A selfie for your passport photo?

Thanks to a new app, a selfie could be your passport photo. Photo / iStock

If you've ever wanted more control over your passport photo, there's an app for that.

An updated app from It'sEasy - a US passport-expediting company founded in 1976 - is making it even easier to take your own passport photo.

The new "selfie" feature gives users a grid that guides them to the correct position to place their face for a photograph. After uploading a few options, you can get feedback on the pictures before deciding which one to use.

CEO David Alwadish told Conde Nast Traveler that he hoped to automate as much of the passport process as possible - and had a few tips for getting that perfect photo.

"Sometimes people take pictures in front of the refrigerator. Don't do that. Try to avoid shadows. [Once you take the picture] you get another page that compares your photo to some other ones so you can see if it might work," he said.

"You can tap on each photo to get an explanation of why it did or didn't work. Maybe it'll say 'background is too dark'. We make it very user-friendly."

Once a successful photo has been taken, users can have the photo emailed to them, or US-based users can have them physically printed and shipped.

US-based customers can also use the app to renew and apply for passports.

While New Zealanders are able to take their own passport photos, the Department of Internal Affairs recommends using a professional photographer in order to avoid delays with passport applications.

The It'sEasy app is available for download for iPhone and Android.

- nzherald.co.nz