U.S. Passport Photo Requirements
An acceptable passport photo is required for every U.S. passport application. According to the U.S. Department of State, unacceptable photos are the most common reason passport applications are placed on hold. Review the requirements below before taking or submitting your photo.
U.S. Passport Photo Checklist
Your passport photo must:
- Be a recent color photo taken within the last six months
- Measure 2 × 2 inches when printed
- Show your full face directly facing the camera
- Have a plain white or off-white background
- Use clear, even lighting without shadows
- Show your eyes open and your mouth closed
- Be clear, high-resolution, and in focus
- Be an original, unedited photo
- Be printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper when submitting a printed photo
Passport Photo Size and Position
A printed U.S. passport photo must measure exactly 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm).
Your head must measure between 1 and 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of your chin to the top of your head. Your head and shoulders should be centered, and your full head must be visible.
Face the camera directly. Do not tilt, lower, raise, or turn your head. Position yourself several feet away from the camera and background to help maintain the correct proportions and prevent shadows.
Background and Lighting
Use a plain white or off-white background without textures, patterns, lines, objects, or visible shadows.
Lighting should be even across your face and accurately reproduce your natural skin tone. Avoid lighting that makes the photo:
- Too bright or washed out
- Too dark
- Discolored
- Shadowed on the face or background
Facial Expression and Visibility
Look directly at the camera with both eyes open and clearly visible. Your mouth must be closed.
A neutral expression is acceptable. You may also have a natural smile as long as your eyes remain open and your mouth is closed.
Make sure that hair, clothing, scarves, hands, or other objects do not cover any part of your face.
Photo Quality
Your passport photo must be clear, sharp, and high-resolution. Do not submit a photo that is:
- Blurry, grainy, or pixelated
- Overexposed or underexposed
- Damaged, creased, or smudged
- A photocopy or scan of another photo
- Printed with visible dots or poor color quality
- Affected by red eye
Printed photos must be produced on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
Digital Editing and AI-Generated Images
Submit the original, unchanged photo. Do not alter your passport photo using:
- Photo-editing software
- Phone applications or filters
- Background-removal or replacement tools
- Beauty or facial-retouching tools
- Artificial intelligence
- Image-stretching or compression
Do not digitally change your facial features, skin tone, clothing, background, or red eye. If the original photo does not meet the requirements, take a new photo instead of digitally correcting it.
Glasses, Head Coverings, and Clothing
Remove eyeglasses, sunglasses, and tinted glasses. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, include a signed statement from your doctor.
Hats and head coverings are generally not permitted. A head covering worn daily for religious or medical reasons may be allowed with the required signed statement. It must not cover any part of your face or create shadows.
Do not wear:
- Uniforms or clothing that resembles a uniform
- Camouflage clothing
- Headphones or wireless earpieces
- Face coverings or medical masks
Jewelry and facial piercings are acceptable if they do not hide any part of your face.
Passport Photos for Babies and Children
A child must appear alone in the passport photo. No parent, guardian, hand, toy, or other person may be visible.
For babies and young children:
- Place the child on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with the sheet.
- Make sure the child’s full face is visible.
- Keep hands, toys, and pacifiers away from the face.
- Avoid shadows on the child’s face or background.
- The child should face the camera with a neutral expression.
- A baby’s eyes do not need to be completely open, but older children’s eyes must be open.
Submitting Your Passport Photo
When applying through US Passport Assist, you may upload your photo for compliance review. If you do not upload a photo, you may include a printed 2 × 2-inch passport photo with your application package by following the instructions provided for your application type.
One guided application asks the official eligibility questions, routes you to the correct form, and is reviewed by a specialist before you're charged.