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Store prices re-checked October 2026 · independent site

CVS passport photo: $17.99, and the fine print on the digital copy

CVS is the priciest drugstore for passport photos, and the one whose digital-copy fine print trips people most. A CVS passport photo costs $17.99 for two 2 x 2 inch prints, taken in store; CVS states passport photos cannot be ordered online. An emailed digital copy costs about $3.99 extra, and CVS's own page says the option exists in select locations only. If your application is online (a DS-160 visa upload or online passport renewal), price the digital file, not the prints; you can also check a phone photo against the official rules free right now.

How it works at CVS

  1. Walk into a CVS with a photo department and ask at the photo counter; a staff member takes the photo against their backdrop.
  2. You receive two printed 2 x 2 photos, usually within minutes.
  3. If you also need a digital file (for a DS-160 upload or online passport renewal), ask whether that store offers the emailed copy; many do not, and prints alone cannot be uploaded.

The real total when you need prints and a file

Price the whole errand, not the sticker. If your situation needs both prints and a digital file, CVS comes to about $21.98 ($17.99 plus the roughly $3.99 emailed copy), and only at stores that offer the add-on at all. The online route inverts that: $9.99 buys the checked digital file first, plus a printable six-copy sheet, and any photo kiosk turns the sheet into prints for under a dollar.

Do CVS passport photo coupons work?

CVS photo coupons circulate constantly, but they typically target photo prints and gifts; whether a given promo applies to the passport photo service depends on that promo's own fine print, and the service is usually excluded. Treat the $17.99 as the real price when planning, and if a coupon is the goal, note that the reliably discounted route is not a counter at all: the photo you take yourself costs nothing to check.

The select-locations trap

Two CVS caveats do the most damage. First, not every CVS has a photo department, so call before driving. Second, CVS's own page says the emailed digital copy exists in select locations only, so if your real need is a file for a DS-160 upload or online renewal, you can complete the trip and still leave without the thing your application requires.

CVS vs doing it online

CVS passport photo compared with the online maker
What you getCVSOnline maker ($9.99)
Price$17.99$9.99
PrintsTwo 2 x 2 photosPrintable 4 x 6 sheet with six copies
Digital file for online applicationsSold separately, see aboveIncluded, checked against the published rule
Checked against the official figuresStaff judgmentEvery published figure, shown to you
Leave the houseYesNo
Prints plus digital, totalAbout $21.98, select locations only$9.99, file and six-copy sheet

Store prices as published in 2026 comparisons and the chains' own pages, first checked September 2026 and re-checked October 2026; they vary by location and change. We are independent and not affiliated with CVS.

CVS passport photo questions

How much is a passport photo at CVS?

$17.99 for two printed 2 x 2 photos, per published 2026 pricing (re-checked October 2026). An emailed digital copy is about $3.99 extra and is offered in select locations only. Prices can vary by store and change; confirm at your location.

Does CVS take passport photos without an appointment?

Generally yes: passport photos are a walk-in service at the photo counter during store hours at locations with a photo department. Calling ahead confirms your store offers the service that day.

Does CVS give you a digital passport photo?

Only as a paid add-on, and only in select locations: CVS's passport photo page describes an emailed digital copy for about $3.99 on top of the $17.99 prints. If what you actually need is the digital file for an online application, making the photo online is cheaper and includes the file by default.

Skip the counter: $9.99, previewed free

The digital file plus six printable copies, checked against every published rule, with a 24-hour money-back guarantee.

Make my photo online

Other stores: Walgreens · Walmart · USPS · The UPS Store · Staples · FedEx Office · stores that stopped (Costco, Sam's Club, Rite Aid) · how to print a passport photo · passport photos near me