When applying for a passport, you're required submit two passport photos. Since the passport office does not provide photography services, you'll need to have photos taken that meet specific requirements. To help cut some of the cost of the already expensive passport application process, you'll want to find a low-cost, high-quality passport photo service.
In some areas, the American Automobile Association provides one free set of passport photos per year for members. For passport applicants who are already a member of this organization, this free service can cut a significant chunk out of the application fee. The service fee waiver is only for AAA members, though, and family or friends of members must pay a relatively high charge of $10 for each set of passport photos. While the AAA photos are an excellent bargain for members, family and friends who also need passport photos should look elsewhere.
Members of the discount wholesale club Costco can consider themselves lucky when shopping for passport photos, as Costco offers passport photos for under $5 to members as well as members' family and friends. The service is easy to use, and photos are taken by a professional photographer stationed inside the club. Some users note that Costco photos seem to be lower quality than those offered by more expensive providers, but even the worst picture taken by a professional photographer is still likely to meet the State Department requirements for passport photos.
Passport applicants who are not members of AAA or Costco club can still obtain professional-quality passport photos by simply visiting a CVS Pharmacy location. Priced at $7.99, passport photos taken at CVS are somewhat more expensive than those taken at Costco, but no membership or additional fees are required. In addition, the price applies to all CVS customers, so entire families or groups of friends can take advantage of the $7.99 price.
Tech-savvy passport applicants can take advantage of a free online service offered by ePassportPhoto.com. On this website, you can upload a favorite photo or snapshot and edit it to conform to State Department requirements. If you're good with basic graphic design software, you can produce top-quality passport photos. But the service is not for everyone; if you have a slow Internet connection or are uncomfortable editing digital images, you may find retail photography locations more convenient. If you don't have access to a Rite Aid or CVS pharmacy, where the online photos can be picked up, you'll want to use another option.
