U.S. passport photo requirements
A U.S. passport photo is 2 × 2 in with a white or off-white background. The head measures 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in) from chin to top of head. The online-renewal upload page publishes no required pixel size or aspect ratio; file 54 KB to 10 MB. Source: U.S. Department of State, checked September 28, 2026.
Sources: travel.state.gov and fam.state.gov, checked September 28, 2026.
The rule
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Print size | 2 × 2 in (50.8 × 50.8 mm) |
| Head height | 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head (public page wording) |
| Digital file | Online-renewal upload page: no required pixel size or aspect ratio published; 54 KB to 10 MB |
| Background | White or off-white |
| Glasses | Not allowed |
| Expression | Neutral, or a natural smile with the mouth closed |
| Head coverings | No hats or head coverings, except religious attire worn daily (signed statement) or for medical reasons (doctor’s statement). Your full face must be visible. |
| Babies | No other person or hands in the photo; lay your baby on a plain white sheet or use a white car-seat cover. Infants’ eyes don’t have to be fully open; older children’s eyes must be open. |
| Editing | Submit the original, unedited photo. No filters, retouching, background editing or AI tools. The State Department checks photos for AI edits. |
| What to wear | No uniforms, headphones or earbuds. |
| Other rules |
|
Sources: Passport Photos, U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab) (travel.state.gov); Digital file: Uploading a Digital Photo (opens in a new tab) (travel.state.gov). Checked .
Notes
What the passport head measurement means
The public Passport Photos page gives 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. It does not define that as the top of the hair.
The separate passport staff manual, 8 FAM 402.1-2(4), excludes the applicant’s hair and facial hair from the head measurement.
Studioless’s automatic head estimate includes hair. It is not a measurement of the skull crown, so an in-range result does not establish that the manual’s measurement is in range. Check the source guidance and the finished photo, especially with tall or voluminous hair.
Sources: Passport Photos: Size and position, U.S. Department of State, checked October 1, 2026; 8 FAM 402.1-2(4), Passport Photographs, U.S. Department of State, checked September 28, 2026.
The State Department’s own Photo Tool
The U.S. Department of State runs a free Photo Tool. Its page says: “Photo Tool is intended for cropping your photo only when you are applying in person or by mail.” It also says: “Do not use this tool if you are renewing your passport online.”
Studioless is a separate service and is not affiliated with the State Department.
Source: Photo Tool, U.S. Department of State, checked September 30, 2026.
What we check, and what we can’t
On your device, we measure the head size and where it sits, the eye line, the wall behind you, the light on your face, the pose and the sharpness against this rule, and we crop the photo to its size. We level, resize and crop it, and nothing else.
We can’t tell how recent the photo is, whether it still looks like you, or what the office’s own reviewer will see on the day. The passport office decides whether to accept it.
Why a real photo matters
“Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence.”
“We check all photos to ensure you are not using artificial intelligence tools.”
What AI answers get wrong
Some photo apps and AI answers say you can clean up or replace the background. The State Department lists as unacceptable a photo where “The background is cropped using a photo retouching tool, changing the outline of your head, face, and neck.”
If your background is wrong, retake the photo against a plain white or off-white wall.
We don’t generate your photo. We level, scale and crop your original pixels to 2 × 2 in, then show you the head height and the margins before you pay.
Our guides cover AI and passport photos and changing a photo’s background.
The U.S. photos side by side
U.S. passport, visa, USCIS and DV lottery photo rules side by side, from each document’s sources, checked September 28, 2026.
U.S. passport
- Print size
- 2 × 2 in
- Head measurement
- 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head (public page wording)
- Eye line, from the bottom
- Not published on the passport pages
- Digital file
- Online-renewal upload page: no required pixel size or aspect ratio published; 54 KB to 10 MB
- Expression
- Neutral, or a natural smile with the mouth closed
- Glasses
- Not allowed
U.S. visa (DS-160)
- Print size
- 2 × 2 in
- Head measurement
- 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head, hair included
- Eye line, from the bottom
- 28.6–34.9 mm
- Digital file
- DS-160 online form: 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px JPEG, 240 KB or less
- Expression
- Neutral
- Glasses
- Not allowed
USCIS forms
- Print size
- 2 × 2 in, 2 copies
- Head measurement
- 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head, hair included
- Eye line, from the bottom
- 28.6–34.9 mm
- Digital file
- None; USCIS takes the card photo itself
- Expression
- Not stated by USCIS
- Glasses
- Not stated by USCIS
DV lottery
- Print size
- None, digital only
- Head measurement
- 50–69% of the photo height, chin to top of hair
- Eye line, from the bottom
- 56–69% of the height
- Digital file
- Electronic DV entry form: 600 × 600 px JPEG, 240 KB or less
- Expression
- Neutral
- Glasses
- Not allowed
The files
studioless-us-passport-digital
.jpg Cropped JPEG for paper-photo printing. For online passport renewal, keep your original, unedited photo and use the government application’s cropping step. We make it at least 56 KB.
