The numbers
These are the measurable rules. Everything else is about how the photo looks.
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Print size | 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) |
| Head size | 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. That is roughly half to 69% of the photo height. |
| Age of photo | Color, taken in the last 6 months |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, no shadows, texture, lines or objects |
| Paper | Matte or glossy photo-quality paper. No photocopies, scans or visible printer dots. |
| Online renewal file | JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF, 54 KB to 10 MB |
| Pixels | No pixel size is set for passport uploads, only the file size. At 300 dpi a 2 × 2 inch print is 600 × 600 pixels, which is also the minimum for visa photos. |
Face and expression
- Face the camera directly. Do not tilt your head or turn your shoulders.
- Keep both eyes open with the colored part of each eye visible. Hair must not cover your eyes.
- Use a neutral expression or a natural smile with your mouth closed. The paper-form page says you can smile with the mouth closed; the online-upload page says to avoid showing teeth.
- Your hair may extend past the edge of the photo, as long as your whole head is shown at the right size.
What you cannot wear
- Eyeglasses, sunglasses or tinted glasses. Do not rest them on your head. If you cannot remove glasses for medical reasons, include a signed note from your doctor.
- Hats and head coverings, unless worn daily for religious purposes (signed statement) or medical purposes (signed doctor’s statement). Your full face must be visible and the covering one color, with no pattern.
- Headphones or wireless hands-free devices in or on your ears.
- Uniforms, uniform-like clothing or camouflage.
- Jewelry and facial piercings are fine as long as they do not hide your face.
Light, focus and edits
- Even light on your face with no shadows on your face or the wall behind you.
- Sharp, not blurry, grainy or pixelated. No red-eye.
- Original and unedited. The State Department says not to change the photo with software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence.
Where Framefare fits
Framefare does the geometry: it crops to a square, sizes the head inside the allowed range, checks for glasses, a hat, blur and a turned face, and gives you a 600 × 600 JPEG plus a 4 × 6 print sheet with six 2 × 2 photos for $2.49. The preview is free.
Framefare crops and sizes your photo and, if your wall is not white, replaces the background with plain white. The State Department says photos must be original and unedited, and that a background removed with a retouching tool is not acceptable. The safest route is a real white wall or sheet. If you use our background step, look at the preview and keep in mind that staff decide.
Common questions
Can I smile in a US passport photo?
Yes, a natural smile is allowed if your mouth stays closed and your eyes are open. For online uploads the State Department asks you to avoid showing teeth, so a closed-mouth smile is the safe choice.
How recent must the photo be?
Taken within the last 6 months. Appearance changes such as a new hair color or growing a beard are small; big changes such as major facial surgery mean a new passport.
Does my hair have to stay inside the frame?
No. Hair can extend past the edge as long as your whole head is visible and the head size is between 1 and 1 3/8 inches.
Do babies have to open their eyes?
A baby’s eyes may be not entirely open. Every other child must have open eyes. No one else can be in the photo, so lay the baby on a plain white sheet.
What pixel size is a passport photo?
The State Department does not set one for passport uploads. It sets 54 KB to 10 MB. A 2 × 2 inch print at 300 dpi is 600 × 600 pixels, the minimum size accepted for visa photos.
Sources
- Passport Photos, travel.state.gov (updated Mar 24, 2026)
- Uploading a Digital Photo, travel.state.gov (updated May 4, 2026)
Rules checked October 21, 2026. Framefare is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State, USCIS or any government agency, and cannot guarantee that your photo is accepted.