The rules in brief
Sources, checked September 28, 2026: Digital Image Requirements, U.S. Department of State; Photo Requirements (U.S. Visas), U.S. Department of State.
- The U.S. Department of State requires square DS-160 JPEG photos, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px and 240 KB or less.
- The U.S. Department of State sets U.S. visa photo head height at 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), from chin to the top of the head, including hair.
- The eyes on a U.S. visa photo must be 28.6–34.9 mm (1 1/8–1 3/8 in) above the bottom edge of the photo.
- A U.S. visa photo needs a white or off-white background.
- Glasses are not allowed in a U.S. visa photo.
Make your DS-160 visa photo here
Choose a photo or take one. It’s checked on this phone.
Free check. $9.95 if it passes: the DS-160 file and print sheets.
Full refund if it’s rejected. Send us the rejection notice within 60 days of receiving it, and within 6 months of your order. Conditions
The file rules
These come from the State Department’s Digital Image Requirements page.
- Shape
- Square, height equal to width
- Smallest
- 600 × 600 px
- Largest
- 1200 × 1200 px
- Format
- JPEG
- File size
- 240 KB or less
- Color
- 24 bits per pixel, sRGB
- Compression
- 20:1 or less
No minimum file size is published. The page gives the dimensions in words: “Minimum acceptable dimensions are 600 x 600 pixels. Maximum acceptable dimensions are 1200 x 1200 pixels.”
Head and eye position
“The top of the head, including the hair, to the bottom of the chin must be between 50% and 69% of the image’s total height. The eye height (measured from the bottom of the image to the level of the eyes) should be between 56% and 69%.”
On a 2 × 2 inch print the same template gives the head as 1 to 1 and 3/8 inches and the eyes as 1 and 1/8 to 1 and 3/8 inches from the bottom. In millimeters that is 25.4 to 34.9 for the head and 28.6 to 34.9 for the eyes. Keep the head centered left to right.
The numbers in pixels
The template works in percentages, so the pixel numbers depend on the size of your file. Here they are for the three common sizes.
| Measurement | 600 × 600 px | 900 × 900 px | 1200 × 1200 px |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head, top of hair to chin | 300–414 px | 450–621 px | 600–828 px |
| Eyes, up from the bottom | 336–414 px | 504–621 px | 672–828 px |
If you are scanning a print instead, the page asks for a 2 × 2 inch print scanned at 300 pixels per inch, which gives exactly 600 × 600 pixels.
How to upload your photo
Follow the photo-upload instructions in the official CEAC DS-160 form. After submitting, check the confirmation page. The State Department’s DS-160 FAQ, read September 30, 2026, says an X in the photo area means the upload failed. In that case, provide one compliant printed photo with the confirmation page, following your embassy or consulate’s instructions. A photo image means the upload succeeded; still check your post’s interview-print requirements.
DS-160 photo upload errors
Before retrying an upload, check the published requirements for shape, pixel dimensions, file size and format. On a Mac, select the file in Finder and choose Get Info; the dimensions and the size are listed there. On Windows, right-click the file, choose Properties and open the Details tab. On an iPhone, open the photo and tap the info button.
These are the limits a file can break, each one a rule from the Digital Image Requirements page, and what to do about it.
| File issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| The photo isn’t square | Crop it to a square around your head. |
| It is smaller than 600 × 600 px | Check the original camera file rather than a messaging-app copy or screenshot. |
| It is larger than 1200 × 1200 px | Resize it in proportion to 1200 pixels or less on each side, keeping it square and at least 600 pixels on each side. |
| It is over 240 KB | Save it again at a lower quality or a smaller size, keeping the published dimension, sharpness and compression requirements. |
| It isn’t a JPEG | Convert a HEIC, PNG or other non-JPEG file to JPEG. |
If the upload page shows a server error instead, such as “503 Service Unavailable”, the State Department’s photo pages don’t describe it. Confirm that your file meets every limit above, then try again later.
