Quick answer: A USA passport photo must be 51 × 51 mm with white or off-white background. Head occupies 49–69% of photo height. Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
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| Format | 51 × 51 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 49–69% of photo height |
| Background | White or off-white background. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head centred. |
| Expression | Neutral expression or slight natural smile; both eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses prohibited, except for rare documented medical exceptions. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Ordinary everyday clothing; uniforms and uniform-like clothing not permitted. |
| Digital resolution | 600 × 600 px |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | Check the authority portal before upload |
US passport photos go through two checks before acceptance. The first is the **State Department Photo Tool** (travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html) — applicants can drop a digital file into it before printing or submitting. The tool runs an ICAO 9303 dimensional + biometric check (size, head ratio, bg uniformity, eye line position) and returns pass/fail with the specific failure reason. The second is human review at the Passport Acceptance Facility or Lockbox processing centre. Staff follow the State Department Photo Procedures (7 FAM 1320) and reject for any of 6 categories: dimensional non-compliance, background non-compliance, expression/eyes, glasses/headwear, image quality, photo age. The accepted photo is digitised and embedded into the e-Passport chip per ICAO 9303 — match scores below 0.7 at future border crossings trigger secondary screening. Choose your photo carefully: it stays bound to the document for the 10-year validity period (5 years for under-16s).
| Authority | U.S. Department of State |
|---|---|
| Source | U.S. Department of State passport photos |
| Verified | |
| Confidence | Official — exact |
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for USA passport applications. The final decision always belongs to U.S. Department of State, but these are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Upload a portrait — the tool crops, removes the background and checks compliance against the 51 × 51 mm rule automatically.
Use a blank white wall or tape a white bedsheet flat — avoid creases. Stand at least 50 cm from the surface so your shadow does not fall onto it. Patterned wallpaper or any textured surface creates a gradient that fails the automated background check, even if it looks white to the eye.
Face a large window during daylight hours. Even, frontal, diffused natural light produces the cleanest indoor result. Never use on-camera flash — it creates hard shadows on the background and washes out facial geometry. Turn off any coloured indoor light sources.
Extend your chin slightly forward and downward — this elongates the neck and sharpens the jawline. Keep your head level: the camera must be exactly at eye height. Tilting up or down distorts the biometric head-height ratio.
Keep both shoulders square to the camera. Passport standards require a straight-on stance — turned shoulders shift the perceived centre of the face and will cause the automated alignment check to fail.
Glasses prohibited, except for rare documented medical exceptions In practice, the biometric scanner flags even minor glare invisible to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
Look directly into the lens. Keep a completely neutral expression — no smile, raised eyebrows or squinting. Mouth closed and relaxed. Biometric matching calibrates against the neutral reference stored in the passport chip; any muscular movement lowers the match confidence score.
Avoid white or very light tops — they merge with the white background and make the shoulder outline hard to detect. Deep solid tones work best: navy, dark teal, burgundy or charcoal. No uniforms, hats or accessories that cover the face or neck.
Groom your beard one or two days before shooting — a freshly trimmed beard photographs with the cleanest edge definition. If shaving completely, do so the morning of the shoot and apply a calming balm to reduce redness, which can alter the skin-tone map used by background removal.
U.S. Department of State publishes the following rejection codes. Knowing the exact code on your notice tells you precisely what to fix in the reshoot.
| Code | Reason | Fix |
|---|---|---|
PA-1 |
Dimensional non-compliance (head height outside 1"-1 3/8" range) | Re-shoot with the head occupying ~50-69% of the frame height |
PA-2 |
Background not plain white/off-white (texture, shadow, gradient) | Stand 1-2m from a flat light wall with frontal daylight |
PA-3 |
Glasses present (since 1 Nov 2016) | Remove glasses; medical exception requires GP letter |
PA-4 |
Photo older than 6 months from submission date | Re-shoot with current appearance |
PA-5 |
Non-neutral expression (smile, raised brows, closed eyes) | Practice the relaxed-jaw expression for 30s before the shot |
PA-6 |
Digital quality issues (low resolution, JPEG compression artefacts, filters) | Use rear camera, hold phone still, save unedited |
US passport applications are processed by the Department of State. Three submission channels exist — choose based on urgency, location, and whether this is a new application or renewal.
8,000+ US Post Offices, libraries, court clerk offices
Required for FIRST-TIME applicants and minors under 16
Authority pageNational Passport Processing Center, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh
Eligible only if your most recent passport was issued ≤15 years ago, in your current name, when you were 16+
Authority pagetravel.state.gov/online-renewal
Available since 2024 for eligible renewals; submit digital photo + payment online
Authority pageThe required background is White or off-white background. Even a slightly off-white, grey or cream tone may fail the automated colour check used by passport submission systems. Shadows from the subject onto the wall behind them are the most common cause of this rejection.
The head must be straight and centred. A tilt of even 3–5 degrees is flagged by the ICAO face-alignment algorithm used in USA passport biometric verification. Place the camera at exactly eye level and centre your face horizontally.
Both eyes must be fully visible and clearly open. Glasses glare, a fringe across one eye, or a shadow from overhead lighting across the eye area are automatic rejection triggers in the biometric check.
Biometric matching calibrates against a neutral reference stored in the passport chip. A smile or even a slightly parted mouth shifts facial geometry and lowers the match confidence score, causing the application to be returned.
The digital file must be at minimum 600 × 600 px and free of motion blur or JPEG compression artefacts. Overexposed highlights on the forehead or cheeks erase facial geometry the biometric scanner needs to read.
Most passport authorities require a recent photo taken within the last six months. Even if your appearance has not changed, the application is delayed until a new photo is provided.
The head must occupy the specified percentage of the photo height (see the spec table above). Too close (face fills the frame) or too far (head appears small) both fail at the automated dimension check.
Yes — the new USCIS Application Support Center (ASC) capture mandate from December 12, 2025 applies to immigration forms (I-485, I-765, N-400, N-600), NOT to passport applications. For passport forms DS-11 (new) and DS-82 (renewal), you still submit your own 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) printed photo with a white background.
An Acceptance Facility (8,000+ US Post Offices, libraries, court clerks) accepts first-time applications and minor applications; routine processing takes 6-8 weeks. A Passport Agency (26 locations nationwide) handles urgent travel needs (within 14 days) by appointment only. Both require the same photo standard.
The Photo Tool at travel.state.gov can validate a photo you have already taken, but it does not produce one. Final acceptance is still done by a human reviewer at the Acceptance Facility or by the passport agency processing center per 7 FAM 1320. Common rejections caught by the tool: head not centered, background not white, glasses or shadows visible.
No — the photo specification is identical for routine and expedited applications. Expedited service only changes the processing speed (2-3 weeks instead of 6-8) and adds a $60 fee on top of the standard $130. Same 2×2 inch photo, same white background, same 6-month recency rule.
The USA passport photo must be 51 × 51 mm. The head must occupy 49–69% of the photo height. For digital upload, use 600 × 600 px.
White or off-white background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat white wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the USA biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed — many submission systems check the photo timestamp against the application date.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the USA authority and you supply the official rejection notice. The refund covers the €4.99 download fee in full. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Glasses prohibited, except for rare documented medical exceptions. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
Anfas.Pro is an independent tool and is not affiliated with any government authority. The final decision to accept or reject a document photo rests solely with the issuing authority. Requirements change — always verify on the official authority portal before submitting.