Guides
Official photo rules in plain English, checked against the government sources, plus how to take and print your photo at home.
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How-to
Guide · 6 min How to take a passport photo at home The wall, the light, the distance and the pose, step by step, plus how to print it. Guide · 5 min Passport photo rules: glasses, smile, hair and clothes What you can wear and do in a US passport photo, rule by rule. Guide · 5 min Why passport photos get rejected, and how to fix it The common rejection reasons and the fix for each one. Guide · 5 min Online passport renewal: eligibility and the photo upload Who can renew online, the fee, and how to get the digital photo right. Guide · 4 min DS-160 photo: size, rules and passing the upload The US visa photo file rules and how to pass the online photo check. How-to How to print your passport photo at a store Walgreens or CVS, ready in about an hour, usually under $1. The settings that keep the size right.
Photo requirements
Requirements US passport photo A US passport photo is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), in colour, taken in the last 6 months, with your head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to top. Requirements Baby passport photo A baby’s US passport photo follows the adult rules (2 × 2 inches, plain white or off-white background, full face visible) with two exceptions: the eyes may be partly or fully closed, and the baby can lie down. Requirements 2x2 photo A 2x2 photo is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), the size used for US passports and many other US forms. Requirements Online passport renewal photo To renew a US passport online you upload a digital photo: a JPG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB, in colour, taken in the last 6 months, with a plain white or off-white background. Requirements US visa photo (DS-160) The DS-160 visa photo is a square JPEG, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels, 240 KB or less. Requirements DV lottery photo The Diversity Visa lottery photo is a JPEG of exactly 600 × 600 pixels, 240 KB or less, in colour. Requirements Green card (USCIS) photo For most green card and other USCIS applications you no longer send photos: since December 12, 2025 USCIS takes your photo at the biometrics appointment.