Passport Photo Size
Updated October 2026
If you're submitting an application for a passport, you'll also have to submit a passport picture with your application. To do this properly, you need to know the correct passport picture size to submit. For U.S. passports, your passport picture size should be 2 inches by 2 inches (51 mm by 51 mm). In addition to the photo size, there are also a number of other specifics related to the way the photo is taken that are necessary for the passport image to be accepted.
- The passport picture must be 2 inches by 2 inches (51 mm by 51 mm)
- From the bottom of your chin to the top of your head should measure between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (25 mm - 35 mm) in the printed picture. Your hair may extend past the edges of the photo, as long as your entire head is shown.
- Your head and shoulders should be centered in the photo, with you directly facing the camera.
Source: the U.S. State Department's official Passport Photos requirements.
Passport Picture Specifics
- The photo must be color. Black and white passport pictures aren't acceptable.
- The picture must be printed on high quality glossy or matte photo paper.
- The passport picture background must be white or off-white.
- You can't digitally manipulate your image or use a filter.
- The picture can't be over or underexposed.
- Have someone else take your photo, such as a friend or family member, a photo service, or a passport acceptance facility. Position yourself several feet away from the camera so your head is the correct size.
Passport Picture Pose & Expression
- Avoid exaggerated facial expressions. You can smile in your photo, but your mouth must be closed. For online renewal photos, the State Department says to use a neutral expression or natural smile and avoid showing teeth.
- You must be facing straight ahead with your full face showing, not a profile, and you must show the entire head.
- Both your eyes must be open.
- The picture must be recent and taken within the last 6 months.
- The image must reflect your current appearance.
Acceptable Passport Picture Attire
- No eyeglasses, sunglasses, or tinted glasses, and don't rest them on your head. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, include a signed note from your doctor with your application.
- You should wear the clothes you normally wear each day at home.
- You can't wear any type of uniform or clothes that appear to be a uniform.
- No hats or other head coverings. If you wear one for religious purposes, submit a signed statement that says it is religious attire worn daily in public. If you wear one for medical purposes, submit a signed doctor's statement that says you wear it for medical purposes. Your full face must still be visible with no shadows, and the covering should be one color without patterns or small holes.
- No headphones or other wireless devices should appear in the picture.
- It's acceptable to wear jewelry as long as it doesn't obscure your face.
- It's acceptable to wear piercings as long as they don't obscure your face.
- Permanent tattoos are acceptable and shouldn't be hidden.
Passport Image Size (digital)
If you're renewing your U.S. passport online, you upload a digital photo instead of mailing a print. The State Department doesn't set pixel dimensions for this photo (you can crop it in the application), but the file must be a JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, or HEIF and between 54 KB and 10 MB. It must be in color, taken in the last 6 months, and not a photo or scan of a printed picture. Frame it so the bottom of the photo is the edge of your shoulders near where they connect to your arms. See the official Uploading a Digital Photo page for details.
If you're printing your own digital photo, there's no official pixel requirement either. What matters is the print: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), high resolution and not blurry, grainy, or pixelated, on matte or glossy photo-quality paper. At 300 dpi, a 2 x 2 inch print works out to 600 x 600 pixels. The "600 x 600 pixel, 240 KB or less" digital rule you may see elsewhere is for Diversity Visa lottery entries, not U.S. passports.
Related Image Size Guides
Need dimensions for other platforms? Check out these related guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is the size of a US passport picture?
A US passport picture must be 2 inches by 2 inches. There are also a list other specifics besides size a passport picture must meet to be acceptable by the passport office.
Where is the cheapest place to get passport photos?
Prices vary from area to area. Costco used to be the usual low-cost pick, but it closed its in-store photo centers in February 2021 and no longer takes passport photos. The cheapest route now is to have a friend or family member take the photo and print it yourself at 2 x 2 inches on photo paper. Drugstores, shipping stores, and passport acceptance facilities also take them for a fee.
What is the size of a UK passport photo?
A UK passport photo must be 35 mm (width) by 45 mm (height)