US Visa Photo Requirements: 2 × 2 Inches, White Background, No Glasses
A US visa photo is square: 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) printed, or 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels as a JPEG of at most 240 kB for online forms. It must be in colour, taken within the last 6 months on a plain white or off-white background, without eyeglasses, and must not be digitally altered.
Size: printed and digital
Nonimmigrant applicants (Form DS-160) upload the digital image with the online form; some embassies also ask you to bring one printed photo to the interview. Immigrant visa applicants (DS-260) bring two identical printed photos. In centimetres, 2 × 2 inches is 5.08 × 5.08 cm, the same as a Philippine 2x2 picture.
| What | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Printed photo | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm), photo-quality paper |
| Digital image | Square, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, JPEG, sRGB colour |
| File size | 240 kB or less (compression ratio up to 20:1) |
| Head size | 1 to 1 3/8 in (22 to 35 mm), 50% to 69% of the height, chin to top of head |
Background, clothing, glasses
- Plain white or off-white background, full face directly facing the camera.
- Neutral expression, both eyes open.
- The clothes you normally wear every day. No uniforms, except religious clothing worn daily.
- No hat or head covering that hides the hair or hairline, unless worn daily for religious reasons, and it must not shadow your face.
- No eyeglasses, except in rare medical cases with a signed medical statement. No headphones or wireless devices; a hearing device you normally wear is fine.
- Taken within the last 6 months and showing how you look now.
No editing, no AI
The State Department says photos “must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way”, and it wants your everyday clothes, not an outfit. So don't use AI attire, beauty filters or background replacement for a visa photo. Stand in front of a white wall instead, and only crop and resize the photo.
How to make it at home
Open the 2x2 Picture Maker, choose the photo and zoom so your head, from chin to top of hair, fills about half to two thirds of the square. Download the single picture: it is 600 × 600 pixels, the size the State Department asks for. If the file is over 240 kB, run it through the Image Compressor with a 240 KB limit. For printed copies, download the 4R sheet and print it at 100%.
- Stand about 50 cm in front of a plain white wall, facing a window for even daylight with no shadows.
- Have someone hold the phone at your eye level, about 1 to 1.5 m away. No selfies at arm's length.
- Take off your glasses and anything that covers your hairline.
FAQ
- What size is a US visa photo in cm?
- 5.08 × 5.08 cm (2 × 2 inches, 51 × 51 mm). As a digital image it is square, from 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels.
- Can I wear glasses in my US visa photo?
- No. Eyeglasses are no longer allowed in new visa photos, except in rare medical cases with a signed medical statement.
- Can I edit my US visa photo or change the background?
- No. The photo must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance. Take it in front of a plain white or off-white wall and only crop it.
- How old can my US visa photo be?
- It must be taken within the last 6 months and reflect your current appearance.
- What file size does the DS-160 photo need?
- A JPEG of 240 kB or less, square, between 600 × 600 and 1200 × 1200 pixels.