A US passport photo commonly uses a 2 × 2 inch square format (600×600 px at 300 DPI) with specific head position and background rules. Confirm the current U.S. Department of State instructions before printing or uploading.
🇺🇸 Photo checklist for United States using the listed source
Common Reasons United States Photos Get Rejected:
- ⚠️Face, eye line, background, and expression still require visual review
- ⚠️A passing measured field does not certify image quality, capture conditions, or final authority acceptance
US passport photo requirements and dimensions
For a United States passport, renewal or DS 160 visa application, begin with the current instructions from the U.S. Department of State. The photograph should normally be recent, show the person clearly and use the required plain background. United States passport rules generally do not allow eyeglasses, except in the documented medical situations described by the authority.
The standard printed size is 2 × 2 inches, which is 51 × 51 mm. A digital portal can specify its own pixel dimensions and file size, so do not treat the printed measurement as a universal upload setting.
American passport photo specifications and validator
Verify your US passport photo specifications, check US passport picture specifications, and prepare an American passport photo using our automated US passport photo tool. The maintained profile measures the 50% to 69% range for head height and square output composition from the U.S. Department of State guidance.
Digital upload format and file size limits can depend on the submission channel, so confirm the current portal instructions rather than treating a generic file range as universal.
- Size: Exactly 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) / 600 × 600 px at 300 DPI
- Head height: 50% to 69% (1 to 1 3/8 inches from bottom of chin to crown)
- Background: Pure white or off white with uniform illumination
- Eyeglasses: Strictly prohibited except for rare documented medical reasons
What to review when a portal rejects the file
Start with the exact error shown by the portal instead of changing several settings at once. A message about dimensions calls for the size panel, a message about file weight calls for final compression, and a portrait quality warning can require a different source. Making one targeted correction preserves more image detail and helps identify the real cause.
If the portal gives only a generic rejection, compare the current authority instructions with the selected preset and confirm that the application route has not changed. Then review orientation, face position, background, shadows and sharpness in that order. Retake the photo when the face itself is unclear, because reducing file size or replacing the background cannot repair missing facial information honestly.
Use this requirement profile responsibly
US Passport Photo Maker and Requirements is a preparation page, not an approval service. PassportPhotoBox can organise sourced rules and evaluate measurable properties, but it cannot prove when the picture was taken, confirm the applicant's identity or predict an officer's decision. Those limits remain visible even when every software check passes.
Open the linked official material before submitting, especially if the application has been paused or revisited after several weeks. Keep the authority page or application notice with your records when a value is unusual, and tell the team if a cited instruction has changed. Corrections are more useful when they include the receiving office, application channel and current official page.