United States citizenship photo requirements
The 2 × 2 in photo rules set by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for the United States citizenship, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the United States citizenship photo?
Most US citizenship applicants do not mail photos. USCIS asks for two identical 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) color photos only if you live outside the United States when you file Form N-400, N-600 or N-565: white to off-white background, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches, thin glossy paper, name and A-Number lightly on the back. N-400 and N-600 cases also need a new USCIS biometrics photo, which may appear on your certificate.
U.S. citizenship documents come from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Form N-400 is the application for naturalization. Form N-600 requests a Certificate of Citizenship, for example for someone born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, and a parent or legal guardian can file it for a minor child. Form N-565 replaces a Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship that was lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
For all three forms, mailed photos are required only from applicants who reside outside the United States. On the N-400 that covers groups such as current members of the U.S. armed forces and their spouses who apply from abroad; service members stationed abroad may send photos taken by military police or by Department of Homeland Security officials at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Applicants inside the country send none, and USCIS photographs them at an Application Support Center.
A USCIS policy in force since December 12, 2025 tightened this. Naturalization and Certificate of Citizenship cases always need a new photograph taken at a biometrics appointment, with no reuse of older ones, and USCIS says it will not use or reuse self-submitted photographs. The N-400 page adds that the photograph taken at the Application Support Center may be used on your Certificate of Naturalization.
United States citizenship photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:[1]
| Print size | 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No pixel size: only applicants living abroad supply photos, as prints or as scans of prints when filing online |
| Head height | 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm), from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin |
| Eye line | Eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom edge of the photo |
| Background | White to off-white |
| Colour | Color |
| Photo age | Taken recently; N-400 and N-600 cases also need a new USCIS biometrics photo |
| Print quality | Thin photo paper, glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched |
| Pixels when printed | 600 × 600 px at 300 dpi · 1200 × 1200 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
The photos must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched.
Key requirements
- Photos only if you live abroad
The N-400, N-600 and N-565 instructions all limit mailed photos to applicants who reside outside the United States. If you live in the US, you send no prints; USCIS takes your photograph itself.
- New biometrics photo for N-400 and N-600
The USCIS Policy Manual bars photo reuse for Forms N-400 and N-600: you must attend a biometrics appointment for a new photograph. For an N-565, USCIS may reuse a biometrics photo collected no more than 36 months before you file.
- Two matching color prints
Applicants abroad send two identical color photos, 2 x 2 inches, showing the full face from the front against a white to off-white background.
- Head and eye measurements
From the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, the head measures 1 to 1 3/8 inches. The eyes sit 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom of the photo.
- Paper and finish
Have the photos printed on thin paper with a glossy finish. They must not be mounted or retouched.
- Facial features exposed
Your head must be bare unless your religious denomination requires headwear. Even then, the USCIS naturalization checklist says your facial features must stay exposed so you can be identified.
- Label each print
Write your name and Alien Registration Number (A-Number), if you have one, lightly on the back of both photos.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Check whether you reside outside the US before ordering photos.
- Send two prints of the same photo.
- Use a white to off-white background.
- Print on thin glossy photo paper.
- Label the back of each print lightly with your name and A-Number.
- Dress for your biometrics appointment as you would want to appear on your certificate.
Don't
- Do not mount the prints or retouch them.
- Do not let a head covering hide your facial features.
- Do not use a black and white photo.
- Do not miss your biometrics or interview appointment.
- Do not assume an older USCIS photo will be reused for an N-400 or N-600.
Sample photos
How a United States citizenship 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.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Headwear and religious dress
Citizenship photos follow the USCIS rule that the head is bare unless headwear is required by your religious denomination. The N-400 document checklist adds a condition that matters in practice: if your religion requires a head covering, your facial features must still be exposed in the photo for identification.
Hats, caps and other coverings worn for reasons other than religion are not covered by that exception.
Babies and children
A parent or legal guardian can file Form N-600 on behalf of a minor child. The photo rule follows where the child lives. The N-600 page says a child residing in the United States receives an appointment at a local Application Support Center to have photographs taken, so no prints are sent; a child residing abroad needs two identical 2 x 2 inch color prints in the envelope with the application.
The envelope matters because the N-600 cannot currently be filed online from outside the United States; those applications go by mail. Inside the country the child can be photographed at the biometrics appointment even if too young to sign there, since USCIS asks for signatures only from age 14.
Printed and digital photos
Citizenship forms do not take a photo file of their own. Applicants who live outside the United States supply two printed 2 x 2 inch photos. An N-400 or N-565 filed online from abroad carries them as a scan or a phone picture, which is how USCIS tells online filers to handle required passport-style photos; the N-600 can be filed from abroad only on paper. A digital photo can be laid out at 2 x 2 inches on a 4 x 6 inch sheet and printed on glossy paper at a photo counter.
