U.S. Department of State
US passport photo requirements
US passport photos follow two different paths depending on how you apply. This page covers both: a printed 2×2 inch photo for paper applications, and the digital file rules for online renewal.
Paper application / printing: the photo is 2×2 inches (51×51 mm) on photo paper, with your head measuring 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) chin to crown. It must not be altered by editing software before printing.
Online renewal digital upload: the Department of State accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, or HEIF files between 54 KB and 10 MB. Upload an original, unedited digital image — not a scan or photograph of a printed photo. Cropping and repositioning happen inside the official application; do not pre-crop. There is no 600–1200 pixel square requirement for passport renewal (that rule belongs to US visa digital images — see our US visa and DV pages).
The checker below applies only to the online-renewal digital limits. It inspects your file and does not resize, crop, or re-encode it.
Official source: travel.state.gov — Passport Photo Requirements
Official source checked on 2026-07-08. This records when we compared our summary to the linked government page — not when the tool was QA-tested. Requirements can change; always confirm the current rules on the official page before you apply.
Reviewed by the ExactPic Editorial Team against the official source above. See how we verify requirements.
Specifications
- Paper — print size
- 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm)
- Paper — head size
- Chin to crown 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm)
- Paper — background
- Plain white or off-white
- Paper — editing
- Must not be altered by software before printing
- Online renewal — formats
- JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, HEIF
- Online renewal — file size
- 54 KB to 10 MB
- Online renewal — image
- Original digital photo; not a scan of a print
- Online renewal — cropping
- Done inside the official application (do not pre-crop)
- Age of photo
- Taken within the last 6 months
Every value in this table is summarized from travel.state.gov — Passport Photo Requirements (U.S. Department of State), checked 2026-07-08. Confirm the current values on the official page before you apply.
Check your photo
The tool below is set to the official digital limits. Drop your photo in to check it against each requirement — nothing is uploaded or altered.
Check-only for online renewal: confirms format and the 54 KB–10 MB file-size range. Upload a clear, uncropped head-and-shoulders original — the government application handles cropping. The State Department accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, and HEIF. If you drop a HEIC/HEIF here, ExactPic converts it to JPG in your browser (JPG is also accepted) so it can be checked and uploaded; your original file is never sent anywhere.
Drop an image here, or click to browse
HEIC, JPG, PNG, WebP
- Auto-checked
- File size, pixel dimensions, aspect ratio, and file format.
- You must verify yourself
- Head size and position, background, lighting, expression, and colour profile — the tool cannot judge these.
Compliance note. This checks the online-renewal file format and file-size range (54 KB–10 MB) only. It does not judge head position, expression, lighting, background, print quality, or whether the passport system will accept your photo.
Reviewed by ExactPic editorial against the official source on 2026-07-08. Spotted something out of date or wrong? Report an incorrect requirement.
Step by step
Photograph on a white background
Face the camera directly with a neutral expression and even lighting on a plain white background, taken within the last 6 months.
Do not crop or edit it yourself
For online renewal the government application crops and positions the photo. For a paper application, have it printed at 2×2 inches without software edits.
Check the file below
Confirm the format and file size are within the online-renewal limits, then upload the original photo in the official application.
Private by design. Any photo you check here is processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded. ExactPic is not affiliated with U.S. Department of State and does not guarantee acceptance — always follow the official guidance.
Source change log
- 2026-07-09 — Clarified HEIC/HEIF handling: the checker converts HEIC to JPG in-browser (both accepted by the State Department) rather than only inspecting it, matching the tool's actual behavior.
- 2026-07-09 — Split paper (2×2 in print) and online-renewal digital specs on one page; added 54 KB minimum to the checker.
- 2026-07-08 — Corrected the page: removed the 600–1200 px square requirement (that is a visa rule) and documented the online-renewal JPG/PNG/HEIC/HEIF 54 KB–10 MB spec with in-app cropping.
Other portals
Frequently asked questions
- What file size does a US passport photo need to be for online renewal?
- For online passport renewal, the digital photo must be between 54 KB and 10 MB. It can be a JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, or HEIF file. Printed 2×2 inch photos for a paper application have no digital file-size requirement.
- Does a US passport photo have to be 600×600 pixels?
- No. The 600×600 to 1200×1200 pixel square rule applies to US visa and Diversity Visa photos, not passports. For passport renewal you upload an original digital photo and the official application handles cropping.
- Should I crop my US passport photo before uploading it?
- No. For online renewal, cropping and repositioning happen inside the official application. Upload the original, unedited photo — do not pre-crop or edit it with software.
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How we verify requirements
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Official source checked: 2026-07-08