United States
2 government-specification photo formats.
Overview
The United States photo standard for both passports and nonimmigrant visas (DS-160 / DS-260) is issued by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. A single physical geometry governs both document types: a 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) square print at a 1:1 aspect ratio, in color, on a plain white or off-white background, with the head occupying roughly 50%–69% of the frame height — a smaller head fraction than most ICAO biometric defaults used elsewhere.
The most consequential divergence is the submission path. Passport applications accept either a printed photo on matte or glossy photo paper or a digital upload during online renewal, with the digital target at 600 × 600 px and a generous file-size ceiling of about 10 MB. The DS-160 visa upload is digital-only — there is no print path — accepts JPEG only, requires 600 × 600 px as a floor with a 1200 × 1200 px ceiling, and enforces a hard 240 KB file-size cap. The DS-160 system additionally runs automated ICAO-style quality checks at submission, so borderline photos that a human reviewer might accept for a printed passport can still fail the visa upload.
Both documents require a photo taken within the last six months. Eyeglasses are not permitted in either passport or visa photos — the visa prohibition has been in force since November 2016, and a medical exception requires a signed doctor's statement. Sunglasses, tinted lenses, hats, and non-religious head coverings are prohibited; religious and medical head coverings are permitted with the appropriate signed statement provided the full face from chin to forehead remains visible. Uniforms, camouflage, digital filters, beautification, AI enhancement, and selfies that fail the geometric or lighting constraints are all rejected.
Issuing authorities
- U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs — U.S. passport and nonimmigrant visa (DS-160 / DS-260).
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Which U.S. documents share the same photo specification?
A single physical geometry governs both the passport and the nonimmigrant visa (DS-160 / DS-260): 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) square in color on a plain white or off-white background, with the head occupying 50–69% of the frame. Both are issued by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs.
What is the standard U.S. passport photo size?
2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) square in color on a white or off-white background. The digital target is 600 × 600 px. Passport submissions accept files up to about 10 MB; the DS-160 visa upload requires 600 × 600 px floor with a 1200 × 1200 px ceiling, JPEG only, capped at 240 KB.
Can I reuse my U.S. passport photo for a DS-160 visa?
The print geometry is identical (2 × 2 in, white background, 50–69% head height), but the DS-160 is digital-only — there is no print path — and enforces a hard 240 KB JPEG cap with automated ICAO-style quality checks. A photo that passes a printed passport review can still fail the visa upload, so the file may need recompression and dimension matching.
Why does the DS-160 visa upload reject photos that pass a passport review?
The DS-160 enforces a hard 240 KB JPEG cap, requires 600 × 600 px floor with a 1200 × 1200 px ceiling, and runs automated ICAO-style quality checks at submission. Borderline photos that a human reviewer might accept for a printed passport can still fail the visa upload — the automated thresholds are stricter than the manual passport review.
What gets a U.S. photo rejected most often?
Wearing eyeglasses (prohibited in passport and visa photos since November 2016 unless a signed doctor's statement covers a medical exception), photos older than six months, files over the DS-160's 240 KB cap, and uniforms, hats, sunglasses, or non-religious head coverings. Selfies that fail the geometric or lighting checks are also rejected.
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