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U.S. passport photos requirements

Just like all other official document photos, the U.S. passport photo must follow very particular guidelines. Here are the main and most important requirements to keep in mind when taking a photo for your U.S. passport:

• Neutral facial expression.
• You should directly face the camera with full face in view.
• Normal clothing. Extravagant outfits or uniforms might cause a photo rejection. Religious clothing, however, is allowed.
• Background should be white or off-white.
• Glasses, headphones, and other items should not be worn.
• The passport photo must have been taken within the last six (6) months.

Passport-style photos are biometric photos. This means that images analyze and download people's individual features and allow for quick and reliable identification.

Therefore, when taking a biometric photo you should be positioned frontally and look straight ahead. Visibility of other people is never allowed, and the background requirements vary. But in most cases, it should be uniform and solid-colored. Specifications regarding glasses and head coverings are also usually the same, i.e. you have to pose without a hat and without glasses (if you wear prescription glasses you can keep them on, but make sure they don’t produce a glare, as this could cause your passport photos to be rejected).

U.S. passport photo - size and dimensions

Photo size for the U.S. passport must always have the dimensions of 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).

The applicant has to remember that the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin should be between 1 and 1,375 inches (i.e. 25-35 mm). The eye height of the person visible in the photo should also be between 1,125 - 1,375 inches (28-35 mm) from the bottom of the photo (not the bottom of chin).

Digital passport photos: size

In the U.S. passport photo, the face has to occupy a certain amount of space. It is stated that the applicant's face (from the top of the head, including the hair, to the bottom of the chin) should occupy between 50% and 69% of the image's height.

Photo dimensions: the digital photo size is measured in pixels instead of inches/centimeters. The photo's pixel dimensions have to be in a square aspect ratio (i.e. the height needs to equal the width). 

The photo size has to be between 600x600 pixels and 1200x1200 pixels, meaning that a photo that is higher than 1200px in width/height will be rejected. The same applies if the photo's width/height is less than 600px.

Photo format: the only image format allowed is the JPEG file format. Make sure your image is not a PNG file—some cameras and photo editors save pictures in this format by default.

Photo file size and compression: moreover, the U.S. passport photo format cannot be bigger than 240kB (kilobytes), and it means that the image may need to be compressed to meet the maximum file size requirement. The compression ratio should be less than or equal to 20:1.

Photo color: The passport-style photo must be in color (24 bits per pixel) in sRGB color space, which is the common output for the majority of digital cameras.

All of the technical specifications of a U.S. passport photo are covered automatically by our passport photo editor. Try it conveniently at home!

U.S. passport photos: background

It’s a common mistake to take a passport photo against a colored background. The official requirement says that a passport photo is acceptable only if taken in front of a plain background (white or off-white) considering the U.S. passport. There also cannot be any patterns on the wall you choose as your background. Also, check if there are no other objects behind you. The background must be uniform and white or off-white.

U.S. passport photo - lighting, sharpness, and contrast

The best option is to take your passport photos for your American passport in daylight instead of after dark using flash. This helps avoid the red-eye effect and makes the skin look natural. Both sides of your face have to be equally lighted. It means that there cannot be any shadows on the face. Make sure the lighting is not over-or underexposed. Your face must be clearly visible. Moreover, pay attention to the reflections - there cannot be any on your face. The photo has to be sharp with sufficient contrast and detail.

Passport photo printing and quality

Submit a high-resolution photo that is not blurry, grainy, or pixelated. The submission requirements state that the passport-style photo needs to be printed on matte or glossy photo quality paper. You cannot submit a damaged photo (e.g., with holes, creases, or smudges). Do not digitally beautify the picture; you can use the passport photo converters and cropping tools instead.

Try our U.S. passport photo tool. Thanks to it, you will receive high-quality pictures in printed and digital format. Choose what works best for you and take your passport photos at home!

Glasses in a U.S. passport picture

According to the official passport photo requirements, applicants can’t wear glasses or sunglasses in the submitted photo. However, if you can’t take off your glasses for medical reasons, you will need to include a signed doctor’s note in your passport application, stating that you need to keep your glasses on. Until 2016 the authorities accepted glasses in photos as long as there was no reflection visible in the photo and the eyes were clearly visible, however prescription glasses are no longer allowed to be worn in U.S. passport photos. 

Head and facial expression in the U.S. passport photo

Your passport photo may get rejected if you don’t have a neutral facial expression (or a natural smile), with both eyes open and your mouth closed. Again, it is important that your passport photo makes it easy for the authorities to confirm your identity. Face the camera directly with full face in view and remember that both sides of your face should be equally lighted.

A passport photo will be accepted if an applicant is directly facing the camera with a neutral facial expression, closed mouth, and both their eyes clearly visible.

What to wear in a U.S. passport photo?

You cannot wear a uniform or clothing that resembles a uniform or camouflage attire. It is officially stated that you should wear the clothes you wear on a daily basis. It cannot confuse any of the authorities that may be checking your documents. Still, there is no specific passport photo dress code. We encourage you to try a smart-casual style instead of just a hoodie or a t-shirt. Passport is a document that you will keep for quite a while, so make sure you look good in the photo.

Where can I get and print my U.S. passport photos?

