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U.S. Virgin Islands assport photo requirements

The 2 × 2 in photo rules set by Office of the Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands for the U.S. Virgin Islands assport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 9 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the U.S. Virgin Islands assport photo?

Residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands use the standard U.S. passport photo: a color print of 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), taken within the last 6 months, with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) tall on a plain white or off-white background. Bring one photo and leave your glasses off. The Passport Division of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor accepts applications on St. Croix and St. Thomas.

The Department of the Interior says U.S. citizenship was conferred on U.S. Virgin Islanders in 1927, so residents hold the ordinary U.S. passport issued by the U.S. Department of State. Locally, the Passport Division of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor has served as a State Department passport acceptance facility since 1988. By its own account, that lets residents apply without traveling to Puerto Rico or the continental United States.

The Division's web pages do not fully match the State Department on photos. Its How to Apply text lists "TWO (2×2) PHOTOGRAPHS" for a first-time DS-11, and its photo page says prescription glasses should be worn. The Division's FAQ sheet and the current DS-11 (edition 04-2025) both call for one photo, and both ban glasses except in rare medical cases. The State Department is the issuing authority, so this page follows its form: one photo, glasses off. If you want certainty before you go, ask the Division.

There are two offices: one in Christiansted on St. Croix and one on Kongens Gade in St. Thomas, whose number is labeled for St. Thomas and St. John. First-time applicants submit the DS-11 in person at one of them.

U.S. Virgin Islands assport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Office of the Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands:[1]

Print size2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)
Digital sizePaper form: printed photo only. Online renewal: no pixel size set; crop inside the application
Head height1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm), measured from chin to top of head
BackgroundWhite or off-white, plain, free of shadows, texture, objects or lines
ColourColor photo
Photo ageTaken within the last 6 months
File sizeOnline renewal only: 54 KB to 10 MB
File formatOnline renewal only: JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF
Print qualityMatte or glossy photo-quality paper; sharp, no photocopies or scans, no holes, creases or smudges
Pixels when printed600 × 600 px at 300 dpi · 1200 × 1200 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
2 in2 in25–35 mm
2 × 2 in photo drawn to scale, with the 25–35 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: white or off-white.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence.

Passport Photos[4]

Key requirements

  • One photo, not two

    The State Department's form and the Division's FAQ sheet both say one photograph. The two-photo wording on the Division's How to Apply and photo pages conflicts with both.

  • Glasses stay off

    Eyeglasses are not acceptable on the DS-11 unless a signed doctor's statement explains why you cannot remove them. The Division's photo page says that people who normally wear prescription glasses should wear them for the picture; that line does not match the State Department's current rule.

  • Full face, front view

    Face the camera directly with your whole face visible and your head level. The head, from the chin to the top of the head, spans 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm).

  • Plain light background

    The wall behind you is white or off-white, with no shadows, texture, objects or lines. Step several feet away from it so your own shadow does not fall on it.

  • Recent and unaltered

    Use a photo from the last six months that shows how you look now. Software, apps, filters and AI may not change it.

  • Everyday clothing

    Wear what you normally wear day to day. A uniform, clothing that looks like one and camouflage are not allowed, and neither are headphones or wireless earpieces.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Bring a single 2 x 2 inch photo to the Passport Division.
  • Take your glasses off before the picture is taken.
  • Put a plain white sheet on the wall if it has texture or color.
  • Check the finished print for creases, holes or smudges.
  • Bring a signed statement for any religious or medical head covering.
  • Call the Division ahead to confirm its photo requirements.

Don't

  • Do not follow the photo page's advice to keep prescription glasses on.
  • Do not hand in a photocopy or a scan of a photograph.
  • Do not edit the picture or run it through an AI tool.
  • Do not stand against a patterned or shadowed wall.
  • Do not take the photo more than six months before applying.
  • Do not let hair, a hat or a mask cover part of your face.

Sample photos

How a U.S. Virgin Islands assport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 2 × 2 in, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Glasses are not accepted in a U.S. passport photo, and that includes sunglasses and tinted lenses. The DS-11 permits eyewear only with a signed statement from a doctor explaining why it cannot come off, with eye surgery recovery given as an example. The Division's own FAQ sheet (its file name says updated 02-13-2017) says the same: photos with eyeglasses are not accepted except under special conditions, and a medical professional's signed statement is advised.

The Division's photo page tells people who normally wear prescription glasses that they should be worn for the picture. That sentence contradicts both the Division's FAQ and the State Department, which issues the passport, so take the glasses off.

Headwear and religious dress

Hats and head coverings are not allowed except for religious or medical reasons. A religious covering needs a signed statement that it is part of recognized, traditional religious attire worn continuously in public, and a medical covering needs a signed doctor's statement that you wear it daily for medical purposes. Either way your face must be fully visible, unshadowed and free of patterns or small holes in the fabric.

