600 × 600 pxDS-160 uploadDigital photo
- A square JPEG of 240 KB or less. Ours is 600 × 600 pixels
- Head between 50% and 69% of the photo’s height
- A plain white or off-white background
- Not digitally enhanced or altered in any way
Home › US visa photo
Checked against the State Department’s visa photo rules
US visa photos, taken at home.
Take it on your phone. We check it against the State Department’s visa photo requirements, then give you the square digital photo the DS-160 asks for and 2 × 2 in prints for your interview. Free to check, $4.99 to download.
or drop a photo anywhere on this page
- Checked on your phone
- Sized for the DS-160
- Free to check
Head 1–1⅜ inChecked for a US visa
- Head 1–1⅜ in, chin to top of head
- Plain white or off-white behind you
- Eyes open, no glasses
- Facing forward, nobody else in it
- 600 × 600 px, under 240 KB
Example photo, AI-generated.
Upload or print?
One photo, a file and a print.
Most visa applications start with the DS-160, which takes a digital photo. Some consulates also ask you to bring a print. You get both from one picture.
600 × 600 pxBringing a print2 × 2 in
- 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), head 1 to 1⅜ inches
- Print the sheet as a 4 × 6 in photo at any drugstore, then cut along the lines
- Check your consulate’s instructions: some ask for a print at the interview, even after an upload
- Taken in the last 6 months
US visa photo requirements
Every the State Department rule, and what we check.
Most of these are checked on your photo before you pay. The one we can’t check is when it was taken.
| Rule | the State Department says | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm); head 1–1⅜ in, or 50–69% of the photo’s height | CheckedCropped to fit from the top of your head and your chin |
| Eye height | 1⅛–1⅜ in from the bottom of the photo | CheckedWhere your eye line falls |
| Digital file | Square JPEG, 240 KB or less | CheckedExported at 600 × 600 px under 240 KB |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, no shadows | CheckedColour, shadows, patterns and anything behind you |
| Eyes | Both eyes open | CheckedClosed eyes |
| Glasses | Not allowed since November 2016, except in rare medical cases with a doctor’s statement | CheckedGlasses, so you can take them off |
| Pose | Full face, directly facing the camera; nobody else in the photo | CheckedTilt, turn, and other people or hands in the frame |
| Unedited | “Must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way” | Our promiseWe never change it, unless you choose to replace the background |
| How recent | Taken in the last 6 months | Up to youWe can’t tell when a photo was taken |
From travel.state.gov, checked November 2026. The consulate always makes the final call. Compare every passport photo size.
Children and babies
Babies and children need one too.
Every visa applicant needs a photo, whatever their age. Tell us the photo is of a child or a baby and we check it that way.
A baby’s eyes need to be open for a visa photo, so pick a time when they’re awake and calm.
No one else can be in the photo, not even a hand holding them up.
Lay them on a plain white sheet, or cover a car seat with one, and take the photo from above.
Taking a baby’s photo? How to take it at home, step by step.
Questions
Good to know.
What are the US visa photo requirements?
A square colour photo, 2 × 2 inches when printed, taken in the last six months against a plain white or off-white background. Your head must measure 1 to 1⅜ inches from chin to top, you must face the camera with both eyes open, and glasses aren’t allowed. The photo can’t be digitally altered.
What size is a US visa photo?
2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) printed. The digital photo for the DS-160 must be a square JPEG of 240 KB or less; we make it 600 × 600 pixels. Your head should fill 50% to 69% of the photo’s height.
Can I take my own US visa photo?
Yes. The rules are about the photo, not who takes it. It works best when someone else takes it from about 4 ft away, in front of a plain white wall with even light. We check it before you pay.
Can I wear glasses in a US visa photo?
No. Glasses haven’t been allowed since November 2016, except in rare medical cases with a signed doctor’s statement. We spot glasses in your photo so you can retake it.
Is a visa photo the same as a US passport photo?
Almost. Both are 2 × 2 inches with the same head size and background. The difference is the file: the DS-160 wants a square JPEG of 240 KB or less, while an online passport renewal takes larger files. Pick the document you’re applying for and we make the right one.
Do I need a printed photo too?
It depends on your consulate. The DS-160 takes the digital photo, and some consulates ask you to bring a print to the interview as well. Check their instructions; you get a print sheet either way.
Can I edit my visa photo or change the background?
No. The State Department says the photo must not be digitally enhanced or altered. We never change your photo unless you choose to replace the background, and we tell you first that it may be rejected.
Your US visa photo, tonight.
Free to check. $4.99 to download both the DS-160 photo and the prints. A drugstore photo costs about $15–18.
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