US passport photo
2 × 2 inches

The main requirements

These are the key rules for printed passport photos as published on travel.state.gov. Read the full photo page there before you apply, since requirements can be updated.

• Size: 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm).
• Head: between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
• Background: plain white or off-white, without shadows, texture or objects.
• Glasses: take them off. A signed doctor’s note is needed if you can’t remove them for medical reasons.
• Recent: taken within the last six months.
• Printed on quality photo paper.

How to make it

1. Stand in front of a plain white or off-white wall with even light from the front, so no shadow falls behind you.
2. Have someone take the photo at eye level from about four feet away, so your face isn’t distorted. Look straight at the camera with a relaxed expression and both eyes open.
3. Add the photo above. The size is already set to US passport (2 × 2 in).
4. Drag and zoom until your head, chin to the top of your hair, fills the guide.
5. Download the single photo and the 4 × 6 print sheet.

Printing the sheet

The sheet is exactly 4 × 6 inches at 300 DPI, with six 2 × 2 photos edge to edge. Send it to any photo counter or online photo service as a regular 4 × 6 print, and make sure the order is not set to crop or fit, so the photos stay exactly 2 inches.

Thin gray cutting lines mark where to cut. Use a paper trimmer or a ruler and a sharp blade for straight edges. Keep the spare copies in an envelope in case an application asks for another.

Common reasons photos are rejected

• Glasses on, even clear ones.
• Shadows on the face or the wall behind you.
• Head too small or too large in the frame.
• A colored, patterned or dark background.
• Hats or head coverings, unless the official page allows them in your case, such as for religious or medical reasons.
• A photo older than six months or one that no longer looks like you.

Getting the head size right

The head-size rule is where home photos most often go wrong. On a 2 inch photo, your head from chin to the top of your hair should take up roughly half to two thirds of the height. When you zoom in the editor, line your chin and the top of your head up with the guide marks rather than the edges of the frame, and leave a little space above your hair.

What this tool does and doesn’t do

We crop and resize your photo to the exact print size. We don’t change the background, smooth skin or edit your face, and you shouldn’t either. If your background isn’t plain white or off-white, retake the photo rather than trying to fix it.

If you’re renewing online, follow the photo instructions in that application. The download here is a 600 × 600 pixel JPG, but this page is mainly aimed at printed photos.