1200 × 1200 px JPEG
studioless-us-passport-print-4x6
.jpg Print it as a regular 4 × 6 in photo at any drugstore kiosk, then cut on the lines.
1800 × 1200 px at 300 dpi, 2 photos at 2 × 2 in
studioless-us-passport-print-5x7
.jpg The same photos on a 5 × 7 in sheet, printed and cut the same way.
2100 × 1500 px at 300 dpi, 6 photos at 2 × 2 in
The application asks for one photo. Paper: matte or glossy photo paper. Your check results come with the files, and everything is deleted 7 days after your order.
Sources
- Passport Photos, U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)travel.state.gov
- Uploading a Digital Photo (opens in a new tab)travel.state.gov
- Uploading a Digital Photo, legacy URL (opens in a new tab)travel.state.gov
- 8 FAM 402.1 Passport Photographs, Foreign Affairs Manual (opens in a new tab)fam.state.gov
Changes to this page’s rule
- U.S. passport head guidance now separates the public page’s top-of-head wording from the staff manual’s exclusion of hair and the tool’s hair-inclusive estimate.
- Document pages now show a short list of key facts, each naming its source authority and record date, before the complete rule table.
- Photo for USCIS forms: the page now says first that USCIS will not use or reuse self-submitted photographs (Policy Alert PA-2025-29, December 12, 2025), and the editing rule now uses the form instructions’ own words (unmounted and unretouched). Both come from the September 28 check; they were missing from the page.
- Checked 10 documents against official pages. U.S. State Department pages were read from Wayback snapshots because the live site blocked automated access.
Every document’s rules in one table: passport and visa photo sizesEvery change to the rules we check
Questions
What size is a U.S. passport photo?
The printed photo is 2 × 2 in (50.8 × 50.8 mm). Head height: 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), chin to top of head (public page wording). The background must be white or off-white.
Can you smile in a passport photo?
Yes, a natural smile with your mouth closed. The U.S. Department of State accepts a neutral expression or a natural smile, with both eyes open.
What should I wear for a passport photo?
The U.S. Department of State doesn’t allow uniforms, headphones or earbuds. A hat or head covering is allowed only for religious reasons, with a signed statement, or medical reasons, with a doctor’s statement, and your full face must show.
What size is a passport photo in pixels?
The State Department’s online-renewal upload page does not publish a required pixel size or aspect ratio; the file for online renewal must be 54 KB to 10 MB. The pixel rule people mix it up with is the visa photo’s: 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px for the DS-160.
Is there a free passport photo checker?
Yes. Our check is free and runs before you pay, and you pay once your photo passes our check. The State Department also runs its own free Photo Tool for cropping a photo for a mail or in-person application; its page says, “Do not use this tool if you are renewing your passport online.”
Can I take my passport photo at home?
Yes, if the photo meets every rule: 2 × 2 in, head 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in), a plain white or off-white background with no shadows, and no glasses. The camera coaches you on each one while you shoot.
Can I use ChatGPT or an AI app for my U.S. passport photo?
For a generated or retouched photo, follow the document’s editing rule. The U.S. Department of State says, “Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence.” Reading or checking rules with a chatbot is a separate use; verify its answer against the authority’s source. We only level, scale and crop your photo.
Can I wear glasses in a U.S. passport photo?
No. Glasses aren’t allowed in this photo, so take them off before you take it. We ask you to confirm it before you pay.
What do I get for $9.95?
You get a cropped 1200 × 1200 px JPEG for paper-photo printing, plus printable 4 × 6 in and 5 × 7 in sheets you can print at any drugstore. For online renewal, keep your original, unedited photo and crop it inside the government application; these exports do not replace that original. The application asks for one photo.
Where do I get my files?
On your order page after you pay, with no account to make.
Can I take my baby’s photo at home?
Yes. Turn on Baby mode in the camera. No other person or hands in the photo; lay your baby on a plain white sheet or use a white car-seat cover. Infants’ eyes don’t have to be fully open; older children’s eyes must be open.
