Official requirements
| Print size | 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), exactly square |
|---|---|
| Digital size | At least 600 × 600 px (the State Department template size); our export is 600 × 600 px at 300 DPI |
| Head height | 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head — 50–69% of the photo height |
| Eye line | 1⅛ to 1⅜ inches (29–35 mm) from the bottom of the photo |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, no shadows, texture or objects |
| Expression | Neutral expression or a natural smile; both eyes open and looking at the camera |
| Glasses | Not allowed (rule in force since November 2016); a medical exception needs a signed doctor’s note |
| Head coverings | Only for religious or medical reasons, with a signed statement, and the full face visible |
| Recency | Taken within the last 6 months |
| Other rules | Colour photo, no filters or digital alterations to your appearance, no uniforms, headphones or other people in frame |
How to take a compliant US Passport photo at home
- Use a plain wall in the required background colour if you can — replacing a background digitally is a fallback, not the first choice, and a couple of authorities (Australia, and Canada for digital uploads) require an unaltered photo.
- Stand roughly half a metre in front of the wall so your shadow does not fall on it, and face a window or another even light source so both sides of your face are lit the same.
- Have someone else take the photo from about 1.5 metres away, holding the phone at your eye level. Arm’s-length selfies widen the face and tilt it, and are a quiet cause of rejections.
- Shoot head and shoulders with clear space on every side of your head. The maker scales and centres you; a tight original crop leaves it nothing to work with.
- Look straight at the lens, keep your head level, close your mouth unless your spec allows a natural smile, and take several shots — then use the sharpest one with no shadow on the face or the wall.
Then open the passport photo maker with the US Passport preset selected, drag your photo until the top of your head sits between the dashed crown lines, your chin rests on the lower line and your eyes fall inside the shaded band, and download the photo at exactly 600 × 600 pixels — or a print sheet with the copies laid out at 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) each.
Common reasons US Passport photos are rejected
- Glasses — still the single most common US photo problem, years after the ban.
- Head too small or too large in the frame: outside the 25–35 mm band the application is put on hold.
- Shadows on the face or on the wall behind the head, or a background that is grey, beige-dark or textured instead of white/off-white.
- A photo older than six months, even if you look identical.
- Beauty filters, skin smoothing or any edit that changes your appearance.
- A scanned print of an old photo instead of an original digital photo.
The State Department’s own digital template is 600 × 600 px; larger files are accepted for online renewal (54 KB–10 MB), but the printed photo must still finish at exactly 2 × 2 inches with the head inside the band.
Open the maker with the US Passport preset
Frequently asked questions
Is the US visa photo the same as the passport photo?
Yes — the State Department applies the same 2 × 2 inch specification, head band and background rule to passport photos, visa photos and Diversity Visa entries. The digital visa upload has its own file limits (JPEG, up to 240 KB), but the composition rules are identical.
Can I smile in a US passport photo?
A natural smile is acceptable, as is a neutral expression. Both eyes must be open and visible, and an exaggerated expression can be refused.
My photo is 1200 × 1200 px. Is bigger better?
For online renewal the file simply has to be a clear, colour, recent photo; what is checked is the composition and the printed size. The maker exports the template size of 600 × 600 px, which prints at exactly 2 × 2 inches at 300 DPI.
Can the background be light grey?
No. The US rule is plain white or off-white. Solid beige or grey backgrounds are expressly not acceptable, which is why the US preset only offers white and off-white swatches.