United States photo specifications
At a glance
Most US documents use a 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) color photo with a 1 to 1 3/8 inch head on a white or off-white background: passports, visa interview prints, and USCIS prints for Forms I-485 and I-765 or naturalization from abroad. USCIS takes card photos itself at biometrics. DS-160 uploads are square JPEGs of 600 to 1200 pixels, DV lottery entries 600 x 600, NYC gun licenses take square files, and MTA senior photos are 1.5 x 2 inches.
Contents
Overview
A US passport photo is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) on a plain white or off-white background, in color and no more than 6 months old, with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from chin to crown, and online passport renewal takes a JPG, PNG or HEIC file of 54 KB to 10 MB instead of a print. A US visa photo has the same print size, but nonimmigrant visa applicants usually upload a square JPEG of 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels, at most 240 kB, with the DS-160 form. Glasses come off for both, and neither may be digitally altered: the State Department refuses passport photos changed with filters, retouching or AI, or with a background cut out by software.
Photo rules in the United States depend on which agency issues the document. The U.S. Department of State sets them for passports and for visas, including the Diversity Visa lottery. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) sets them for forms such as the green card application (Form I-485), the work permit application (Form I-765) and the naturalization application (Form N-400). Local agencies have their own: the NYPD License Division for New York City firearm licenses, and the MTA for Reduced-Fare transit cards for people 65 and older.
The 2 x 2 inch print is the common format, but the details differ. USCIS asks for two identical photos on thin glossy paper, unmounted and unretouched, with your name and A-Number lightly written on the back, while a passport application takes one. Online channels take digital files with their own pixel and file-size limits, and the MTA photo is a smaller rectangle that has to fit a box on its paper form. The N-400 instructions ask for photos only from applicants who apply from outside the United States.
USCIS changed its photo policy on December 12, 2025: it no longer uses or reuses photographs that applicants supply when it makes green cards, work permits and other secure documents, and naturalization and green card cases need a new photo taken at a biometrics appointment. The form instructions have not all followed, so the I-485 and I-765 still ask for prints; the individual pages explain which channel needs what.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 2 × 2 in | — | Plain white or off-white, free of shadows… | 3 November 2026 |
| U.S. passport card | 2 × 2 in | — | Plain white or off-white, with no shadows… | 29 October 2026 |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DV lottery | 2 × 2 in | 600 × 600 px | Plain white or off-white | 1 November 2026 |
| Visa | 2 × 2 in | 600 × 600 px | Plain white or off-white | 1 November 2026 |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REAL ID driver's licence or ID card | — | — | — | 29 October 2026 |
Residence and work permits
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment authorization | 2 × 2 in | — | White to off-white | 1 November 2026 |
| Green card | 2 × 2 in | — | White to off-white | 1 November 2026 |
Citizenship and naturalisation
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship | 2 × 2 in | — | White to off-white | 1 November 2026 |
Travel documents
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global entry and TSA PreCheck | — | — | — | 29 October 2026 |
| Reentry permit and form i-131 travel documents | 2 × 2 in | — | White to off-white | 29 October 2026 |
Bus and transport cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY MTA MetroCard for seniors | 1.5 × 2 in | — | Solid background | 1 November 2026 |
Licences and permit cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New york pistol licence | 1.5 × 1.5 in | 1200 × 1200 px | Not specified by the NYPD rules or the state… | 1 November 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
The print size and head size match: 2 x 2 inches with a head of 1 to 1 3/8 inches. The channels differ. Visa applicants usually upload a square JPEG of 600 to 1200 pixels and at most 240 kB with the DS-160, while passport online renewal accepts JPG, PNG or HEIC files of 54 KB to 10 MB. Passport photos can allow medically required tinted lenses; visa photos never do.
Only in size. Where USCIS still wants prints, as with Forms I-485 and I-765 or an N-400 filed from abroad, they are 2 x 2 inch color passport-style photos with a head of 1 to 1 3/8 inches on a white to off-white background, sent as two identical glossy prints, unmounted and unretouched. Unlike a passport photo, those prints do not end up on the document: USCIS photographs you at a biometrics appointment for the card or certificate.
Digital channels set pixel sizes instead: the DS-160 visa upload (600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels), the Diversity Visa entry (exactly 600 x 600) and New York City firearm license applications (square, 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels, chest up, taken within 30 days). The MTA Reduced-Fare application for seniors uses a print 1.5 inches wide and at least 2 inches high with a solid background.
No, for both. The State Department requires glasses to be removed unless a medical reason makes that impossible, in which case a signed medical statement is needed. Visa photos have excluded glasses since November 1, 2016.
No. The State Department's passport manual says the red-eye effect is not acceptable and that digital retouching of the face is not allowed, so a photo with red eye has to be taken again. For visa photos, the only fix the State Department accepts is the red-eye reduction setting on the camera, used when the picture is taken.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Northern America:
References
- U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Uploading a Digital Photo (online renewal) travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 402.1 Passport Photographs fam.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Photo Requirements (U.S. Visas) travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Digital Image Requirements travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-485 uscis.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-765 uscis.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form N-400 uscis.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Alert PA-2025-29: Photograph Reuse for Identity Documents uscis.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- New York City Police Department. Notice of Adoption of Emergency Rule: Concealed Carry Handgun License nyc.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Reduced-Fare program mta.info. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Reduced-Fare application for people 65 and older mta.info. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"United States photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-states