United States passport photo requirements
The 2 × 2 in photo rules set by U.S. Department of State for the United States passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the United States passport photo?
A US passport photo is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), in color, taken in the last 6 months. Your head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from chin to crown, on a plain white or off-white background. Glasses come off unless a doctor's note says otherwise, and the photo must be unedited: no filters, retouching or AI. Online renewal takes a JPG, PNG or HEIC file of 54 KB to 10 MB instead of a print.
US passports are issued by the U.S. Department of State, and every application needs one photo of the applicant. If you apply in person or renew by mail with a paper form, you attach a printed 2 x 2 inch photo. If you renew online, you upload a digital photo instead and can crop it inside the application before you submit.
The State Department says unacceptable photos are the number one reason it puts passport applications on hold. Two things trip up people who take the photo at home: the head size, and digital changes. A photo that has been filtered, retouched, stretched or made with artificial intelligence is refused, and so is one where the background was cut out and replaced with software. If your wall is not white, cover it with a white sheet and take a new photo.
Behind the detailed rules sits a short federal regulation: passport photos must follow the State Department's specifications, be a good likeness, and satisfactorily identify the applicant.
United States passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by U.S. Department of State:[1]
| Print size | 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Online renewal sets no pixel size; you crop the photo in the application |
| Head height | 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm), from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, free of shadows, texture, objects or lines |
| Colour | Color photo |
| Photo age | Taken in the last 6 months |
| File size | Online renewal: 54 KB to 10 MB |
| File format | Online renewal: JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF |
| Print quality | Matte or glossy photo-quality paper; high resolution, no visible printer dots, holes, creases or smudges |
| 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:
Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence.
Key requirements
- Exact size and head height
The print must be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Your head, measured chin to crown, must be 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) and centered. Hair may run past the edge of the photo as long as the whole head is shown at the right size.
- No digital changes
Submit the original photo. Editing software, phone apps, filters and AI are all ruled out, and so is stretching or squeezing the image to resize it. The State Department rejects photos whose background was cut out with a retouching tool and says it checks every photo for AI use.
- Glasses off
Remove eyeglasses, sunglasses and tinted glasses, and do not leave them pushed up on your head. The only exception is medical, backed by a signed note from your doctor.
- Face the camera, mouth closed
Look straight at the camera with your head level, both eyes open and the colored part of your eyes visible. A smile is fine on a printed photo if your mouth stays closed; for online renewal the guidance is to avoid showing teeth.
- White background, even light
Stand several feet in front of a plain white or off-white wall with no texture, lines or objects. Light your face evenly so there are no shadows and the image is neither washed out nor too dark.
- Everyday clothes, no uniform
Uniforms, clothing that resembles one and camouflage are not accepted. Take off headphones, wireless earpieces, face coverings and medical masks. Jewelry and facial piercings may stay if they do not hide your face.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Have the camera several feet (about 1.2 m) away from you.
- Put a plain white or off-white wall or sheet behind you.
- Set the camera to its highest quality setting.
- Print on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
- Keep both eyes open and your hair away from your eyes.
- Add a signed statement if you wear a religious or medical head covering.
Don't
- Do not wear glasses, even ones you wear every day.
- Do not use filters, retouching apps or AI tools.
- Do not replace or clean up the background with software.
- Do not send a photocopy, a scan or a photo of a printed photo.
- Do not submit a photo with red eye, holes, creases or smudges.
- Do not text the photo to yourself before uploading it.
Sample photos
How a United States passport 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.
Glasses
Glasses are not allowed in a US passport photo. That covers everyday prescription glasses, sunglasses and tinted lenses, and the State Department also rejects photos with glasses resting on top of the head. Take them off completely before the picture is taken.
If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, send a signed note from your doctor with your application. The State Department's photo FAQ adds that prescription glasses with dark or tinted lenses may be worn in a passport photo only when they are needed for medical reasons, and a medical certificate may be required.
Headwear and religious dress
Hats and head coverings come off for a passport photo unless you wear them for religious or medical reasons. For a religious covering, include a signed statement that it is religious attire you wear every day in public. For a medical covering, include a signed statement from your doctor. The State Department asks for these statements with applications made in person or by mail.
A covering you are allowed to keep on must leave your whole face visible and throw no shadows across it. It should be a single color, without a pattern and without small holes in the fabric. A scarf drawn over part of the face, or any face mask, is not accepted.
Small hair accessories are a different matter. The State Department's passport manual accepts hair clips, bobby pins and thin headbands that lie flat and hide no part of your face or hairline, while wide headbands, scarves and bows count as head coverings and need one of the reasons above.
