What the US passport photo is for
The US passport is the travel document the United States issues to American citizens and nationals, and it also serves as proof of citizenship. Every US passport application needs one color passport photo that is 2×2 inches, taken within the last six months against a plain white or off-white background. The same passport photo rules apply to a first US passport, a passport renewal by mail and a passport renewal online. A passport photo that does not meet the rules is one of the most common reasons a passport application is sent back, and a new photo can add weeks to the process.
US passport photo size explained
The US passport photo size is 2×2 inches (51×51 mm), a square passport photo format that is not interchangeable with the passport photos of other countries. In the photo, your head must measure between 1 and 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. Your eyes must sit between 1⅛ and 1⅜ inches (28–35 mm) from the bottom of the photo, according to the State Department photo composition template. In a digital passport photo the same rule reads as a head of 50%–69% of the photo height and eyes at 56%–69% of the photo height from the bottom. Our passport photo template places the head at about 1.29 inches and the eyes at about 1.18 inches from the bottom of the photo, inside both ranges.
Head and eye position in a digital passport photo
In a digital US passport photo the composition template uses percentages of the photo height. In a 600×600 pixel photo, a head of 50%–69% of the photo height means 300 to 414 pixels from chin to top of head, and eyes at 56%–69% of the photo height means 336 to 414 pixels above the bottom edge of the photo. In a 1200×1200 pixel photo, double these numbers. A photo taken too close makes the head too big, and a photo taken from far away makes it too small; our passport photo maker scales the photo so your head and eyes land inside these ranges, and the photo check confirms the result. Passport photos for the USA follow these numbers whether you print the photo or upload it.
Digital passport photo for online renewal
If you renew your US passport online, you upload a digital passport photo instead of mailing a printed photo. The online renewal photo rules ask for a color JPG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF photo file between 54 KB and 10 MB, taken within the last 6 months. The photo must be square and between 600×600 and 1200×1200 pixels, with no visible printer dots, so a scan of an old printed photo is a poor choice. The upload tool checks basic photo requirements, and State Department staff review the passport photo again after you submit. Our online passport photo maker gives you a square digital passport photo file that fits these limits, so you can download the photo and upload it during your online passport renewal.
Printed passport photos for a mail or in-person application
For a paper passport application, print the passport photo on matte or glossy photo-quality paper. Photocopies and digitally scanned photos are not accepted, and a passport photo with holes, creases or smudges is rejected. Print the digital passport photo at 300 DPI so the photo stays sharp at 2×2 inches, handle the print by the edges and do not write on the photo. You can also order printed passport photos delivered to your address and take the photos to a passport acceptance facility with your application.
Where to get a US passport photo
American applicants usually choose between four options. A passport photo made online at home is quick, costs little and needs no appointment, and the chance of approval is high when the AI photo check passes. A pharmacy or retail photo kiosk is quick too, but the result depends on the staff and the equipment, and you have to go there in person. A professional photo studio produces a good passport photo when the photographer knows the current US passport photo rules, but you usually need to book a time. A self-service photo booth is cheap, but it is only available where a booth is installed and the photos vary. Costs and times vary by region.
How to take a passport photo with a phone
- Face the light. Stand with a window in front of your face, not behind you. Light from behind casts shadows on your face and on the wall, and both are grounds for rejecting the photo.
- Use a plain white wall. A white wall or a sheet of white card pinned flat works well. Step a little away from the wall so no shadow falls behind your head and shoulders.
- Keep the camera at eye level. Tilting the phone up or down changes the shape of your head in the photo and moves the eye line out of the required range.
- Frame head and shoulders. The photo should show your full head and the top of your shoulders, with a little space above the crown.
- Keep a neutral face. Relax your face, open both eyes and close your mouth. Smiling, squinting or looking to the side gets a passport photo rejected.
- Check the photo before you upload it. Zoom in to confirm the photo is sharp, the background is evenly white and no shadows fall across your face. Retake a borderline photo rather than wait for a rejection.
Passport photo size in pixels and in print
The same passport photo works on paper and on screen. At 300 DPI, the 2×2 inch passport photo size equals 600×600 pixels, the smallest photo size the online renewal portal accepts, so a free digital passport photo at 300 DPI fits the portal. To print passport photos, keep the print size at exactly 2×2 inches: do not let the printer app scale the photo to fit the page, or the head size in the photo changes and the passport photo no longer meets the rules. After printing, measure the photo with a ruler before you cut it out.
What our online passport photo check looks at
When you upload a photo, the AI finds your face, crops the photo to the US passport photo size and places your head and eyes inside the State Department ranges. It then checks the photo background, your head position and your expression. If the passport photo passes, you download it for free. If it fails, retake the photo at home with better light and a plainer wall: the State Department does not accept photos altered with software or AI, so a fresh photo is the safest fix for a US passport.
