Home / US visa photo requirements
US visa photo requirements
A U.S. visa photo for the DS-160 is a square color JPEG. The head fills 50 to 69 percent of the frame. The file is 600 to 1200 pixels on a side and no larger than 240 KB.
Start with a photo
Drop a photo here, or use the buttons.
JPEG or PNG. The file is read in this browser and is not uploaded.
Live view is mirrored on a front camera. The photo you keep is not.
Drag to move the crop. Arrow keys nudge. Plus and minus zoom.
Compliance check
PassOkay crops and checks. It does not replace the background, apply filters, or retouch the face.
These checks are estimates. They are not an acceptance decision, and PassOkay is not a government site. Head height is guessed from the chin and forehead, so nudge the crop if the guides miss the hair.
PassOkay exports 600 × 600 pixels, which is what the State Department’s own crop tool saves, and compresses it to 240 KB or less. A 1200 pixel file is allowed, but it is hard to keep under 240 KB without crunching the image. Neutral expression, both eyes open, white or off-white background, no glasses.
The visa page currently prints “22 mm” in one parenthetical next to 1 inch. One inch is 25 mm. The 50 to 69 percent rule is the number their digital spec actually uses, and it is the number this checker uses. Immigrant visa interviews also want two printed 2 × 2 inch photos.
Size and file
| Size | Square digital file. Printed photos, when required, are 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm). |
|---|---|
| Pixels | 600 × 600 px. The visa rules allow 600–1200 px square; 600 matches the State crop tool and stays under 240 KB. |
| Head | 50–69% of the image height, chin to top of head (about 1–1⅜ in on a 2 × 2 print) |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| File | JPEG, 240 KB or smaller, color, sRGB as the browser canvas saves it |
| How recent | Taken in the last 6 months |
| Glasses | No, except a rare medical exception with a signed statement |
How to do it
- Take a square-friendly photo. Leave space around the hair. White wall, no glasses, mouth closed, no smile for a visa photo.
- Crop to 600 × 600. Fit the head inside 50–69% of the height. The checker measures that.
- Upload the JPEG. Use the unlocked file on the DS-160. It is already JPEG and already sized. Do not run it through another editor after that.
Questions
What size is a US visa photo?
Digital: square JPEG, at least 600 × 600 and at most 1200 × 1200, 240 KB or smaller. Prints, when a consulate asks, are 2 × 2 inches.
Can I smile in a visa photo?
The visa page asks for a neutral expression and both eyes open. That is stricter than the 2026 U.S. passport page, which allows a closed-mouth smile.
Can I scan an old photo?
State allows a scan of a 2 × 2 print at 300 DPI if it already meets the rules. A scan of a driver’s license does not. A new photo is safer.
Specs last checked . Checked against the State Department visa photo and digital image pages.
- U.S. Department of State — visa photo requirements
- U.S. Department of State — digital image requirements