Babies and children
Children and babies need a passport photo of their own, with no other person in the frame. For a plain background, lay a baby on a white or off-white sheet, or drape the sheet over a car seat and sit the child in it. Check that the light does not throw shadows across the child's face.
The child has to face the camera with a neutral expression and the full face showing, so keep hands and pacifiers out of the way. A baby's eyes do not have to be fully open. Older children need their eyes open, the same as adults.
Printed and digital photos
Paper applications use a printed photo. It must be exactly 2 x 2 inches, sharp rather than grainy or pixelated, printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper, and free of holes, creases and smudges. Photocopies and scanned photos are refused. A digital photo can be laid out at the exact size on a 4 x 6 inch sheet and printed at a photo counter; measure the result to make sure the square is 2 x 2 inches.
Online renewal takes a digital file instead of a print. It must be a JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB, and phones often save in one of these formats already. No pixel size is set. Frame the picture so it ends at the edge of your shoulders, leave a little room around your face, and do the final cropping in the application. Never upload a scan or a photo of a printed picture.
Where to submit the photo
You can get a passport photo at an acceptance facility that takes photos when you apply, at any business that offers photo services, or from a friend or family member. Prices vary from place to place.
With a paper application, the photo goes in with your form, whether you apply in person or renew by mail. With online renewal, you pick the file from your device or drag it into the application, where an automatic check flags basic problems so you can try another photo. A State Department employee then reviews the uploaded photo after the application arrives and will ask for a new one by letter or email if it does not meet the rules.
How to get your United States passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United States passport: 2 × 2 in print, plain white or off-white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: exact size and head height; no digital changes; glasses off; face the camera, mouth closed.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Paper applications use a printed photo. It must be exactly 2 x 2 inches, sharp rather than grainy or pixelated, printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper, and free of holes, creases and smudges. Photocopies and scanned photos are refused.
- Submit the photo with your application. You can get a passport photo at an acceptance facility that takes photos when you apply, at any business that offers photo services, or from a friend or family member. Prices vary from place to place.
United States passport photo FAQ
A printed US passport photo is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Your head, from chin to crown, must take up 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) of that, centered in the frame. Online renewal has no print size or pixel size: you upload a JPG, PNG or HEIC file of 54 KB to 10 MB and crop it in the application.
No. Eyeglasses, sunglasses and tinted glasses must all come off, and they cannot rest on your head either. If a medical condition means you cannot remove them, include a signed note from your doctor with your application.
Yes, within limits. The State Department allows a smile on a printed photo as long as your mouth is closed and your eyes are open. Its online renewal guidance asks for a neutral expression or natural smile without showing teeth. Exaggerated expressions are refused.
Yes. Besides acceptance facilities and photo businesses, the State Department lists a friend or family member as an option. Stand several feet from the camera, in front of a plain white or off-white wall, with even lighting and the camera on its highest quality setting. The photo must then be used as taken, without edits.
No. The photo must be the original, unchanged image. The State Department refuses photos altered with editing software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence, including ones where the background was cut out with a retouching tool, and says it checks all photos for AI use. If the background is wrong, fix it and take a new photo. The online renewal application lets you crop; stretching or squeezing the image is not allowed.
Upload one color photo taken in the last 6 months as a JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB. Use a plain white or off-white background, remove glasses and hats, and avoid showing teeth. Do not scan or photograph a printed photo, and do not text the file to yourself first, because that can lower the quality.
Yes, if you wear it for religious reasons. With a paper application, include a signed statement that it is religious attire you wear daily in public. The covering must not hide any part of your face or cast shadows on it, and it should be one color without patterns or small holes.
Only if the change is significant. Growing a beard, coloring your hair and normal aging do not call for a new passport. Significant facial surgery or trauma, adding or removing many large facial piercings or tattoos, or a large weight gain or loss do. Whenever you apply, the photo you submit must be from the last 6 months.
Related photo specifications
Other United States documents
- 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
- Citizenship 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
Passports nearby
- Bermuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Canada passport photo 50 × 70 mm
- Greenland passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- United States U.S. passport card photo 2 × 2 in
Also 2 × 2 in
- American Samoa passport photo 2 × 2 in
- 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
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 2 × 2 in photo
- Photo specifications in North America
Official sources
- 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. Photo Frequently Asked Questions travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Government Publishing Office. 22 CFR 51.26 Photographs govinfo.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. U.S. 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. Renew an Adult Passport by Mail travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Children Under 16 travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Processing Times travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- USCIS. Form I-485 Instructions (photo specifications) uscis.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online travel.state.gov. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with U.S. Department of State before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"United States passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-states/passport-photo