US Passport Photo Requirements 2026: Complete Size, Background & Rules Guide

Published October 2, 2026 · 6 min read

US passport photos must be exactly 2x2 inches (51x51 mm), taken against a plain white background, with your head centered and measuring 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to crown. These requirements are set by the U.S. Department of State and must be followed exactly — even small deviations can cause your application to be rejected.

Photo Size and Dimensions

The US passport photo has a strict square format. Both printed and digital photos must meet these exact measurements.

Background Requirements

The background must be plain white or off-white. No patterns, textures, shadows, or objects are allowed behind you. The background must be evenly lit — any dark areas or shadows behind your head will cause rejection.

Head Position and Framing

• Face the camera directly with your head centered in the frame
• Both ears must be visible
• Eyes must be open and looking straight at the camera
• No head tilt — keep your head level
• Do not crop the top of your head

Facial Expression

You must have a neutral expression. Both eyes must be open. A slight natural smile is acceptable, but showing your teeth is not allowed. Your mouth must be closed naturally.

Glasses and Head Coverings

Glasses are no longer acceptable in US passport photos (since 2016), even if you wear them daily. The only exception is if you have a medical condition that requires them — in that case you need a signed doctor's statement. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are always prohibited.

Head coverings are allowed only for religious or medical reasons. The cover must not cast any shadows on your face, and your full face must still be visible from hairline to chin.

Lighting and Exposure

• Even lighting across your entire face
• No harsh shadows under your chin or on the background
• No red-eye effect
• No overexposure or underexposure
• Color must be natural — no filters or color correction

Clothing and Dress Code

Wear what you normally wear daily. Uniforms or camouflage clothing are not allowed, except for religious attire. Do not wear hats or headbands unless required for religious reasons. Avoid white or very light-colored tops that blend into the background.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Common pitfalls that get applications rejected

The number one reason passport photos get rejected is not the size — it's bad lighting and shadows. A lot of people take a photo against a white wall in their living room, but forget that their overhead kitchen light casts a soft shadow behind their head on the wall, which the State Department will flag immediately. The fix is simple: stand 3-4 feet away from a plain white wall, face a window with soft natural daylight coming straight at you, and make sure there's no light source behind you that will cast a shadow on the wall. It takes one extra test photo to check that the wall behind you is completely bright white, no darker patches, and that small step saves you from having to redo the whole application. People also get rejected all the time for smiling with their teeth — it feels like a tiny detail, but the passport office has a strict neutral expression rule, and any visible teeth will get your photo sent back, even if it's just a tiny friendly smile. Practice a neutral, closed-mouth expression in the mirror before you take the photo, so you don't waste time retaking it.

Another common mistake is wearing glasses that have glare on the lenses. Even if you're allowed to wear them for medical reasons, any reflection on the glass will cause rejection, because passport readers can't match your face if there's a bright white spot on your eye. The easiest way to avoid this is just to take your glasses off entirely for the photo, unless you absolutely can't see without them — even people who wear glasses every day almost never have a medical requirement that forces them to keep glasses on in their ID photo. If you do need to keep them on, angle your face slightly away from the window light to eliminate glare, and make sure your eyes are fully visible with no reflections at all. It's not worth arguing with the passport office about it; the rule exists because glare makes facial recognition fail, and they will reject any photo where your eyes are obscured by lens reflection, no exceptions.

For people taking their own photo at home instead of going to a pharmacy or post office, the biggest tip is to use a friend's phone or a tripod, not hold the camera out in selfie mode. Selfies always distort your face slightly — the wide angle on phone cameras stretches your nose and makes your features look off, which will fail the automatic facial recognition check. Set the camera on a tripod or a stack of books 4 feet away, use the timer, and make sure the lens is at eye level, not up above you looking down. Looking down at the camera makes your chin look smaller and your forehead bigger, which changes the proportions the State Department expects. Once you take the photo, use our online tool to crop it to the exact 2x2 inch dimensions, and erase any background imperfections — you don't need to pay $15 at the post office for a passport photo, you can take one that meets every requirement at home for free, as long as you follow the lighting and framing rules. Just make sure you print it on matte photo paper, not glossy, because glossy photos show glare when they're scanned.

One last thing: your passport photo has to be taken within the last 6 months, and it has to look like you right now. If you've gotten a drastic haircut, dyed your hair a completely different color, grown a beard, or lost a significant amount of weight since your last passport photo, you'll need to take a new one, even if your old photo is still technically valid. The passport office checks that the photo matches your current appearance, and they'll reject your application if you look meaningfully different. It feels like an arbitrary rule, but it exists to make sure border control can match your face to your photo, so it's worth taking a fresh one if anything major has changed in your appearance. If you follow all these rules, you won't have to waste time going back and forth to the passport office — your first try will get accepted, and you'll get your new passport in the mail in 6-8 weeks. If you're applying for a visa along with your passport, note that many countries have slightly different photo requirements — some require a pure white background, some accept light blue, some require your ears fully visible, some don't. But if you take a photo that meets the US passport requirements, it will almost always meet the requirements for most tourist visas, because US passport standards are among the strictest in the world. You don't have to take a different photo for your visa application; the same one will work for most purposes, saving you the hassle of taking two separate photos. Just make sure you keep a few extra printed copies on hand, because you'll need them for your passport, your visa, and any other ID applications you submit in the next few years. It costs pennies to print an extra 4 copies, and it saves you from having to retake the photo again later.

Frequently Asked Questions