Is the DS-160 photo the same as a passport photo?

Published guidance gives the same printed dimensions but different file rules for the visa upload, including a lower size cap. Confirm both against the requirements shown in your own application.

What if the upload still fails?

Colour space and file format are common causes reported by applicants — the guidance calls for colour JPEG in sRGB. If the portal states a specific reason for rejection, follow that message rather than any general advice.

ID & document photos · US Department of State

US visa photo for the DS-160 upload

Line the head up, then compress to the file size the DS-160 upload asks for. Your photo never leaves this device.

Print size: 2 × 2 in
Pixels: 600 × 600
Head height: 50–69 %
File size: max 240 KB

Upload your photo

JPG · PNG · HEIC

Fit your head to the oval

Drag to move · pinch or slide to resize

Size 100%

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.

Check and download

Compress to an exact size

Every candidate is measured, not guessed

Target size (KB)

Minimum width (px)

The engine will not go below the minimum width, because under it the photo stops meeting the portal's own spec. Sharpening is disabled here, because US Department of State rejects enhanced or retouched photos.

What US Department of State requires

Square, minimum 600 × 600 pixels, maximum 1200 × 1200
Head between 50% and 69% of the image height
Taken within the last 6 months
Plain white or off-white background
JPEG only, 240 KB maximum
Colour, 24-bit — greyscale is rejected

Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/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

Is the DS-160 photo the same as a passport photo?: Published guidance gives the same printed dimensions but different file rules for the visa upload, including a lower size cap. Confirm both against the requirements shown in your own application.
What if the upload still fails?: Colour space and file format are common causes reported by applicants — the guidance calls for colour JPEG in sRGB. If the portal states a specific reason for rejection, follow that message rather than any general advice.