U.S. visa photo requirements
A U.S. visa 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 hair. The DS-160 online form takes a square JPEG between 600 × 600 and 1200 × 1200 px, 240 KB or less. Source: U.S. Department of State, checked September 28, 2026.
Source: travel.state.gov, checked September 28, 2026.
The rule
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Digital file | 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px JPEG, 240 KB or lessOver 240 KB? Reduce your DS-160 JPEG for free on this device |
| 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, hair included |
| Eye line | 28.6–34.9 mm (1 1/8–1 3/8 in) from the bottom |
| Background | White or off-white |
| Glasses | Not allowed |
| Expression | Neutral |
| Head coverings | No hats or head coverings except for religious reasons; your full face must be visible. |
| Babies | No other person in the photo, and the baby’s eyes must be open. Lay your baby on a plain white sheet or use a car seat covered with a white sheet. |
| Editing | Photos must not be digitally altered. No filters, retouching or background editing. |
| Other rules |
|
Sources: Photo Requirements (opens in a new tab) (travel.state.gov); Digital file: Digital Image Requirements, U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab) (travel.state.gov). Checked .
Notes
The State Department’s own Photo Tool
The U.S. Department of State runs a free Photo Tool for cropping a photo. Read its page to see whether it fits your application; for passports, it 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 consular officer decides whether to accept it.
Why a real photo matters
The U.S. visa rule on editing, in short
Photos must not be digitally altered. No filters, retouching or background editing.
Our summary of Photo Requirements.
Start with your original camera photo. Check the document’s rules, including whether your head is 25.4–34.9 mm (1–1 3/8 in) from chin to top of hair.
We don’t generate your photo. We level, scale and crop your original pixels to 2 × 2 in, then show you the head height, the eye line 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-visa-digital
.jpg DS-160 digital upload: square JPEG, 600 to 1200 px, 240 KB or less. DS-260 applicants bring two identical 2 × 2 in printed photos to the interview. Check the embassy or consulate instructions for any additional printed-photo requirements.
900 × 900 px JPEG
studioless-us-visa-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-visa-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: photo paper. Your check results come with the files, and everything is deleted 7 days after your order.
Sources
Changes to this page’s rule
- Document pages now show a short list of key facts, each naming its source authority and record date, before the complete rule table.
- U.S. visa photo guidance now separates DS-160 digital uploads from the two identical printed photos required at a DS-260 interview.
- U.S. visa photo: the baby rule now says what our September 28 record of the State Department’s visa photo pages (read from archived copies) says: no other person in the photo, and eyes open. The page had carried the passport rule’s line that a baby’s eyes don’t have to be fully open.
- 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.
Every document’s rules in one table: passport and visa photo sizesEvery change to the rules we check
Questions
Can I use ChatGPT or an AI app for my U.S. visa photo?
For a generated or retouched photo, follow the document’s editing rule. Photos must not be digitally altered. No filters, retouching or background editing. That is our summary of the rule, from the U.S. Department of State. 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. visa 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 digital file sized for the online form (900 × 900 px JPEG), plus printable 4 × 6 in and 5 × 7 in sheets you can print at any drugstore. 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 in the photo, and the baby’s eyes must be open. Lay your baby on a plain white sheet or use a car seat covered with a white sheet.
