ID & document photos · US Department of State

US passport photo, cropped and sized to spec

Fit your head to the oval and the crop matches the head-height range in the published guidance. Your photo never leaves this device.

Print size
2 × 2 in
Pixels
600 × 600
Head height
50–69 %
File size
54 KB – 10 MB
1
Upload your photo
JPG · PNG · HEIC
2
Fit your head to the oval
Drag to move · pinch or slide to resize

Make your head fill the oval — hair near the top edge, chin near the bottom. It does not need to be exact. Anywhere between the solid and dashed outlines is within spec.

3
Check and download
4
Compress to an exact size
Every candidate is measured, not guessed

The engine will not go below the minimum width, because under it the photo stops meeting the portal's own spec. It also will not go under 54 KB — US Department of State rejects files that are too small. Sharpening is disabled here, because US Department of State rejects enhanced or retouched photos.

What US Department of State requires

Source: https://travel.state.gov/en/passports/apply/help/photos.html · last checked 2026-08-13

We re-check these figures roughly every quarter, but US Department of State can change them without notice and different portals sometimes ask for different limits. Confirm the numbers on the form you are filing before you submit.

Common questions

Why do passport photos get rejected?
The Department of State states that unacceptable photos are the leading reason applications are put on hold, and lists head size, background, shadows and glasses among the causes. Their photo examples page shows what passes and what does not.
What file size does an online renewal need?
The renewal guidance published at the time of our last check gave a range of 54 KB to 10 MB — note that it has a floor as well as a ceiling. The visa upload uses a different limit. Check the figure shown on your own application before submitting.
Is cropping allowed?
The published guidance says photos must not be retouched, filtered or altered, and that the renewal application itself includes a crop step. We read that as cropping and resizing being distinct from enhancement, and this tool does not sharpen or retouch for US documents — but we cannot speak for how any application will be assessed.
Does the file leave my device?
No. Every step runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or transmitted.