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United States passport photo

United States passport photo requirements: 51 × 51 mm. Check background, head position, expression, glasses and print or digital format. Official document-specific guidance

No registrationDigital file + print sheetPublic source-backed rules

Upload the source portrait

First the portrait, then the document and only the settings that matter.

Upload photo
Choose a portrait from the gallery or use the camera
Face forwardEven lightingNo heavy shadowsNeutral expression
Start with the portrait first so the correct format and rules can be applied to the selected document.
Step 2

Review the photo and choose the document

Just the preview, the document and a few necessary options.

What you get
Ready digital file
Download a normalized file for online forms, uploads and personal storage.
Print sheet
The same result can be exported as a print-ready sheet for common paper sizes.
Rules matched to the document
Format 51 × 51 mm. This page is checked against public document-specific guidance.
1 Upload a portrait
2 Select the document
3 Download the result
Processing photo…
AI adapts your portrait to the selected document. Usually 30–60 seconds.
Result
Why This Page Is Practical
No registration
Open the workflow from this page directly without creating an account.
Digital + print
The same result gives you a normalized digital file and a print sheet for common paper sizes.
Source transparency
This page shows the source authority, verification level and last verified date.
Route-aware rules
This workflow is tuned for documents that still accept applicant photos.

What this page covers

This page summarizes the photo rules for United States passport photo. The main print format is 51 × 51 mm.

Use the checklist below to confirm background, face position, glasses and lighting, then prepare the file online with PhotoDocs.

The reference source for this profile is U.S. Department of State.

Source and verification

VerificationOfficial document-specific guidance
SourceU.S. Department of State
Last verified2026-03-24

This page follows document-specific public guidance published by U.S. Department of State.

Official document-specific photo rules were verified on 2026-04-06 using U.S. Department of State.

How this page is checked
Structured document profile
This page is maintained as a document profile inside PhotoDocs, not as a generic blog post or a broad passport-photo landing page.
Source and verification
The requirements on this page are tied to U.S. Department of State. The page shows its verification level and the last checked date 2026-03-24.
Where AI is used
AI is used to prepare the output photo. Source links, requirement notes and verification labels are stored in the page data and are not inferred from the uploaded portrait.

Trust center

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Photo requirements

Format 51 × 51 mm
Digital file 600 × 600 px
Head height 49–69%
Background White or off-white background.
Pose Straight full-face, head centered.
Expression Neutral expression or a slight natural smile; both eyes open.
Glasses Glasses are prohibited except for rare medically documented exceptions.
Lighting Shadows, overexposure and glare are not allowed.
Head covering Only for religious reasons and without covering the facial outline.

How to take this photo correctly

  • Start with a recent, sharp portrait for United States passport photo.
  • Keep the pose aligned with the rule: Straight full-face, head centered.
  • Use a clean setup that matches the required background: White or off-white background.
  • Check eyewear before submission: Glasses are prohibited except for rare medically documented exceptions.

Common reasons this photo gets rejected

  • The background does not match the rule: White or off-white background.
  • The head is tilted, too close to the edge or cropped too tightly.
  • Glasses, glare, hair or shadows make the eyes hard to see.
  • The facial expression does not match the rule: Neutral expression or a slight natural smile; both eyes open.

More document photo pages for United States

DV Lottery photo 51 × 51 mm · Official document-specific guidance EAD work permit photo 51 × 51 mm · Official public guidance United States naturalization certificate photo 51 × 51 mm · Official public guidance United States visa photo 51 × 51 mm · Official document-specific guidance US Green Card photo 51 × 51 mm · Official public guidance

Same document type in other countries: passport

Armenia passport photo 35 × 45 mm · Official public guidance Austria passport photo 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance Azerbaijan passport photo 30 × 40 mm / 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance Belarus passport photo 40 × 50 mm · ICAO-derived baseline Belgium passport photo 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance Bulgaria passport photo Live biometric capture at the authority · Official public guidance China passport photo 33 × 48 mm · Official public guidance Croatia passport photo 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance Denmark passport photo 35 × 45 mm · Official document-specific guidance Egypt passport photo 51 × 51 mm · Official public guidance

FAQ

51 × 51 mm. Digital file: 600 × 600 px.
White or off-white background. Straight full-face, head centered. Neutral expression or a slight natural smile; both eyes open.
Glasses are prohibited except for rare medically documented exceptions. Only for religious reasons and without covering the facial outline.
This page follows document-specific public guidance published by U.S. Department of State.
Yes. Start with a sharp, evenly lit portrait and let PhotoDocs crop and normalize the output for the selected document.