US passport renewal: DS-82 or DS-11
You can renew a US passport by mail with Form DS-82 if your current passport was issued when you were 16 or older, was issued fewer than 15 years ago, is not damaged and can be sent with the application. First-time applicants, and anyone who does not meet these conditions, apply in person with Form DS-11 at a passport acceptance facility. A passport renewal uses exactly the same passport photo requirements as a first passport application; there is no relaxed photo standard for renewals. For the online renewal portal, the passport photo must also meet the digital file format, file limits and pixel dimensions listed above.
How your passport photo goes with the application
How you hand in the passport photo depends on how you apply for an American passport. With Form DS-11, you bring the printed passport photo, the form and your documents to a passport acceptance facility and pay the $35 acceptance fee there. With Form DS-82, you mail the printed passport photo together with the form and your most recent passport. With online renewal, you upload the digital passport photo file, and State Department staff review the photo after you submit it. In each case the passport photo follows the same rules, so one passport photo made here works for all three ways to apply, and the photo file can be printed as many passport photos as you need.
Glasses, head coverings and face masks
Eyeglasses must be removed for the passport photo, including prescription glasses, sunglasses and tinted lenses. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, send a signed doctor's statement with the application; without it a photo with glasses is rejected. A head covering is allowed in the photo only if you wear it daily for religious purposes; you then submit a signed statement, your full face must be visible and the covering must not cast shadows on your face. Face coverings and medical masks must be removed, and the published photo guidelines list no medical exception for them. Uniforms, clothing that looks like a uniform, camouflage clothing, headphones and wireless hands-free devices are not allowed in a US passport photo either.
Passport photos for babies and children
American children of all ages, including infants, follow the same passport photo rules as adults: a neutral expression, eyes open, a white or off-white background and a photo taken within the last six months. A DS-11 passport application for a child under 16 needs the consent of both parents or guardians in most cases. A minor passport book costs $100 and is valid for 5 years; a minor passport card costs $15.
Photo editing rules
The State Department says passport photos may not be altered with computer software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence in a way that changes your appearance. Take the photo against a plain white wall in good light, keep your face natural, and use our online tool to crop the photo and check it. A passport photo that looks like you, sharp and without retouching, is the safest choice.
Why US passport photos get rejected
Most rejected passport photos fail for the same few reasons. Our AI passport photo check looks for the problems it can see in the photo before you download it:
- Blurry, grainy or pixelated photo. The State Department asks for a high-resolution passport photo; for online renewal the photo must also be free of visible printer dots.
- Photo older than 6 months. An older photo is grounds for rejection even if it still looks like you.
- Background not white or off-white. Colored backgrounds, patterned walls and shadows behind the head all fail.
- Eyeglasses in the photo. Prescription glasses, sunglasses and tinted lenses are all refused without a doctor's statement.
- Uniform or camouflage clothing. Wear everyday clothing for your passport photo.
- Headphones, hands-free devices or a face mask. Your full face must be visible in the photo.
- Photo altered with apps, filters or AI. Any change to your appearance, including retouching your face, leads to rejection.
- Photocopied, scanned or damaged print. For a paper application the passport photo must be an original print without holes, creases or smudges.
US passport fees and processing times
As of May 2026, the State Department fees are $130 for an adult passport book and $30 for an adult passport card. In-person DS-11 applications add a $35 acceptance fee, and 1–3 day delivery for passport books costs $22.05. Routine processing takes 4–6 weeks and expedited service takes 2–3 weeks for an extra $60, plus mailing time that can add up to 2 weeks in each direction. Adults receive a passport valid for 10 years. Processing times change often, so check travel.state.gov before you apply.
Photos for other United States documents
If you also need a photo for a US visa, a US green card, a USCIS form or the green card lottery, open the page for that document: each one has its own photo rules and its own online check.
Before you print: check your passport photo
Open the passport photo on a large screen and compare the photo with the checklist below. Check that the photo is in color, that your face is sharp, that the photo background is evenly white and that nothing covers your face. If the photo was taken more than 6 months ago, take a new photo. American applicants who print passport photos at home should use matte or glossy photo-quality paper, as the State Department asks, and cut each photo cleanly along its edges.
US passport photo checklist
- Passport photo dimensions: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm).
- Head 1–1⅜ inches from chin to top of head, eyes 1⅛–1⅜ inches from the bottom of the photo.
- Plain white or off-white photo background with no shadows, texture or lines.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
- No glasses, hats, headphones, uniforms or face masks in the photo.
- Sharp color photo taken within the last 6 months, not blurry, grainy or pixelated.
