US visa photo booth online [+expert verification]

First things first—if you’re a British citizen who plans to visit the States for tourist or business purposes, you don’t need a visa.

British passport holders are under the Visa Waiver Program—a project that allows participating countries to enter the US and stay there for 90 days (per entry) without a visa. All you need is a valid British passport and a US ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization).

However, if you plan to work or study on US territory or are in the middle of obtaining US residency or citizenship, keep reading—this article will tell you everything you need to know about photos for your US visa application.

How do I prepare my photo for a US visa?

US visa photo requirements: unpacked

Regardless of the visa type you need, all applications must be supported by a compliant US visa photograph. Thankfully, the requirements are uniform across different types of visas, so you don’t have to worry about preparing separate pictures for each type.

Here’s the list of the main US visa photo regulations:

• Size: Your US visa photo must measure 51x51 millimetres (2x2 inches)
• Background colour: Plain white or off-white. Remember that your visa photo backdrop should be free of any objects, patterns, or other people
• Head size: 25–35 millimetres (1–1 ⅜ inches). Keeping these measurements is crucial since your head must take a certain amount of space in the photograph
• Facial expression: Keep a neutral facial expression. You can smile slightly, but remember that it cannot obscure your facial features (e.g., eyes)
• Glasses: Take off your eyeglasses for a visa photo. Unless for proven medical reasons, wearing any eyewear is unacceptable
• Head coverings: Hats, caps, or any other headgear are forbidden except for religious or medical head coverings
• Quality: Your visa photo must be of the highest possible quality. Ensure there are no blurs, pixels, or smudges visible in it
• Print paper: If you need to print your visa photo, do so on photographic photo-quality paper
• Resolution: To ensure that your visa picture is sharp and clear, ensure a resolution of at least 300 DPI
• Recency: Visa applicants must take their photos within six months before submitting applications. That way, your photograph will represent your current appearance

If you’re asked to submit a digital image for your visa application, follow these specifications as well:

• Digital dimensions: 600x600 pixels
• File format: JPEG (.jpg)
• File size: ≤ 240 kB
• Head size: 50–69% of the picture frame

See the pictures below to compare printed and digital US visa photo measurements.

Pro tip: Even if you’re uploading a digital image to your visa application, it’s good practice to bring a printed picture to your visa interview as well.

US visa photo: examples

Official requirements are one thing in theory. Here, we’d like to show you specific examples of US visa photos. Follow them to ensure your picture is 100% compliant and the authorities will accept it.

US visa photo near me

You can get your US visa photograph anywhere across the country—from photo booths to photo providers and embassies or consulate offices. In London, for example, you can visit the US embassy at 33 Nine Elms Ln, Nine Elms, London SW11 7US.

If you’re visiting other photo providers or using photo booths, remember to state the exact photo size—the US visa photo size is different from the UK passport-size photo, so to avoid confusion, ensure to choose the 51x51 mm photo.

There’s also one more way to get your US visa photos. Keep reading to find out how!