US passport photo, a true 2x2 inch square
The US State Department requires a 2 by 2 inch square with the head measuring 1 to 1 3/8 inches and the eyes sitting 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom edge. Online submissions must also fit under 240 KB, which is the constraint most uploads fail.
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 checklistUS passport photo requirements
The published rules for a 50.8 x 50.8 mm United States passport photo.
- 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.
The square is not a suggestion
The 2 by 2 inch square is the most distinctive thing about the American format. Most of the world uses a portrait rectangle, so a photo taken for a UK, Indian or Schengen application cannot simply be cropped for a US one without the head landing outside the allowed range. The US frame is also tighter on the face: the head fills up to 69% of the height, compared with 51% for Canada.
Two measurements, not one
The United States is one of the few authorities that specifies both head height and eye position. The head must be 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall, and separately the eyes must sit between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom edge. Satisfying one while breaking the other is possible, which is why this tool checks and reports both.
The 240 KB problem
For online applications the file must be at least 600 by 600 pixels yet no larger than 240 KB. That is a genuinely tight budget, and it is the single most common reason an otherwise perfect photo is rejected by the upload form. Rather than guessing a compression level, the exporter binary-searches the JPEG quality until the file fits.
No glasses, since 2016
Glasses are not accepted at all. This includes reading glasses you might not think of as corrective eyewear. The only exception is a documented medical reason, which needs a signed statement from a medical professional submitted with the application. If you normally wear glasses, take them off and give your eyes a moment to adjust before the photo.
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.
US passport photo questions
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