Passport Photo — United States Requirements

Photo Dimensions

Size: 51 × 51 mm

Size: 2 × 2 inches

Digital File Specifications

Minimum width: 600 px

Maximum width: 1200 px

Minimum file size: 54 KB

Maximum file size: 10240 KB

Tips for Getting the Right Size

• Use idpic.app to automatically crop and resize your photo to the exact required dimensions — no manual calculation needed.
• Keep your face centred in the frame with your head fully visible from crown to chin.
• When printing, ensure you print at 100% scale (not "fit to page") to preserve the correct dimensions.
• Your face should fill the correct proportion of the photo. idpic.app shows a face guide overlay to help you position correctly.

Background Specification

Pure white background required. The background must be completely white (#FFFFFF). Off-white, cream, or grey tones are not acceptable.

How to Get the Right Background

• Stand at least 50 cm from the wall to prevent shadows falling on the background.
• Use even, diffuse lighting — a window or softbox pointed at the background helps.
• A plain white or light-coloured wall, a white sheet, or a dedicated photo backdrop all work well.
• Use idpic.app to automatically replace your background with the correct colour — no manual editing required.

Glasses requirements

Glasses are not allowed for this photo. This includes prescription glasses, sunglasses, and tinted lenses. Remove all eyewear before taking your photo. This is the official requirement for the United States.

Tips for Taking Your Photo

• Remove all glasses — including prescription glasses — before taking the photo.
• Contact lenses are fine and do not need to be removed.
• If you wear glasses regularly, check that there are no indentations on your nose from the frames.

Common Rejection Reasons

• Wrong background. United States Passport photos require a plain White background with no shadows, patterns, or objects. Retake the photo against a flat, evenly lit backdrop.
• Wearing glasses. Glasses are not permitted in United States Passport photos. Remove all eyewear before taking the photo.
• Head covering. Hats, caps, and other head coverings are not permitted in United States Passport photos, even for fashion or warmth. Remove any head covering before the photo.
• Face size out of range. Your face must fill between 50% and 69% of the photo height. Move closer to or further from the camera and recrop.
• Photo too old. United States Passport photos must be taken within the last 6 months. Take a new photo if yours is older.
• Digital file doesn't meet spec. Online submissions must match the exact pixel dimensions and file size the portal requires. Re-export your photo at the correct size before uploading.
• Low resolution or blurry. Your photo must be sharp and at least 300 pixels on its shortest side. Use good lighting and hold the camera steady.
• Shadows. Shadows across your face or on the background — often from overhead lighting or a nearby wall — are a common rejection reason. Use soft, even lighting from the front.
• Wrong expression. Smiling, frowning, closed eyes, or an open mouth can cause rejection. Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open, looking directly at the camera.
• Wrong paper or printing. Home-printed photos on regular paper, or prints with a glossy coating that catches light, are often rejected. Print on quality matte photo paper at full size and 100% scale.

About photo requirements

A US passport photo is reviewed by the State Department, either at an acceptance facility when you file Form DS-11 in person or by the online renewal system when you file DS-82. The square format is unusual: most countries use a 35 by 45 mm rectangle, so a photo prepared to the international standard will be rejected here, and a photo prepared for a US passport cannot be reused for a Schengen visa.

The photo must be in color, taken within the last six months, and printed on plain white or off-white photo paper. Your head is measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head including hair, and both eyes must be open and looking at the lens. Everyday prescription glasses are no longer accepted at all — the State Department removed the exception in 2016, so the glasses must come off before the shutter, not be edited out afterwards.

Submitting the photo

In-person applicants hand over a printed photo, which the acceptance agent staples or scans into the application. Online renewals upload a digital file to the passport renewal portal, which runs an automatic check on head size, background and sharpness before it will accept the submission. Photos taken with a phone are acceptable provided they are unedited: any filter, beauty mode or background replacement that alters facial geometry invalidates the photo.

Common issues

The most common rejection is a head that is too large in the frame — the square format makes an over-tight crop easy. Shadows on a white wall, a visible smile with teeth, and a photo that is simply older than six months follow closely behind. Uploaded renewals fail most often for resolution: a screenshot or a photo of a photo will not pass the portal's sharpness check.

Head covering rules

Head coverings, hats, and scarves are not permitted for this photo. An exception is made for head coverings worn for religious or medical reasons, but the face from chin to forehead must remain fully visible with no shadows cast on the face.

Baby and child photo rules

Children under 6 may have relaxed requirements for expression and eye position. Babies can be photographed lying on a white sheet or held upright. The child must be the only person in the photo — no hands, toys, or pacifiers should be visible.

Read our complete guide to baby passport photos