US passport photo for paper applications

US passport photo dimensions

The printed square is 2 × 2 inches, or 50.8 × 50.8 mm. The head, measured from the top of the head (not the hairline) to the bottom of the chin, must be 1 to 1⅜ inches tall. Use a recent colour photo, within 6 months, against a plain white or off-white background.

Prepare a crop for a paper application

Choose a sufficiently large original, adjust zoom and position, and use the crown and chin lines as a placement guide. The preview does not detect a face or check the actual head measurement. Export is disabled if the selected image region has fewer than 600 pixels on either side.

Print the 2 × 2 inch PDF at actual size

The PDF has a 144 × 144 point page: exactly 2 × 2 inches. The 4 × 6 in sheet places two copies with thin cut marks for a photo kiosk. Use 100% or actual-size printing on photo-quality paper; computer-generated prints are acceptable if sharp with no visible pixels. Fit-to-page or borderless enlargement changes the final size.

The digital file for DV entries and visas

The DV-2026 instructions require exactly 600 × 600 px JPEG of 240 KB or less with the head 50–69% of the image height; the same photo as a prior year’s entry makes you ineligible. The DS-160 upload takes 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, from search snippets of a page that could not be read. Online passport renewal uses your original uncropped photo, not this crop.

How to take a valid photo

The shared ICAO points first, then what this authority adds.

• Have someone else take the photo at eye level from a few steps away; most authorities reject selfies.
• Face the camera straight on with your head level, both eyes open, mouth closed and a neutral expression.
• Light the face evenly: no shadows on the face or the background, no flash reflections, no red-eye.
• Keep the photo as taken: no filters, retouching, background replacement or AI edits.
• Only you in the frame, nothing covering the face, hair away from the eyes, no uniform.
• Leave space around the head and shoulders so the crop can follow the guide.
• Eyeglasses are not acceptable unless they cannot be removed for medical reasons, with a medical statement.
• Hats or head coverings only for medical or religious purposes, of uniform colour with no pattern, and not obscuring the face.
• Natural expression; normal smiles are acceptable, squinting and unusual expressions are not; both eyes open.
• No filters, retouching or red-eye; no uniforms, camouflage, headphones or Bluetooth devices; selfies and home print-outs are not accepted.

Official sources

Requirements checked on 27 October 2026 against the official pages below. The issuing authority makes the acceptance decision; nothing on this page certifies a photo.

Partial data: some figures come from search excerpts of official pages that blocked automated reading. Confirm them on the official page before applying.

• U.S. Department of State
• Online application requirements

The official US Photo Tool also distinguishes paper applications from online renewal.

To compare formats, see passport photo sizes by country.