United States. Most, but not all, of these locations offer photo services. Some locations are pharmacy only, though. So make sure you call your local Walgreens to confirm they offer passport photo service before you go there.
You can also use this Walgreens Store Locator to find a Walgreens close to you that offer photo services.
The price of two 2″x2″ passport photos at Walgreens is $14.99.
Tip: Walgreens often offers discount coupons for passport photos. The typical discount is $2 off. That brings Walgreens’ price to a more competitive $12.99. So search for “Walgreens passport photo coupon” before you go to a Walgreens for photos.
CVS Photo
CVS has more than 10,000 locations all over the United States. Most, but not all, of these locations offer photo services. Make sure you call your local CVS to confirm they offer passport photo service before you go there.
You can also use this CVS Store Locator to find a CVS close to you that offer photo services.
One nice thing about CVS Photo is that they use the KODAK Biometric ID Photo System which automatically verifies that your photos meet all requirements for passport photos in the US. This makes sure there will not be any surprises when it comes to your passport photos.
The price of 2 passport photos at CVS Photo is $14.99. It is the same as Walgreens and one of the more expensive prices on our list.
Tip: CVS often offers discount coupons for passport photos. The typical discount is $2 off. That brings CVS’s price to a more competitive $12.99. So search for “CVS passport photo coupon” before you go to a CVS for photos.
Post Office
There are more than 31,000 retail post offices in the United States. Unfortunately, most of those post offices are not equipped to take your passport photos. According to the United States Postal Service (USPS), “thousands” of post offices accept passport applications, and “some” of those post offices can also take your passport photos.
The USPS asks you to call your local post office to find out if it offers photo service and whether an appointment is necessary for passport photos. Alternatively, you can use this Post Office Appointment Scheduler to search for a post office that offers photo service and make an appointment online.
Passport photos at a post office cost $15. This is the most expensive place on our list.
AAA (American Automobile Association)
There are close to 7,000 AAA offices in the United States. Many of those locations will take your passport photos. Just call your local AAA office to make sure that is a service they offer.
You can also use the AAA Office Locator to look for AAA offices close to you and see if they offer passport photo service or not.
The cost of passport photos at AAA varies based on which level of membership you have. Even non-members can get their passport photos taken at AAA. They just have to pay more.
- Plus or Premier Members
- 1 set of passport photos per year at no extra cost
- $8.45 for 2 sets
- $10.45 for 3 sets
- $5 for each additional set
- Classic Members
- $8.45 for 1 set
- $10.45 for 2 sets
- $12.45 for three sets
- $5 for each additional set
- Non-members
- $15 for 1 set
- $17 for 2 sets
- $19 for 3 sets
- $5 for each additional set
Professional Photo Studios
Many local professional photo studios will also take your passport photos. These photo studios typically offer the highest picture quality for your passport photos. To find one close to you, simply search for “photo studios” on Google. Make sure you call them ahead of time to confirm they offer passport photo service.
Prices will vary based on location and the studio itself. But typically speaking, the price at this type of photo studios is higher than what is charged by national chains.
Passport Acceptance Facilities
Passport acceptance facilities are places designated by the United States Department of State to accept passport applications on its behalf. Common passport acceptance facilities include post offices, clerks of court, public libraries, and state, county, township, and municipal government offices.
You can use this Department of State Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page to find a passport acceptance facility close to you.
Many, but not all, of these passport acceptance facilities will also take your passport photos. Make sure you call your local facility ahead of time to confirm whether they offer this service or not.
Photo prices at these facilities will vary.
Passport Expeditors
Passport expeditors are private companies that help you gather the necessary documents for your passport application, submit them to the passport office on your behalf, and make sure your passport is processed as quickly as possible. If you need to get a passport in a hurry, an expeditor can help you get a passport in as little as 24 hours for a fee of as much as $300.
Most passport expeditors will also be able to take your passport photos. Their prices are not going to be cheap. With a passport expeditor, you pay a high price for speed. So an expeditor should be your last resort if you are concerned about price.
To find an expeditor close to you, just Google “passport expeditors.”
DIY Passport Photos
In the section above, we have gone over a list of the cheapest places to get your passport photos taken. The cheapest place on that list, The UPS Store, charges $11.99 for 2 passport photos. Get a $2 off coupon and that price goes down to $9.95 – a great price but you can still do better.