The Division's FAQ sheet gives similar guidance: a head covering is acceptable only when worn daily for religious purposes, with the full face visible and no shadows or hidden hairline.

Babies and children

The Division's FAQ sheet says that all children must be present and identified by an acceptance agent when a passport is applied for, and that both parents must give consent for a child under 16, with a DS-3053 or notarized statement where one parent is absent. The child's photo must still meet the State Department's photo rules.

For a baby, the State Department suggests a plain white or off-white sheet under the child or draped over a car seat, with no other person in the frame and no shadow on the face. A baby's eyes do not have to be fully open; every older child needs them open.

At the Division you hand over a printed photograph. Print on matte or glossy photo paper at a true 2 x 2 inches; a digital photo can be cropped square and laid out on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter, then cut apart.

Online renewal is the exception. For eligible U.S. citizens located in a U.S. state or territory, the State Department accepts a digital upload of 54 KB to 10 MB in JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF format, with the picture ending at the edge of your shoulders. Online renewal cannot be expedited, so it suits people who are not traveling for at least six weeks.

Where to submit the photo

Take the DS-11 and your photo to the Passport Division in person. On St. Croix, the office is at 1131 King Street, Suite 101, in Christiansted. On St. Thomas it is at 5049 Kongens Gade, and its number is labeled for St. Thomas and St. John. The Division's pages list the DS-11, DS-82, DS-64, DS-3053 and DS-5504 forms and offer them for download.

The Division's pages do not describe a photo service, so assume you bring your own. The State Department names three sources: an acceptance facility that takes a photo when you apply, any business that offers photo services, or a friend or family member.

How to get your U.S. Virgin Islands assport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the U.S. Virgin Islands assport: 2 × 2 in print, white or off-white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one photo, not two; glasses stay off; full face, front view; plain light background.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. At the Division you hand over a printed photograph. Print on matte or glossy photo paper at a true 2 x 2 inches; a digital photo can be cropped square and laid out on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter, then cut apart. Online renewal is the exception.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Take the DS-11 and your photo to the Passport Division in person. On St. Croix, the office is at 1131 King Street, Suite 101, in Christiansted. On St. Thomas it is at 5049 Kongens Gade, and its number is labeled for St. Thomas and St. John.

Make this photo online

U.S. Virgin Islands assport photo FAQ

It is the standard U.S. size: a color print of 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) with the head, chin to top, measuring 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm), on a plain white or off-white background and taken in the last 6 months.

One. The current DS-11 says to attach one color photograph, and the Passport Division's FAQ sheet agrees. The Division's How to Apply text and photo page still say two, which conflicts with them. Ask the Division if you want to be certain.

No. Eyeglasses are not acceptable under the DS-11 unless a signed doctor's statement explains why you cannot remove them. The Division's photo page suggests wearing prescription glasses, but that conflicts with the State Department rule, which prevails.

At the Passport Division of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which has offices in Christiansted on St. Croix and on Kongens Gade in St. Thomas. First-time applicants submit the DS-11 in person.

Yes. The Interior Department says citizenship was conferred on U.S. Virgin Islanders in 1927. Residents therefore apply for the same U.S. passport as other citizens.

If you qualify. The State Department requires that you are in a U.S. state or territory, are 25 or older, hold a 10-year passport that expires within 1 year or expired less than 5 years ago, and are not traveling for at least 6 weeks. You then upload a digital photo.

Yes, with a signed statement that it is religious attire you wear daily in public. Your whole face must be visible, with no shadows on it, and the cloth must be a single color with no pattern or small holes.

Lay the baby on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with the sheet. Nobody else may appear, the face must be fully visible with a neutral expression, and there should be no shadows. The baby's eyes need not be fully open.

Related photo specifications

Passports nearby

Also 2 × 2 in

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Official sources

  1. Office of the Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passport Division ltg.gov.vi. Checked 3 November 2026.
  2. Office of the Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands. Two (2 X 2) Photos ltg.gov.vi. Checked 3 November 2026.
  3. Office of the Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passport Division Frequently Asked Questions (updated 02-13-2017) ltg.gov.vi. Checked 3 November 2026.
  4. U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
  5. U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport (Form DS-11, edition 04-2025) eforms.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
  6. U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
  7. U.S. Department of State. Uploading a Digital Photo travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
  8. U.S. Department of State, Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 402.1 Passport Photographs fam.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
  9. U.S. Department of the Interior. Virgin Islands (Office of Insular Affairs) doi.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Office of the Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"U.S. Virgin Islands assport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/u-s-virgin-islands/passport-photo

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