USA · 11 documents
USA document photo requirements
USA has 11 verified document photo formats covered on this site. Pick the document you need — each page lists the exact size, background, head ratio, and the official source it was verified against.
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USA · 11
| Document | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA11 documents | ||||
| USA |
US Passport, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
Green Card Lottery (DV), USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
US Visa, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
Green Card, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
Work Authorization (EAD), USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
Advance Parole Document, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
Form I-130 (Spouse Petition), USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
Naturalization Certificate, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
Refugee Travel Document, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
TPS Travel Authorization, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
| USA |
US Passport Card, USA | 51 × 51 mm | White | |
What these formats have in common — USA
- 01Every format here uses the same photo size: 51 × 51 mm.
- 02The background depends on the document: Plain, one colour, White or off-white, Plain white. Check the row before you shoot.
- 03Across these formats the head takes 49–69% of the picture height.
- 047 documents — you supply the photo yourself.
- 054 documents work either way — bring a photo of your own, or have it taken at the office.
- 06These entries were last read between 17 May 2026 and 30 Sep 2026.
- 07A single document can still add rules of its own on top of this — the document page is the complete list.
Photo specifications at a glance — USA
| Document | Photo size | Head in frame | Background | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advance Parole Document | 51 × 51 mm | 50–69% | Plain, one colour | |
| Green Card Lottery (DV) | 51 × 51 mm | 50–69% | White or off-white | |
| Form I-130 (Spouse Petition) | 51 × 51 mm | 50–69% | Plain white | |
| Green Card | 51 × 51 mm | 49–69% | White or off-white | |
| Naturalization Certificate | 51 × 51 mm | 49–69% | White or off-white | |
| US Passport | 51 × 51 mm | 49–69% | White or off-white | |
| US Passport Card | 51 × 51 mm | 50–69% | Plain, one colour | |
| Refugee Travel Document | 51 × 51 mm | 50–69% | Plain, one colour | |
| TPS Travel Authorization | 51 × 51 mm | 50–69% | Plain, one colour | |
| US Visa | 51 × 51 mm | 50–69% | White or off-white | |
| Work Authorization (EAD) | 51 × 51 mm | 49–69% | White or off-white |
How to make such a photo
For the selected document — USA US Passport, 51 × 51 mm. Three ways; pick the one that suits you.
With a phone at home
Ask someone to photograph you against a light wall in daylight, the phone at eye level. Then, for free:
With AI from a selfie
Upload any selfie — the AI builds a photo to the selected document’s rules: size, background, light and head position. You see the result before you pay.
€5.99per photo, one-off, no subscription
If it’s rejected, we refund you
Make it from a selfie- 10 × 15 sheet · 2 photos 51 × 51 mm
In a photo studio
If you need a printed photo today, show the photographer the requirements from the document’s page. And a ready phone photo we will lay out on a 10 × 15 or A4 sheet for free — print it at any photo studio.
Where these rules come from — USA
Every document lists the issuing authority, a link to its rules and the date we checked them. The drawings show only numbers from those rules.
| Form I-130 (Spouse Petition)U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Open the official page | |
| Refugee Travel DocumentU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Open the official page | |
| TPS Travel AuthorizationU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Open the official page | |
| Advance Parole DocumentU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Open the official page | |
| US Passport CardU.S. Department of State. Open the official page | |
| Green CardUSCIS. Open the official page | |
| Naturalization CertificateUSCIS. Open the official page | |
| Work Authorization (EAD)USCIS. Open the official page | |
| US PassportU.S. Department of State. Open the official page | |
| US VisaU.S. Department of State. Open the official page | |
| Green Card Lottery (DV)U.S. Department of State. Open the official page |
Recent notes — USA
Short notes we wrote when a requirement, a form or a submission portal changed.
- US Visa Photo Requirements: 2 x 2 Inches, White Background, No Glasses, Taken Within 6 MonthsUS visa photo: colour, under 6 months old, white or off-white background, head 1 to 1 3/8 in (50-69 % of the image), no glasses.
- Renew a U.S. Passport Online From Abroad: State Department Proposes Opening Online Renewal OverseasA proposed rule would let Americans abroad renew a U.S.
- First U.S. Passport Online: America.gov Will Let You Take the Passport Photo at HomeRubio, 29 Sept 2026: first passports fully online on America.gov from next year, photo taken on your phone.
- TPS Travel Authorization Photo Requirements (Form I-131): Two 2x2 Photos, White Background, Head 1–1 3/8 InchFor a TPS Travel Authorization on Form I-131 you send two identical 2x2 inch colour photos on a white to off-white background, head 1–1 3/8 inch.
Tables and free tools
- Every specification in one table — USAThe same rows, plus the source and how each value was verified.
- Check a photo you already have — free, in your browserIt measures the frame — head height, eye line, background — and names what to fix before you submit.