The 2 x 2 inch passport photo
A printed US passport photo is 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm). The head measures 1 to 1 3/8 in (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. Below you can try that frame on your own photo and see which US applications use it.
Try it on your photo
This tool runs in your browser. The photo is not uploaded and not stored. It opens JPEG and PNG files.
Choose a photo. Drag it into place, then move the two lines to the chin and to the top of the head.
Head height at print size
– allowed: 1 to 1 3/8 in (25 to 35 mm)
The tool only measures the distance between the two lines you placed. It checks no other rule and saves nothing.
Size is one rule among many
Background, light, expression, glasses, the age of the photo and the ban on edited photos apply as well, and this page checks none of them. The U.S. Department of State decides whether a photo is accepted.
The published numbers
These values are on the State Department page for applications on a paper form.
| What | Value | Wording on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Printed size | 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) | "The correct printed size of a passport photo is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)." |
| Head height | 1 to 1 3/8 in (25 to 35 mm) | "The size of your head in the printed photo must be between 1 -1 3/8 inches (25 - 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head." |
| Paper | Matte or glossy photo paper | "Print your photo on matte or glossy photo-quality paper." |
| How many | One colour photo | "Submit 1 color photo taken in the last 6 months." |
Forms DS-11 and DS-82 give the head height in inches only. 1 3/8 in is 34.9 mm, so both figures describe the same limit.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Passport Photos (paper application)(opens in a new tab). When we last read it is recorded on the standards page.
The frame
Where the eyes sit
The State Department’s passport page publishes no eye line. The 28 to 35 mm figure quoted online comes from its Photo Composition Template, published on the visa pages for the same 2 x 2 in photo. Our photo check judges the eye position by that template and names it in the report.
Which US applications use 2 x 2 inches
Paper application (forms DS-11 and DS-82): yes
You print the photo and send it with the form. It must be 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) on matte or glossy photo paper, in colour, taken in the last 6 months. All rules for the paper application.
Online renewal: no
For the online renewal the State Department publishes no pixel size, no aspect ratio and no head size. It asks for a JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB and says: "If you’re not sure, leave a little extra room around your face. You can crop your photo when you upload it." U.S. Department of State, Uploading a Digital Photo(opens in a new tab).
You crop the photo inside the State Department’s application. A square cut beforehand takes away the room that step needs. For this application we give you your original file back unchanged. All rules for the online renewal.
Do not use the 2 x 2 frame for an online renewal
The State Department’s separate Photo Tool produces 600 x 600 pixel JPEG files for paper applications. Its own banner tells people who renew online not to use it, and its numbers are not rules for the online renewal.
What the size does not cover
The paper application also asks for a plain white or off-white background without shadows, a neutral expression with both eyes open, no glasses, and a photo that has not been changed with software, filters or AI. Our free photo check goes through the published rules one by one. For each rule the report shows the result, or “Not checked” when it could not be measured.
Pixels and resolution
The State Department publishes no pixel size and no resolution for the paper application. We prepare the print at 600 x 600 pixels, which is 2 in at 300 pixels per inch. That density is our choice. We crop and scale down from the pixels your photo has and never enlarge, so a photo whose frame is smaller than 600 x 600 pixels is refused.
Printing
The paid download includes print sheets in two sizes. A 4 x 6 in sheet holds six photos, a 10 x 15 cm sheet holds two, because 10 cm is narrower than two 2 in photos. The guide to printing a 2 x 2 inch photo explains the rest.
Correct size does not mean an accepted application. Check the full requirements for your application before you print.
Next
- Check a photo for free. No account and no card needed.
- US passport photo for a paper application. The full rules for forms DS-11 and DS-82.
- Photo for renewing a US passport online. The file rules for the online renewal.
The check and the preview with a watermark are free. The download costs $9.90, one payment for one person and one document. Price in US dollars. Before you pay, the checkout page shows the amount in the currency of your billing country where Dodo Payments supports it, plus any tax due. Payments run in test mode today, so no order can be paid for real yet. Pricing.