United States passport photo size and maker
United States photos are 50.8 mm by 50.8 mm with the face measuring 25.4 to 34.9 mm from chin to crown, on a off-white background. Upload a photo and we handle the rest.
Photo format
Head height 25.4-34.9 mm
Background: White or off-white
Glasses: must be removed
Background
Output
US passport photo uploads must stay under 240 KB. We compress to fit automatically.
Compliance
Upload a photo and every requirement is checked here in real time.
Private by design
Your photo is processed entirely inside this browser tab. It is never uploaded to a server, so there is nothing for us to store, share or leak.
Read the full requirement checklistUnited States formats we support
Switch between them in the format picker above. The rules differ, so pick the one matching your application.
Passport
US passport photo
50.8 x 50.8 mm
Head 25.4-34.9 mm 路 Off-white background
Visa
US visa photo
50.8 x 50.8 mm
Head 25.4-34.9 mm 路 Off-white background
Immigration
USCIS photo
50.8 x 50.8 mm
Head 25.4-34.9 mm 路 Off-white background
United States photo requirements
- The photo is a 2 x 2 inch square (51 mm x 51 mm). Head height must be between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches.
- Eyes must sit between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the photo.
- Glasses are not accepted, other than for documented medical reasons with a signed statement.
- Online submissions must be 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels and under 240 KB.
Getting the head height right
The chin-to-crown measurement is the number that decides most applications, and it is measured to the top of your hair rather than your hairline. For United States that means the head must occupy 50% to 69% of the photo height. There is no reliable way to judge this by eye, which is why the tool above reports the figure in millimetres and flags it when the crop drifts out of range.
Lighting beats camera quality
A phone camera is more than good enough. What separates a pass from a retake is the light and the distance. Face a window during daylight so the light is soft and frontal, and have the photo taken from about two metres away rather than at arm's length, which visibly enlarges the nose and forehead in a way biometric checks notice.
The background does not have to be perfect
United States requires a white or off-white backdrop, which few homes have. Photograph against any plain, evenly lit wall and turn on background replacement above; the correct shade is preselected for you. The one thing replacement cannot fix is a hard shadow on the wall, so stand at least half a metre clear of it.
What a reviewer is looking for
One compliant photo, five of the faults that cause most rejections.
Accepted
Neutral expression, even lighting, plain background, head correctly sized and centred.
Shadow on the face
A side light or overhead lamp leaves one side of the face dark. Face a window instead.
Background not plain
A textured, coloured or shadowed wall. Turn on background replacement to fix this.
Glasses causing glare
Reflections hide the eyes. Most countries want glasses removed entirely.
Head tilted
The head must be square to the camera. Use the straighten slider to correct small tilts.
Head too large
The crown is cut off and the head exceeds the allowed millimetre range.
United States photo questions
The photo is the easy part. We handle the other 40 documents.
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