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United States Passport Photo Size & Requirements

A US passport photo is 51 × 51 mm. Crop and check yours below — the photo never leaves your device.

Source: official United States guidance, checked 2026-08-26.

No United States rule is recorded here for eye line and print resolution, so this tool cannot check them. Check the official guidance.

or drag one here

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Your photo is processed on this device and never uploaded.

These are automated checks, not an approval. The issuing authority decides whether your photo is accepted.

US passport photo requirements

Photo size
51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in)
Head height
49–68.6% of photo height, chin to crown
Eye line
Not published by this authority
Resolution
Not published by this authorityThis tool uses 300 dpi (602 × 602 pixels) as an assumption.
Background
plain white or off-white
Expression
A natural smile is allowed, mouth closed
Glasses
Must be removed
Ears
Not required to be visible
Head coverings
not permitted except for religious or medical reasons, with a signed statement; the full face must remain visible from bottom of chin to top of forehead
Photo you took yourself
Accepted
Edited photos
Not accepted, including edited backgrounds

Taken from the official United States guidance, last checked . Where a row says the authority publishes nothing, that is what it means — not that anything goes.

Common reasons US passport photos get rejected

  1. Editing the photo

    the United States rejects photos altered with software, including replacing or tidying the background. Fix the lighting and the wall instead of the file.

  2. The wrong background colour

    the United States asks for plain white or off-white. Cream walls, shadows and coloured light all shift the background enough to fail.

  3. Head too large or too small in the frame

    Chin to crown must be 49–68.6% of the photo height. Standing too close to the camera is the usual cause, and it also distorts your features.

  4. Wearing glasses

    Glasses must be removed for a the United States photo, and should not be resting on your head either.

  5. Shadows on the face or behind the head

    Standing close to a wall throws a shadow onto it, and overhead lighting casts shadows into the eye sockets. Move away from the wall and face a window.

  6. A blurry or low-resolution photo

    Cropping tightly into a small photo is the usual cause. Start from a full-resolution photo taken a couple of metres away rather than enlarging a small one.

  7. Something else in the frame

    Another person, a hand steadying a child, a chair back, a toy, headphones, or a face covering. Authorities list these individually because they see them constantly — the photo must show you alone, with your whole face visible.

  8. A photo that is too old

    Most authorities require a photo taken within the last six months, and one that still looks like you.

US passport photo questions

What size is a US passport photo?
51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 inches).
How big should my head be in a US passport photo?
Chin to the top of your head must measure between 49% and 68.6% of the photo's height.
Can you smile in a US passport photo?
Yes. the United States allows a natural smile, though your mouth must stay closed.
Can you wear glasses in a US passport photo?
No. the United States requires glasses to be removed.
What background does a US passport photo need?
plain white or off-white.
Can I wear a head covering in a US passport photo?
Not permitted except for religious or medical reasons, with a signed statement; the full face must remain visible from bottom of chin to top of forehead.
What does the United States not specify?
No published rule was found for eye line and print resolution. That does not mean anything is acceptable — it means the authority has not stated a figure, so check its own guidance and err on the cautious side.
Where do these US requirements come from?
They were read from the official guidance at https://travel.state.gov/en/passports/apply/help/photos.html, last checked on 2026-08-26. Requirements change, so confirm against that page before you apply.

These are automated checks, not an approval. United States’s issuing authority decides whether your photo is accepted. This site is not affiliated with any government.