United States visa photo requirements
The 2 × 2 in photo rules set by U.S. Department of State for the United States visa, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the United States visa photo?
For a US visa you upload a digital photo with the DS-160: a square color JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, no larger than 240 kB. Printed photos, where asked for, are 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). The head fills 50% to 69% of the image height (1 to 1 3/8 inches on a print), on a plain white or off-white background. Glasses have been banned since November 1, 2016, and the photo must be under 6 months old.
US visas are issued by U.S. embassies and consulates under the Department of State, and each applicant needs a photo. For a nonimmigrant visa, that photo is a digital image uploaded while you complete the DS-160 (or DS-1648) online form. A 2023 federal rule confirmed that this upload, signed together with the electronic application, satisfies the legal requirement for a signed photo, so most applicants no longer hand over paper photos.
Printed photos still appear in a few situations. Some embassies and consulates ask nonimmigrant applicants to bring one print to the interview. Immigrant visa applicants filing the DS-260 bring two identical prints, and so do Diversity Visa selectees. The Diversity Visa lottery entry itself takes a digital image with a stricter, fixed pixel size.
The embassy or consulate where you apply has the final say on whether a photo or image is acceptable, so read its instructions alongside the general rules below.
United States visa 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) for printed photos |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Square, 600 x 600 pixels minimum, 1200 x 1200 pixels maximum (DS-160); exactly 600 x 600 for the DV lottery |
| Head height | 25 to 35 mm (1 to 1 3/8 in) on prints; 50% to 69% of image height in digital images, chin to top of hair |
| Eye line | 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 in (28 to 35 mm) above the bottom edge on prints; 56% to 69% of image height in digital images |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Colour | Color, 24 bits per pixel, sRGB color space |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 6 months |
| File size | 240 kB or less; compression ratio 20:1 or lower |
| File format | JPEG |
| Print quality | Photo-quality paper, matte or glossy |
| 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:
Photos must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way.
Key requirements
- Digital file specs
The DS-160 image must be square, at least 600 x 600 and at most 1200 x 1200 pixels, in 24-bit sRGB color, saved as a JPEG of 240 kB or less. If you have to compress it to get under the limit, keep the compression ratio at 20:1 or lower.
- Head and eye position
In a digital image, the head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin fills 50% to 69% of the image height, and the eyes sit 56% to 69% of the way up from the bottom. On a 2 x 2 inch print that means a head of 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm), with the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches (28 to 35 mm) above the bottom edge.
- No glasses
Glasses have been barred from new visa photos since November 1, 2016. The one exception is glasses that cannot be removed for medical reasons, such as after eye surgery, and it needs a signed medical statement.
- Neutral pose, plain background
Face the camera directly with a neutral expression and both eyes open, in front of a plain white or off-white background. Profile shots, out-of-focus photos, squinting and unusual expressions are refused.
- Daily clothing only
Wear what you normally wear day to day. Uniforms, uniform-style clothing and camouflage are not accepted, except religious clothing worn daily. Headphones and hands-free devices must come off; a hearing device you normally wear may stay.
- Recent and unaltered
The photo must be no more than 6 months old and match how you look now. It must not be digitally enhanced or altered, and photos copied or scanned from a driver's license or other official document are refused, as are snapshots, magazine pictures and full-length shots.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Save the DS-160 image as a square JPEG of 240 kB or less.
- Check that your photo shows on the DS-160 confirmation page.
- Use the camera's own red-eye reduction when taking the photo.
- Print any paper photos in color on matte or glossy photo paper.
- Read your embassy's instructions on prints for the interview.
- Take a new photo after any significant change in appearance.
Don't
- Do not wear glasses of any kind, including tinted lenses.
- Do not remove red-eye with editing software.
- Do not copy a photo from a driver's license or ID card.
- Do not upload a rectangular image; height must equal width.
- Do not use a low-quality phone, vending machine or magazine photo.
- Do not wear a uniform or camouflage clothing.
Sample photos
How a United States visa 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 US visa photos. The rule has applied to new visa photos since November 1, 2016, and it covers everyday prescription glasses too.
The State Department makes an exception only in rare cases where glasses cannot be removed for medical reasons, for example right after eye surgery when they protect the eyes. You then need a statement signed by a medical professional, the frames must not cover your eyes, and no glare, shadow or refraction may hide them. Unlike passport photos, visa photos never allow dark or tinted lenses, even on prescription glasses.
Headwear and religious dress
Take off any hat or head covering that hides your hair or hairline, unless you wear it every day for religious reasons. A religious covering may stay, but your full face must be visible and the covering must not cast shadows on it.
The same daily-wear test applies to clothing: religious dress worn every day is acceptable, while uniforms and camouflage are not. Hearing devices and similar items you normally wear can stay in the photo; headphones and wireless hands-free devices cannot.
Babies and children
Children and babies applying for a visa need their own photo. No other person may appear in it, and nothing used to hold the child up should be in the frame, including a parent's arms or hands.
