US Passport Photo Requirements: 2x2 Inches, Head Height and Background Explained

The single most common reason a US passport photo is refused is not lighting or a smile — it is that the photo was made for a different country. Most of the world uses a 35 x 45 mm portrait photo; the United States uses a square. Here are the numbers the State Department publishes, and how to hit them.

The requirements at a glance

Why 2x2 is not the same as “passport size”

If you search “passport photo size”, most answers will say 35 x 45 mm. That is the UK, German, Indian and Schengen format. A 35 x 45 mm portrait is not a valid US photo, and cropping it to a square usually leaves the head too small or cuts off the top of the hair. Start from a photo taken with room around the head, then crop to a square that puts the head in the required 1 to 1 3/8 inch band — about half to two thirds of the frame height.

Head size: the rule that trips people up

The head measurement is taken from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, hair included. At 2 inches in total height, that means a head that fills roughly half to two thirds of the picture. A close-up phone selfie cropped to a square often produces a head that is too big; a wide shot cropped down often produces one that is too small. The fix is the same: have someone take the picture from a little distance (or use a timer and a stand), then crop with the head measured, not guessed.

Background, light and expression

• Background: white or off-white, evenly lit, with no shadows, texture or lines. A door frame or a wall with a pattern will fail.
• Light: no shadows on the face and no glare; do not use a flash that leaves reflections.
• Pose: facing the camera directly, head centred, both eyes open.
• Expression: neutral, or a natural smile.
• Clothing: everyday clothes; uniforms and uniform-like clothing are not accepted.
• Head coverings: only for religious reasons, and the face must remain fully visible.

Glasses

Eyeglasses must be removed, with an exception only for documented medical cases. That is stricter than many people expect if they have worn glasses in earlier passport photos: reflections and frames covering the eyes are a common reason for a photo to be refused, so take the glasses off even if you feel “naked” without them.

One 2x2, several US uses

The 2 x 2 inch format is the standard for US passports, and the State Department uses the same size for visas and for the Diversity Visa lottery. The DV entry adds its own digital rules: a square JPEG of 600 x 600 pixels, 240 kB or smaller, taken within the last six months. If you are preparing for the lottery as well as a passport, take one good portrait and make two files from it, following the two sets of numbers. Our note on DV-2027 and its passport requirement covers the lottery side; the rule itself is in the Federal Register of 11 March 2026.

A five-minute checklist

1. Take the picture against a plain white wall, facing a window, without flash.
2. Keep the camera at eye level and shoot from a little distance rather than a close-up selfie.
3. Crop to a square so that the head measures between 1 and 1 3/8 inches on the 2-inch photo.
4. Check for shadows behind the head and on the face.
5. Print on photo paper at exactly 2 x 2 inches, without borders.

If you want the crop and the head measurement done for you, use our US passport photo tool, which is built around the 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) format.