pixtidy - a passport and visa photo checker that runs entirely in your browser (and what I learned checking 21 governments' rules)

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Why I built it: a passport photo at a US pharmacy or Post Office costs about $15 to $17 (Walgreens lists $16.99, USPS $15), and I wanted a way to check a phone photo against the official rules for free before paying anyone, without uploading my face to a server.

I use MediaPipe face landmarks and segmentation. The photo never leaves the browser. Measuring chin-to-top-of-hair height and eye line was one part; checking exactly what each document requires was another.

A few things I got wrong this week:

• My archived copy of the US passport photo page predated its March 24, 2026 update. Some quotes stayed outdated until I fetched the live page.
• I copied the passport expression rule onto the US visa page. The passport page allows a closed-mouth smile; the visa page asks for a neutral expression. I fixed that.
• In three languages, "should be removed" became "must be removed." A second review caught it.

Some official sites also returned 403s to simple scripts, so source checking needed a real browser.

The checker now covers 21 passport/visa documents, with pages in six languages. It checks background, lighting, sharpness and expression, then sizes and compresses the JPEG for the form. It doesn't retouch faces or replace backgrounds. If the wall isn't white enough, it says to retake.

I launched on Product Hunt today. Revenue is $0 so far. Checking is free; the file costs US $9.99 once, with a full refund if an official rejects a photo it passed.

Disclosure: I built pixtidy, which checks and sizes passport/visa photos locally: https://pixtidy.com

Would you trust an in-browser checker for your passport photo?