Everyone else is photographed by USCIS on biometrics equipment. For the N-400 and N-600 that picture has to be new, because the Policy Manual allows no photo reuse for those forms; for an N-565, a biometrics photo up to 36 months old may be reused, though USCIS can still ask for a new one. The N-400 page also warns that, depending on processing needs, USCIS may request physical passport photos after you file and will send instructions for submitting them.
Where to submit the photo
If you live abroad, include the two photos with your N-400, N-600 or N-565 filing; the naturalization checklist lists them among the items every applicant abroad must send. Service members stationed outside the United States may also send two FD-258 fingerprint cards with photos taken by military police or Homeland Security officials at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Applicants in the US send no photos and wait for a biometrics notice.
The naturalization interview comes after the background checks. A USCIS officer asks about your N-400 and gives the English and civics tests unless you are exempt. USCIS's ten-step naturalization guide asks you to bring the appointment notice and does not list photos for the interview.
How to get your United States citizenship photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United States citizenship: 2 × 2 in print, white to off-white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: photos only if you live abroad; new biometrics photo for N-400 and N-600; two matching color prints; head and eye measurements.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Citizenship forms do not take a photo file of their own. Applicants who live outside the United States supply two printed 2 x 2 inch photos.
- Submit the photo with your application. If you live abroad, include the two photos with your N-400, N-600 or N-565 filing; the naturalization checklist lists them among the items every applicant abroad must send.
United States citizenship photo FAQ
Only if you live outside the United States. The Form N-400 instructions ask applicants residing abroad, such as eligible service members and their spouses, for two identical color passport-style photos. Applicants in the US send none; USCIS photographs them at a biometrics appointment, and for the N-400 that photograph must be a new one.
They are 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), in color, with a full face in frontal view on a white to off-white background. The head should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, and the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches above the bottom of the photo.
The N-400 page says that if USCIS finds you eligible, it may use the photograph taken at your Application Support Center appointment on the certificate. USCIS recommends wearing clothing that day that is acceptable for display on the certificate, and says it will not reject that photograph just because you would prefer a different one.
USCIS's ten-step naturalization guide does not list photos for the interview; it asks you to bring the appointment notice. Your photograph is taken earlier, at the biometrics stage. Applicants abroad send their two photos with the N-400 itself, and USCIS may ask anyone for physical passport photos after filing if processing requires it.
The N-600 page says you no longer need to submit photographs with the application unless you reside outside the United States, in which case you send two identical color passport-style photos. If you live in the US, you get an appointment at a local Application Support Center to take your photographs.
Yes, if your religious denomination requires headwear. The USCIS naturalization checklist adds that your facial features must still be exposed in the photo so you can be identified.
Your name and your A-Number (Alien Registration Number), if you have one, written lightly on the back of each photo. The form instructions allow pencil or felt pen; the naturalization checklist mentions pencil.
Form N-565 asks for two identical color passport-style photos only from applicants who reside outside the United States, using the same 2 x 2 inch specifications. Applicants in the US may be asked to provide biometrics instead; for the N-565, USCIS may reuse a biometrics photo taken within the 36 months before filing.
Related photo specifications
Other United States documents
- Passport photo 2 × 2 in
- U.S. passport card photo 2 × 2 in
- DV lottery photo 2 × 2 in
- Visa photo 2 × 2 in
- REAL ID driver's licence or ID card photo
- Employment authorization photo 2 × 2 in
- Green card photo 2 × 2 in
- Global entry and TSA PreCheck photo
- Reentry permit and form i-131 travel documents photo 2 × 2 in
- NY MTA MetroCard for seniors photo 1.5 × 2 in
- New york pistol licence photo 1.5 × 1.5 in
Citizenship and naturalisation nearby
- Canada citizenship photo 50 × 70 mm
Also 2 × 2 in
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- Armenia eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
- Bahamas passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Bahamas eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
- Bahamas visa photo 2 × 2 in
- Belize passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Belize visa photo 2 × 2 in
- Belize residence permit photo 2 × 2 in
- Democratic Republic of the Congo passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Egypt visa photo 2 × 2 in
- All United States photo specifications
- Citizenship and naturalisation: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 2 × 2 in photo
- Photo specifications in North America
Official sources
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. M-477, Document Checklist (naturalization) uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. M-1051, 10 Steps to Naturalization uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Alert PA-2025-29: Photograph Reuse for Identity Documents uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part C, Chapter 2: Biometrics Collection uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Tips for Filing Forms Online uscis.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos travel.state.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"United States citizenship photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-states/citizenship-photo