US passport and visa photo requirements

A US passport or visa photo is a fixed 2×2 inch square, and the position of your face within that square matters as much as the size itself. Immigration and passport reviewers measure head height and eye line as part of checking a photo, so a photo that's the right overall size but has the face too high, too low, or too small will still come back for a resize.

Background

The background needs to be plain white or off-white, evenly lit, with no shadows falling on it or on your face. A wall at home rarely works well because of shadow and texture — a plain sheet, poster board, or a light-colored blank wall photographed straight-on tends to give a cleaner result. Avoid textured or patterned walls, and avoid taking the photo in direct sun, which throws hard shadows.

Head position and size

Look directly at the camera with a neutral expression or a natural smile, both eyes open, and your face centered and level — not tilted. The head height (measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair) needs to fall between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches within the 2×2 inch frame. This is the single most common reason a correctly-cropped photo still gets flagged: the face is either too zoomed in or too small relative to the frame.

What isn't allowed

• Glasses — as of recent guidance, glasses are generally not permitted in the photo at all, even prescription ones.
• Hats or head coverings, except for documented religious or medical reasons.
• Uniforms, or clothing that resembles one.
• Digital retouching that alters your appearance, including skin smoothing or red-eye removal beyond minor correction.
• Photos with more than one person, or with other objects, pets, or hands visible in frame.

Taking the source photo

You don't need a professional studio to get a usable result. A phone camera works fine if you:

1. Stand about arm's length from a plain white or light wall, in even daylight facing a window rather than with the light behind you.
2. Have someone else take the photo, or use a tripod — a strong zoom from further away distorts your face less than a close-up wide-angle shot.
3. Keep your shoulders square to the camera and your expression neutral.
4. Take a few at slightly different distances so you have a choice once you're cropping.

Printing your photo

Passport applications typically require a physical, printed photo rather than a digital file, on photo-quality paper. The print sheet download from the tool above lays out multiple 2×2 inch copies on a single 4×6 sheet, sized so a standard pharmacy or photo-kiosk printer produces them at true size — cut along the printed guide lines.

Common rejection reasons, in order of frequency

• Head too large or too small for the frame
• Shadow on the face or background
• Photo older than 6 months, or taken before a noticeable change in appearance
• Glasses worn in the photo
• Background not plain white or off-white
• Low resolution or blurry image, often from cropping a photo taken from far away

Frequently asked questions

Requirements are set and updated by the relevant passport authority, and can change — this page is a practical summary rather than an official source. Check the current detail on the government's own site before you submit.