Visa photo vs passport photo: the differences

The differences

• Format: passport, printed 2 × 2 inches; DS-160, a square JPEG file, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, 240 KB or less
• Expression: passport, a natural smile with mouth closed is fine; visa, neutral
• Head size: passport, 1 to 1 3/8 inches; visa, 50–69% of the photo height, with the eyes 56–69% up from the bottom
• Head coverings: passport, religious or medical with a signed statement; visa, religious only, worn daily

What’s the same

• Taken in the last 6 months, in colour
• Plain white or off-white background
• No glasses unless medically necessary

Two kinds of digital file

A digital passport photo for online renewal and a DS-160 visa photo are different files. One may not work for the other.

• Online passport renewal: JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF, from 54 KB to 10 MB. You can crop it in the application
• DS-160 visa: JPEG only, square, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels, 240 KB or less
• DS-160 color and compression: 24 bits per pixel in the sRGB color space, with a compression ratio of 20:1 or less
• Scanning a printed visa photo: scan the 2 × 2 inch print at 300 pixels per inch

More differences in the fine print

• Eye height on a print: for a printed visa photo, your eyes should sit 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom
• Glasses: banned in new visa photos since November 1, 2016. A rare medical exception needs a signed medical statement
• Tinted lenses: never allowed in a visa photo. For a passport, dark or tinted prescription glasses may be allowed for medical reasons. A medical certificate may be required
• Hearing aids: allowed in both, if you normally wear them and they don’t hide your face
• Uniforms: banned in both. The visa rules make an exception for religious clothing worn daily

When a visa needs a printed photo

• Nonimmigrant visa (DS-160): 1 digital image, uploaded in the online form
• Immigrant visa (DS-260): 2 identical printed photos, brought to the interview
• Diversity Visa entry: a digital image. If you are selected, bring 2 identical printed photos to the interview
• Some embassies: ask for 1 printed photo at a nonimmigrant interview, so check your embassy’s instructions

If your DS-160 confirmation page shows an X instead of your photo, the upload failed. Bring 1 printed photo with the confirmation page.

Turning a passport photo into a visa photo

1. Check your expression

   A closed-mouth smile is fine for a passport but not for a visa. If you are smiling, take a new photo.

2. Start from the original file

   Use the original digital photo. Never use a copy or scan from a driver’s license or other official document.

3. Crop to a square

   Crop to 600 to 1200 pixels per side. Keep your head at 50% to 69% of the height, eyes 56% to 69% up.

4. Save as a small JPEG

   Save it as a JPEG of 240 KB or less. Don’t change your appearance; only crop and resize.

The State Department’s free Photo Tool crops to exactly 600 × 600 pixels but doesn’t check quality. Our photo checker tests a file against each rule.

Questions