The State Department suggests laying a baby on its back on a plain white or off-white sheet, which supports the head and gives a plain background, or covering a car seat with the sheet. Watch for shadows on the face when shooting from above. The child should look at the camera with eyes open. A child under 16 whose looks have changed only through normal growth generally does not need a new photo, though the embassy or consulate decides.
Printed and digital photos
Which format you need depends on the application. Nonimmigrant applicants upload a digital image with the DS-160 or DS-1648. Diversity Visa entrants upload one with the online entry, and that image must be exactly 600 x 600 pixels, JPEG, 240 kB or less. Immigrant visa applicants using the DS-260, and Diversity Visa selectees, bring two identical printed photos to the interview, 2 x 2 inches on photo-quality paper.
If you only have a print, you can scan it for the upload: the print must be 2 x 2 inches and scanned at 300 pixels per inch (12 pixels per mm), which gives a 600 x 600 pixel image. A digital photo can also be cropped and resized to the required pixel size. Prints may be matte or glossy but must be in color; black and white photos are not accepted.
Where to submit the photo
The digital image goes into the DS-160 itself; the form tells you when to upload it. After you submit, look at the confirmation page. If it shows an X where your photo should be, the upload failed: bring one printed photo that meets the requirements, together with the confirmation page, to the embassy or consulate where you will apply, and ask that post how it wants it.
Some embassies and consulates want a printed photo at the interview even when the upload worked, so check the instructions of the post handling your case. Immigrant visa and Diversity Visa interviews always need two identical prints.
How to get your United States visa photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the United States visa: 2 × 2 in print, 600 × 600 px digital file, plain white or off-white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: digital file specs; head and eye position; no glasses; neutral pose, plain background.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Which format you need depends on the application. Nonimmigrant applicants upload a digital image with the DS-160 or DS-1648. Diversity Visa entrants upload one with the online entry, and that image must be exactly 600 x 600 pixels, JPEG, 240 kB or less.
- Submit the photo with your application. The digital image goes into the DS-160 itself; the form tells you when to upload it. After you submit, look at the confirmation page.
United States visa photo FAQ
The DS-160 takes a square digital image between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, in color, as a JPEG of no more than 240 kB. The head should fill 50% to 69% of the image height. If a printed photo is requested, it is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).
No. Since November 1, 2016, glasses are not allowed in new visa photos. The rare exception is glasses that cannot be removed for medical reasons, which requires a signed medical statement, and even then the frames, glare or shadows must not hide your eyes. Tinted lenses are never accepted for a visa photo.
If the confirmation page shows an X instead of your photo, the upload did not work. Bring one printed photo that meets the requirements, with the DS-160 confirmation page, to the U.S. embassy or consulate where you will apply, and check that post's instructions. If your photo appears on the confirmation page, no separate photo is needed.
It depends on the visa. Some embassies and consulates ask nonimmigrant applicants to bring one printed photo. Immigrant visa applicants filing the DS-260, and Diversity Visa selectees, must bring two identical 2 x 2 inch photos printed on photo-quality paper.
The DV entry needs a digital image uploaded with the online form: JPEG, 240 kB or smaller, square, and exactly 600 x 600 pixels. To scan an existing print instead, it must be 2 x 2 inches and scanned at 300 pixels per inch. The general visa photo rules on background, glasses and recency apply as well.
The State Department lists low-quality mobile phone photos, snapshots, vending machine photos and magazine photos as unacceptable. It does allow you to take the photo yourself, as long as the result meets the technical requirements and is not digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance.
It must have been taken within the last 6 months and show your current appearance. Even a newer photo will be refused if you have since had significant facial surgery or trauma, added or removed many or large facial piercings or tattoos, or gained or lost a lot of weight. A new beard or hair color generally does not count.
Only by using the red-eye reduction setting on your camera when the photo is taken. Removing red-eye afterwards with an editing tool is not allowed, because visa photos must not be digitally altered to change your appearance in any way.
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
- 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
Visas and travel authorisations nearby
- Canada visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- United States DV lottery photo 2 × 2 in
- Bahamas eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
- Bahamas visa photo 2 × 2 in
- Barbados visa photo
- Belize visa photo 2 × 2 in
- Costa Rica visa photo 50 × 50 mm
- Cuba visa photo 45 × 45 mm
- Dominican Republic visa photo 40 × 50 mm
- Mexico visa photo
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
- Visas and travel authorisations: 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. Photo Requirements (U.S. Visas) travel.state.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Digital Image Requirements travel.state.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Photo Composition Template travel.state.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State. Photo Frequently Asked Questions travel.state.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Federal Register, U.S. Government Publishing Office. Visas: Procedures for Issuing Visas (final rule, 88 FR 13694) govinfo.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 303.6 Facial Recognition (photo standards) fam.state.gov. Checked 1 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 visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/united-states/visa-photo