United States Passport photo requirements
United States passport photo: 2 × 2 in (600 × 600 px), head 25–35 mm crown to chin. Check yours free, then print 6 on a 4×6 sheet.
Check my passport photo — freeThe specification
- Photo size
- 2 × 2 in (600 × 600 px)
- Head height
- 25–35 mm crown to chin
- Head height in the frame
- 50–69%
- Eye line from bottom
- 28.6–34.9 mm
- Resolution
- 300 DPI
- Digital size
- 600 × 600 px
- Background
- #FFFFFF, #F7F7F5
- Glasses
- Not permitted
- Head covering
- Religious only, face fully visible
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Printing
- 6 photos per 4×6 in sheet (2 × 3, portrait)
Source: U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs. Last checked 2026-08-17.
- Eyeglasses have been prohibited since 1 November 2016, including clear prescription lenses.
- Uniforms and camouflage-patterned clothing are not accepted.
- Photo must have been taken within the last 6 months.
- Infants under 1 may have their eyes closed and need not have a neutral expression.
Why United States passport photos get rejected
- 1
Head the wrong size. United States requires 25–35 mm crown to chin. This is the single most common reason a photo is sent back, and it is almost impossible to judge by eye.
- 2
Wrong dimensions. The photo must be exactly 2 × 2 in (600 × 600 px). Cropping to roughly the right shape in a phone gallery app does not produce an exact size.
- 3
Glasses. United States does not accept photos where eyeglasses are worn, including clear prescription lenses. They must be removed.
- 4
Shadow on the face or background. Uneven side lighting throws one half of the face into shadow, and a shadow cast on the wall behind counts as a non-plain background.
- 5
Smiling or an open mouth. The expression must be neutral with the mouth closed and both eyes open and clearly visible.
- 6
Too low resolution. An enlarged photo looks soft in print. The face has to occupy enough of the original image to reach 300 DPI at 50.8 × 50.8 mm.
How to get it right in three steps
- Step 1
Take or choose a photo
Stand about 1.5 m from a plain wall, facing a window so the light is even on both sides of your face. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression. A normal phone photo is fine.
- Step 2
Check it for free
Upload it and see every measurement against the United States requirement — head height 25–35 mm crown to chin, size 2 × 2 in (600 × 600 px), focus, glare, lighting and background. If anything fails, you will be told exactly what to change.
- Step 3
Download and print
Get the 600 × 600 px file at 300 DPI for online applications, plus a 4 × 6 inch sheet you can print at any photo kiosk for about $0.35.
Printing at a photo kiosk
Your download includes a 4 × 6 inch sheet with 6 copies arranged 2 across and 3 down, with cut guides in the margin.
Any drugstore, supermarket or online photo service prints a standard 4 × 6 for roughly $0.35. The same photos taken in store typically cost $17–22.
Choose “actual size”, not “fit to page”
Frequently asked questions
What size is a United States passport photo?
2 × 2 in (600 × 600 px). At 300 DPI that is exactly 600 × 600 pixels, which is what an online application form expects.
How big does my head need to be in a United States passport photo?
25–35 mm crown to chin, measured from the crown — the top of your head including hair — down to the bottom of your chin. In the finished 50.8 mm photo that is between 50% and 69% of the total height.
Where should my eyes sit in a United States passport photo?
United States specifies eye height as well as head size: your eye line must be between 28.6 mm and 34.9 mm from the bottom edge. Both requirements have to be satisfied at the same time, which is why an eyeballed crop so often fails.
What background colour is required for a United States passport photo?
A plain, uniform background. United States accepts #FFFFFF, #F7F7F5. #FFFFFF is the safest choice. Your head must be clearly distinguishable from it, so if you have very light hair, choose the darker option.
Can I wear glasses in a United States passport photo?
No. United States does not accept photos where eyeglasses are worn, including clear prescription lenses. Remove them before taking the photo.
Can I take my United States passport photo on my phone?
Yes. Face a window for even light, stand about an arm and a half away from a plain wall, and have someone take the photo with the rear camera — it is sharper than the selfie camera and gives more resolution to work with. This tool then crops it to 2 × 2 in (600 × 600 px) at 300 DPI, levels it, replaces the background with #FFFFFF, and checks it against the U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs requirements before you download anything.
Can I print United States passport photos at a pharmacy or supermarket?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to do it. You get 6 copies arranged on a single 4 × 6 inch sheet with cut guides. Any drugstore or supermarket photo kiosk prints a 4 × 6 for around $0.35, against $17–22 for photos taken in store. Choose "actual size" and not "fit to page", or the print will be rescaled and no longer compliant.
Is my United States passport photo stored anywhere?
No. The analysis runs entirely in your browser, and the final render happens in memory on our server and is discarded immediately. Nothing is written to disk, kept in a database, or used to train anything. We keep no copy of your face.
What if my United States passport photo is rejected?
We refund you in full. We check size, head height, eye position, tilt, framing, resolution, focus, glare, lighting and background against the published U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs requirements. If your photo is rejected for any of those, reply to your receipt and we will refund it. We cannot judge how recently a photo was taken or what you were wearing, so we do not claim to.
Can I smile in a United States passport photo?
No. Your expression must be neutral with your mouth closed, and both eyes open and clearly visible. U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs treats a smile that shows teeth or raises the cheeks as a rejection, because it moves the facial landmarks a biometric check measures. A relaxed, natural face looking straight at the camera is what is wanted.
Can I wear a head covering, hijab or turban in a United States passport photo?
Only for religious or medical reasons, and your full face must stay visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with no shadow cast across it. U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs does not accept hats or other headwear worn by choice.
Do babies and young children follow the same United States passport photo rules?
United States relaxes some rules for infants. The photo still has to be the correct size (2 × 2 in (600 × 600 px)) on the required background, but a baby is not expected to hold a neutral expression or keep both eyes wide open, and the head-height range is applied with more tolerance. Lay the baby on a plain sheet of the required colour and shoot from directly above — no hands, toys or other people may appear in the frame.
How recent does a United States passport photo have to be?
Most authorities ask for a photo taken within the last six months, and it must reflect your current appearance. This is one of the few requirements a tool cannot verify: we measure the image, not the day it was taken, so we never claim a photo passes on recency. U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes the exact rule for United States — the source is linked on this page.
How much does a United States passport photo cost?
Nothing at the moment. PassReady is free while we are in beta, and that includes the full-resolution file, the printable sheet and the compliance certificate. We will introduce a price later, and we will say so clearly before we do.
Other United States documents
Check your photo against these rules — free
Every measurement, before you pay anything.