United States — Passport (8 FAM 402.1)
US passport photos must be 2×2 in with the head 1–1⅜ in from top to chin, on a white or off-white background, taken within six months.
| Photo size | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) |
|---|---|
| Head size | No less than 1 in and no more than 1⅜ in (25–35 mm), measured from the top of the head — not the hairline or the hair — to the bottom of the chin, excluding facial hair. |
| Background | Plain white, off-white or light-coloured, with no large dark shadows, reflections or objects. |
| Digital file | Computer-generated photographs are acceptable if the image is sharp and clear; photographs with visible pixels are not. |
| How it is submitted | One printed photo submitted with the application. |
| Photo age | Taken within six months of submitting the application. |
Can the photo be edited?
Facial retouching is banned; the background is not named
“Digital manipulation and/or retouching of the facial image on photographs is not acceptable. The use of beauty filters or other photo filter tools … are also not acceptable.”
No competitor publishes this, and it decides whether a tool like ours is usable at all for your application. The quote below is the official text.
Most common reasons for rejection
- •The ears do not have to be visible — official text says so explicitly, despite the common advice to the contrary.
- •No eyeglasses (medical exceptions need a signed statement), no uniforms, no hats or head coverings except for religious or medical reasons.
- •A photo that looks fine in the system can still be rejected later: the official text warns that a defect may only become apparent when the passport is printed.
Official source: 8 FAM 402.1 (U.S. Department of State)
Last checked by us:
This page states what the official source says. It is not legal advice and rules change — check the source link before you submit.
US visa photo vs US passport photo
They are the same specification. Both are regulated by the U.S. Department of State, and both call for a 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) colour photo, taken within the last six months, on a plain white or off-white background, with the head measuring 1 to 1⅜ inches from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin. A photo that meets the passport rule meets the visa rule.
The difference is the submission channel. A visa application (form DS-160) uploads a digital file, and that digital image carries its own file requirements — check the State Department’s Photo Requirements and Digital Image Requirements pages before you submit.
Sourcing note: the two travel.state.gov pages above returned a captcha wall to our fetcher, so the visa-side details here come from search engines’ summary displays of those official pages (checked 2026-10-14); they do not conflict with the verified fields in the table above. Treat the official pages as final.
Preset to pick in the tool: US Passport — 2×2 in