Passport, visa and DV photos compared
The U.S. passport and the U.S. visa share a print size and a head range, which makes it easy to mix up their other rules. Here they are side by side, with the photo for USCIS forms and the DV lottery.
| Rule | U.S. passport | U.S. visa (DS-160) | USCIS forms | DV lottery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Print size | 2 × 2 in | 2 × 2 in | 2 × 2 in, 2 copies | None, digital only |
| Head measurement | 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head (public page wording) | 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head, hair included | 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head, hair included | 50–69% of the photo height, chin to top of hair |
| Eye line, from the bottom | Not published on the passport pages | 28.6–34.9 mm | 28.6–34.9 mm | 56–69% of the height |
| Digital file | Online-renewal upload page: no required pixel size or aspect ratio published; 54 KB to 10 MB | DS-160 online form: 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px JPEG, 240 KB or less | None; USCIS takes the card photo itself | Electronic DV entry form: 600 × 600 px JPEG, 240 KB or less |
| Expression | Neutral, or a natural smile with the mouth closed | Neutral | Not stated by USCIS | Neutral |
| Glasses | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not stated by USCIS | Not allowed |
The State Department’s online-renewal upload page does not publish a required pixel size or aspect ratio. The 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixel range is the DS-160 visa requirement; the online passport renewal file must be 54 KB to 10 MB (see U.S. passport renewal online: photo requirements).
The photo itself
- In color, taken in the last six months, and showing you as you look now.
- Full face, looking straight at the camera, with a neutral expression and both eyes open.
- A plain white or off-white background.
- No glasses. They have not been allowed in new visa photos since November 1, 2016 (State Department statement). The only exception is medical, with a signed statement, and even then the frames must not cover the eyes and there must be no glare.
- Clothes you wear every day. Uniforms are not allowed, except religious clothing worn daily. No headphones or wireless hands-free devices; hearing devices you normally wear are fine.
- No hat or head covering that hides the hair or hairline, unless it is worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face must show and the covering must not cast shadows on it.
A big change in how you look, such as significant facial surgery, adding or removing many piercings or tattoos, or a large change in weight, means a new photo even if the old one is less than six months old (Photo Requirements).
Photos that aren’t accepted
The visa pages name these.
- Photos copied or digitally scanned from a driver’s license or another official document.
- Snapshots, magazine photos and full-length photos.
- Low-quality vending-machine or phone photos.
- Any photo “digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way.”
That last rule covers AI tools and background removal. See Can you use AI for a passport photo? for the details.
When you also need a print
Some embassies and consulates ask nonimmigrant visa applicants to bring one printed photo to the interview, so read your post’s instructions. Immigrant visa applicants filing the DS-260 bring two identical 2 × 2 inch photos on photo-quality paper to the interview; no DS-260 upload spec is published.
The Diversity Visa entry form uses the same photo standard with a fixed size of exactly 600 × 600 pixels and 240 KB or less. A photo that has been manipulated in any way can make you ineligible (DV-2026 instructions). Whether a new entry period is open is announced by the State Department; check before you prepare a photo. Our DV lottery photo is cut to that size.
The State Department’s Photo Tool
The State Department runs a free Photo Tool that crops an image to exactly 600 × 600 pixels, and its page links to the online visa application. Cropping is all it does, so the lighting, expression, glasses and background have to be right in the photo you give it. Its page also tells U.S. citizens: “Do not use this tool if you are renewing your passport online.” More on it is in The State Department’s Photo Tool: what it does and when to use it.
The fine print
If your square JPEG is too large, try our free DS-160 JPEG compressor. It runs on your device at the original 600–1200 pixel dimensions, without cropping, resizing or retouching. Compare the new lossy JPEG with your original before downloading it. File size alone does not certify the required compression ratio, color or acceptance.
- The Photo Requirements page gives the head size as “1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm)”. One inch is 25.4 mm, and the composition template says 25 to 35 mm, so the 22 mm looks like a typo. We use 25.4 mm.
- “240 kB” could mean 240,000 or 245,760 bytes. Staying at or under 240,000 bytes passes either reading.
- Acceptance is at the discretion of the embassy or consulate that handles your application.
What we make
Our U.S. visa photo measures your head and eye line against the template, then delivers a square 900 × 900 pixel JPEG under 240 KB for the DS-160, plus true-size 2 × 2 inch print sheets for the interview. It costs $9.95. The check is free, and you pay once your photo passes our check. If a passport, visa or ID office rejects a photo we made, we refund 100% of the order or make a new photo free. Send us the rejection notice within 60 days of receiving it, and within 6 months of your order. See the full refund terms.