How to Take a Photo With a Real White Background

ICA wants a real white background, not an edited one. Here is how to get one at home with a white wall, the right light and a phone.

Based on official sources · last checked

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Quick answer

How do I take a passport photo with a white background?

Stand half a metre to a metre in front of a plain white wall or sheet, light the wall and your face evenly with daylight or two lamps, and have someone take the photo from about 1.5 m away. For ICA applications the background must really be white, because ICA rejects photos with a replaced background.

A white background is the rule ICA's photos break most often. The fix is not editing, because ICA rejects photos with a replaced background. Instead, stand 0.5–1 m in front of a plain white wall, light the wall as well as your face, and have someone take the photo from about 1.5 m away.

What ICA asks for

A plain white background with no patterns or objects, even lighting with no shadows on your face or the background, and a photo that has not been altered or enhanced in any way. In a 2022 response to public feedback, ICA said a non-white background is one of the most common reasons it rejects photos.

Choose your background

  • A white wall or door with a matte finish works best. Glossy paint reflects light and can show glare.
  • A white bedsheet or foam board, pinned or taped flat, is a good substitute. Iron out creases, because folds show up as shadows.
  • Avoid off-white, cream and light grey walls. They usually look darker or yellower in photos than they do in person.
  • Move furniture, frames, switches and plants out of the frame.

How to take a passport photo with a white background

  1. Pick a plain white wall. Use a matte white wall, door or a white sheet pinned flat, with nothing else in the frame.
  2. Stand away from the wall. Stand 0.5 to 1 m in front of it. This stops your shadow falling on the background.
  3. Light your face and the wall. Face a window for soft daylight, or place a lamp on each side of you at 45 degrees. If the wall looks grey, aim another lamp at the wall behind you. Avoid flash and overhead lights.
  4. Set up the camera at eye level, about 1.5 m away. Have someone else take the photo with the rear camera. Turn off portrait mode, beauty modes and filters, which blur or change the background and your face.
  5. Expose for a white wall. Tap your face to focus. If the wall looks grey, raise the exposure slightly until it looks white, but not so much that your face loses detail.
  6. Check, then crop. Zoom in to check the background is white with no shadows, then crop it to 400 × 514 px with our photo cropper.

Why a white wall turns grey

Cameras set their exposure from the whole scene. If the light falls on your face but not on the wall behind you, the camera makes the wall look grey or blue. The cure is more light on the background: open the curtains, move nearer the window, or point a lamp at the wall. Editing the background afterwards is not allowed for ICA photos.

Quick test shot

Take a photo of the empty wall first. If it does not look white on your phone screen, add light or try a different spot before you take the real photo.

What to wear

Wear a top in a colour that stands out from white, such as navy, black, dark green or maroon. A white top can blend into the background and make your outline hard to see. For student cards, follow your institution's dress rules: MOE students applying for a concession card should wear school uniform.

Check your photo

Do

  • Plain white background, edge to edge
  • Even light, with no shadow behind your head
  • Taken from about 1.5 m, at eye level
  • Original photo, no filters or edits

Don't

  • Cream, grey or patterned walls
  • Your shadow on the wall behind you
  • Portrait mode, beauty modes or flash
  • Painting or replacing the background
Correct
Coloured background
Shadows on face
Too dark

Compare it with all the correct and incorrect sample photos, then read the full Singapore passport photo requirements.

White background photo FAQ

Not for ICA. ICA does not accept photos that have been altered or enhanced, and that includes a replaced background. For other photos, such as student cards, a background tool can help: see how to change a photo background to white.

Yes, if it is plain white and pinned or taped flat so there are no folds or creases that show up as shadows. A large sheet of white foam board or card also works.

It is risky. ICA asks for a white background, and an off-white wall can look cream, yellow or grey in a photo. Use a white door, sheet or board instead.

The wall is darker than your face, usually because the light falls on you but not on the wall behind you. Add light on the wall, or move closer to a window, rather than editing the photo.

ICA's overseas application form allows a light grey background for applicants with white hair. If this applies to you, check with ICA before you apply.

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Official sources

Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.