First, prepare your printable passport photo template on our website - take a photo, upload it, and check to see if you like the image. If you think you don’t look good in the photograph, simply retake the picture.

Second, choose one of the options - you can get the passport photo converter for free though it won’t have the background automatically removed. Therefore, we require you to follow the guidelines more precisely. You can save some time and for $13.95 download a professional U.S. passport photo with an acceptance guarantee! For $16.95 you will also get a printout delivered at your door!

Third, if you decide on a digital version of the photo, find the closest photo-copying point or pharmacy with a photo printing service where you can print it out as a 4x6 inch photo (postcard-size photo). On such a U.S. biometric photo template, you will find 2 (two) passport photos ready to be cut out and submitted to the U.S. passport office!

You can get a digital U.S. passport photo on Passport Photo Online and print it out at any photo-copying service (like Walmart or Costco). 

U.S. passport photo same size and other photos

The U.S. passport photo is a biometric photo which means the image should enable the authorities easy recognition of the passport holder. Most of the requirements are standard biometric photo requirements. The key difference between passport photos around the world consists usually in size and background of the photo. 

Universal rules for a 2x2 U.S. passport photo

When taking your U.S. passport photo, you must remember to stick to certain rules regarding posture, lighting, positioning of the camera, and maintaining the correct facial expression, among other things. Here is a list of what you should keep in mind to get a perfect photo for your passport:

• Stand close to the wall to minimize shadows.
• Turn off overhead lighting to eliminate glares.
• Look straight at the camera.
• The head must be neither twisted nor tilted in any direction, look straight ahead.
• Make sure that the hair does not cover the face or even the eyebrows.
• Do not wear jewelry, hats, or headphones.
• Note that the camera lens should be placed at eye level.
• It is good to take the picture from a distance of about 3 feet.
• Photo should include shoulders and some space above the head.
• You must have a neutral facial expression.
• To meet the size requirements for a U.S. passport photo, you'll need a 2x2 photo. Passport Photo Online cropping tool will size it accordingly or you can prepare a 4x6 inch photo template and print 2 (two) U.S. passport photos.
• The background has to be white or off-white so remember to take the photo standing against a white-colored wall (or we can also correct the background automatically for you within our $13.95 service).

How to take a U.S. passport photo at home?

To avoid crowds and wasting time and money driving to a photography studio, you might think about taking a photo for your passport at home. You can use your iOS or Android phone and download our U.S. passport photo tool. Taking document photos at home is possible with a 100% guarantee of acceptance! If you decide to try taking photos for your U.S. passport by yourself, read on to find out more. 

While you already know the requirements regarding U.S. passport photos, you know how to pose and what to do as well as what to avoid while taking pictures for documents.

If you put on nice clothes and you already have all the equipment, you just need to follow these 5 simple steps about how to take a passport photo at home:

1. Choose a nice sunny day, find a room with a plain background or put a sheet on the wall to create your own studio, stand close to the wall to avoid shadows in the background. Don’t take photos after dark and we recommend not using flash, because it causes red-eyes and changes the skin color.
2. Ask someone to take a picture of you or place the camera on a tripod approximately 3 feet away. Do not take a selfie because it just doesn’t fit the document. It is not a photo you want to post on social media but an official identity document.
3. Pose following the official U.S. passport requirements regarding head position, facial expression, where to look, what to avoid doing, etc.
4. Submit your picture via the app or online editor if you managed to take the right one.
5. Receive the ready-to-print digital file via email. 

U.S. passport photo maker 

Passport Photo Online maker is an easy-to-use tool that will get you a U.S. passport photo that meets all the official requirements. All you have to do is take a photo with your phone or digital camera, upload it and our passport photo editor will convert the photo to passport size and erase the background.

We have developed a passport photo generator that responds to our clients’ needs regardless of whether they need the photo in digital or printed form. The passport photo creator will prepare for you a printable passport photo template, i.e. a file that is ready to be printed in the 4x6 inch (10x15 cm) format. This way you will get 2(two) 2x2 inch (51x51mm) photos on one postcard size photo.

You can print it out at any photo-copying store for just a few cents. If you prefer to get the printed passport photos delivered straight to your place, Passport Photo Online offers a delivery option. 

Passport Photo Online—a background editor

The background is really important considering photos for official documents. The required background for the U.S. passport photo is white or off-white, free of patterns. Our photo background editor removes the incorrect background with shadows or unnecessary objects in the picture or with a different color and changes it to a plain background required by the passport office.

Passport Photo Online—cropping 

The online photo cropper adjusts your photographs and changes them as required in your U.S. passport guidelines. It crops the photo as stated on the official websites regarding dimensions for passport photos. This passport photo editor will automatically resize your picture to the size specified for the United States passport.

Passport Photo Online—templates

In the end, our U.S. passport photo tool creates a template that is ready to download via email. You can print it by yourself in a local printing place or order an already printed one which we will ship to you.

Passport Photo Online checker

The last thing that our application does is check the final picture paying special attention to the correctness and quality of your photo, making sure it contains all the important elements. The photo checker validates the sent photos and makes sure it will have a 100% warranty of acceptance. Create a passport photo with our online cropping tool, converter and resizer and save yourself time and money!

Last update: 5/30/23