SmartIDPhoto · Guides · Photo sizes
US Passport Photo Requirements: Size, Glasses, Background
A US passport photo is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), in color, on a plain white or off-white background, taken within the last 6 months. The rule that surprises most people: no glasses at all, not even clear ones. Here is everything the photo needs.
Requirements change. Please check the latest official requirements before you submit.
The requirements at a glance
| Photo size | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) |
|---|---|
| Head size | 1 to 1⅜ in (25–35 mm), from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head |
| Position | head and shoulders centered, the whole head visible |
| Background | plain white or off-white: no shadows, texture, lines or objects |
| Glasses | none (a doctor's signed note is needed if they cannot be removed for medical reasons) |
| Age and color | color photo, taken within the last 6 months |
Glasses, hats and other details
- Glasses: remove eyeglasses, sunglasses and tinted glasses, and do not push them up onto your head.
- Hats and head coverings: remove them, unless worn for religious or medical reasons. Then you need a signed statement (religious) or a doctor's statement (medical), and the covering must leave the full face visible without shadows.
- Expression: neutral, or a natural smile with the mouth closed; both eyes open.
- Clothing: no uniform, nothing that looks like a uniform, no camouflage. No headphones or wireless earbuds.
- No edits: the photo must be the original. No filters, no retouching, no AI changes.
How to take it at home
- Stand a few feet in front of a plain white wall. A white sheet over a door or wall works too.
- Use even light from the front, for example facing a window. Avoid overhead lights, which cast shadows.
- Have someone hold the phone at eye level, a few feet away. A selfie at arm's length makes the head look too big.
- Set the camera to its highest quality and keep the photo sharp.
- For a baby, lay the baby on a plain white sheet; a baby's eyes do not have to be fully open. Nobody else may appear in the photo.
Printing it
Print on matte or glossy photo paper, at 100 % / actual size. A 4 × 6 inch print from a pharmacy photo counter or an online print service holds several 2 × 2 photos and usually costs well under a dollar. Do not submit a photocopy, a scan or a photo with creases or smudges.
Making it with SmartIDPhoto
SmartIDPhoto turns a phone photo into a 2 × 2 inch photo with the head at the required size, a 600 × 600 pixel digital file, and a print sheet for 4 × 6 in, 5 × 7 in, Letter or A4 paper. It checks the photo first for closed eyes, a turned head, hands near the face, sunglasses and headwear; clear glasses you have to take off yourself.
Please note: SmartIDPhoto replaces the background, and the US rules ask for an unedited photo. Take the photo against a plain white wall so the result stays as close to the original as possible, and check the official requirements before you submit.
Make a US passport photo (2 × 2 in)
Make the photo