US passport photo requirements 2026: 2×2 inch DOS checklist
Every US passport photo rule: 2×2 inch square, 25-35 mm face, white background, no glasses, no heavy retouching. Rejection traps and how to take it at home.
What the US Department of State actually requires
US passport, visa and Green Card photos follow the Department of State spec at travel.state.gov. The biggest difference from European specs: the photo is 2×2 inches square (51×51 mm), not the 35×45 mm rectangle used in most of Europe. A photo cropped for a European country does not fit. Live spec on our US passport photo page.
The numbers
- Print size: 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm).
- Face height: 1 inch to 1-3/8 inch (25-35 mm) from chin to top of head.
- Resolution: our US file is 300 DPI, which is 600 × 600 px at 2 inches.
- Background: plain white or off-white, not coloured, and evenly lit.
- Maximum age: 6 months.
- No glasses (since November 2016), unless you have a signed medical statement.
- No hats or head coverings unless worn for religious or medical reasons.
Common rejection reasons
- Wrong format (rectangular, not square). A European-style photo does not meet the 2 × 2 inch rule.
- Glasses on. Take them off unless you have a medical statement.
- A background that is not white. Light blue, pale yellow or grey do not meet the rule. White or off-white only.
- Heavy digital retouching. The Department of State does not accept heavily edited photos.
Where you submit it
Apply at a passport-acceptance facility (post offices, county clerks, public libraries) listed on travel.state.gov. You bring a printed photo. If you renew online, check travel.state.gov for the digital photo rules.
Take it at home
Daylight at a window, plain white wall behind you, phone at eye level. Our AI measures the face height, crops to the 51 × 51 mm square (not 35 × 45 mm), replaces the background with white, and delivers the file at 300 DPI: start your US passport photo.