US Passport Photo Requirements
A US passport photo must be a 2×2 inch square, printed on white or off-white paper, with your head measuring 1–1⅜ inch from chin to top of hair. This page lists the full State Department spec, plus how to take one at home that won't get rejected.
| Photo size | 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) |
| Head height (chin to top of hair) | 1 – 1⅜ inch (25–35 mm) |
| Eye line from bottom edge | 1⅛ – 1⅜ inch (29–35 mm) |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Print type | Matte or glossy photo paper |
- • Taken within the last 6 months
- • Glasses are not allowed (since December 2023, medical exceptions are rare)
- • Both ears do not need to be visible, but the full face must be forward
- • Digital submission: 600×600 px minimum, JPEG under 240 KB
How to take a US passport photo at home
The US State Department explicitly accepts photos you take yourself, as long as they meet the spec. You need a phone with a decent camera, a plain white wall (or white bedsheet pinned up), and daylight from a window — not direct sun, and not a ceiling light that casts shadows.
- Stand about 4–6 feet from the wall so no shadow falls behind your head.
- Face the camera straight on, both eyes open, neutral expression, mouth closed.
- Take the photo from chest height, with someone else or a timer — selfies distort the face.
- Make sure the full head is in frame, then crop to the 2×2 inch (600×600 px) layout with head size between 1–1⅜ inch.
- Print at any drugstore on 4×6 paper — the crop above yields two photos on one print.
A cropping tool that enforces the 2×2 layout and head-height limits removes the guesswork — this is exactly what the free tool on this site does, in your browser.
Why US passport photos get rejected
The most common reasons: the head is too large or too small relative to the frame, the background is not white or has shadows, the photo is older than six months, glasses are worn, or the image is blurry. Digital submissions are additionally rejected when the file is under 540 px, over 1200 px, or larger than 240 KB.
Make your US passport photo free
Upload a photo — get the exact 2×2 inch crop, white background and head-size check. Nothing leaves your browser.
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