For the truly frugal person who does not mind doing a bit more work, nothing beats DIY passport photos when it comes to price.
By taking your own passport photos and print it yourself using your own photo printer, you can get passport photos practically for free.
Even if you do not have a photo printer and have to send your passport photo to a printing service, you can still get passport photos for as little as $6.
Passport Photo Requirements
The United States government has set strict requirements that all passport photos must adhere to. Some of those requirements are:
- Passport pictures must be in color, not black and white.
- Passport photos must be 2” x 2″ (51 x 51 mm) with the head centered and sized between 1″ and 1.4″ (25 and 35 mm)
- Passport photos must be taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
- Passport photos must be taken in front of a plain white or off-white background
- Passport photos must be taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
How to Take DIY Passport Photos
The following video does a good job of showing how to take your own DIY passport photo at home.
- Find a clean white wall to serve as a background of your photoshoot. If you do not have a white wall in your house, just post in front of a clean white poster board
- Face the camera head-on with no objects or shadows obscuring your face
- Put on a neutral expression & keep both eyes open. No smiling.
- Wear your normal day to day clothing. Uniform or head coverings should not be worn
- Do not wear clothing with patterns
- Remove headphones & eyeglasses
- Selfies are NOT acceptable. So either use a tripod or ask a friend to take your picture
Passport Photo Tools
There are many tools you can use to make the process of taking and cropping passport photos as simple as possible.
- US State Department Passport Photo Cropping Tool: This is an online tool from the State Department to help you crop your passport photo to the official requirements before you print it out yourself
- Passport Photo Booth: This is an app that makes it very easy for you to take a passport photo. It lines up your face and makes sure your photo meets the government requirements for passport photos
- 123PassportPhoto: This is another online passport photo cropping tool. Upload the passport photo you have taken and use this tool to crop it to meet the requirements set by the US government
Where to Print Passport Photos for Cheap
Once you have taken your passport photo and cropped it according to the government requirements, it is time to print it. The cheapest way to print photos is of course to print it yourself. But what if you do not have a photo printer? In that case, you would have to use a passport photo printing service.
We have compiled a list of the cheapest places to print your passport photos. For those in a hurry, the table below is a quick summary of the top 5 places to print passport photos.
| Price | Membership Required? | In-Store Pickup? | Home Delivery? | |
| Costco | $5.99 | Yes – $60 per year | Yes | No |
| Passport Photo Booth | $5.96 | No | No | Yes – 7 to 9 business days |
| Paspic | $7.00 | No | No | Yes |
| Walmart | $7.44 | No | Yes – 1 hour | Yes – 3 to 5 business days |
| iVisa | $9.45 | No | No | Yes – 2 to 4 business days |
Costco
Costco offers one of the cheapest prices for passport photo printing. A set of passport photos only costs $5.99. But you need to be a member to use this service, and membership costs $60 per year.
Costco only offers in-store pickup of photos. No home delivery is available.
For Costco members, this is one of the cheapest ways to print your passport photos.
Walmart
Upload your passport photo on the Walmart Photo website and order passport photo prints. You can choose either 1 hour pickup or 3 to 5 business days home delivery.
The price is $7.44 for a set of prints. Shipping is free.
Passport Photo Booth
Passport Photo Booth is an app for taking and printing passport photos. When you take photos with this app, it lines up your face and makes sure your photo meets the government requirements for passport photos.
When you are done taking photos, you can place an order for prints within the app.
Passport photo prints cost $5.96 per set with free shipping. Delivery takes 7 to 9 business days or less.
Paspic
Paspick is an online passport photo printing service. You upload your passport photo on its website. Its automated system will let you know immediately whether your photo is compliant with the United States passport regulations. Once your photo is validated, you can order prints of it.
Passport photo prints cost $7 per set with free shipping.
iVisa
iVisa is another online passport photo printing service. Upload your photo on their website and you can order prints of it. Your photo will be reviewed by an expert to make sure it meets all US government requirements.
A set of 2 passport photos costs $9,45 with free shipping. Delivery is by USPS and typically takes 2 to 4 business days
