The list that decides acceptance

Everything below comes straight from the U.S. State Department’s published photo requirements — the same rules the automated validator and the consular officer apply. Each row pairs the rule with the way photos most often break it; the sections after the table explain the details.

#	Rule	The requirement	How photos fail it
1	Print size	2×2 in (51×51 mm), square	a 4×6 or 35×45 mm photo squeezed into a square
2	Head size	25–35 mm (1–1⅜ in), chin to crown	head too small or cropped too tight
3	Eye position	eyes 28–35 mm (1⅛–1⅜ in) from the bottom edge	head placed too low or too high in the frame
4	Recency	taken within the last 6 months	reusing last year’s visa photo
5	Background	plain white or off-white, no shadows	grey or textured wall; shadow behind the head
6	Pose	full face, square to camera, both eyes open	tilted head, hair over the eyes
7	Expression	neutral or a natural smile, mouth closed	open mouth, teeth
8	Glasses	banned since Nov 2016	everyday glasses left on
9	Head coverings	religious/medical only, with a signed statement	covered hairline, shadows from the fabric
10	Clothing	no uniform or camouflage, no headphones	earbuds, work uniform in shot
11	Image integrity	unaltered original, undamaged print	filters, retouching, creased paper
12	File rules (online)	JPEG, 600–1200 px square, ≤240 KB	PNG upload, oversize file, too few pixels

1–3. The geometry: size, head and eyes

The photo is a square — exactly 2×2 inches. Inside it, your head must measure 25–35 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, hair included, which is roughly half to two-thirds of the frame height, and your eyes must sit 28–35 mm from the bottom edge. The pair of numbers work together: a head in band but placed too low still fails the eye-position rule.

The failure that accounts for most geometry rejections is cropping a larger photo to a square without re-checking the head share — the head band is measured from the crown of the hair, not the hairline, which is where self-measurement goes wrong. The checker measures exactly this: pick the US preset and mark crown and chin on the preview, or let the browser’s face detector estimate it.

4. Recency: six months, no exceptions

The photo must have been taken within the last six months — and sooner than that after a real change in appearance (facial surgery or trauma, significant weight change, a new face tattoo or piercing). The rule exists for face-matching systems, not human recognition, so an old photo that still looks like you still fails.

5. Background: plain, white, shadow-free

Plain white or off-white, with no shadows, texture or objects. Two failures repeat endlessly: a wall that photographs grey rather than white, and the shadow your head throws when you stand too close to the wall. Standing 0.5–1 m in front of the wall with daylight on your face fixes both; the at-home guide walks the setup.

6–7. Pose and expression

Face the camera directly with your full face visible — no tilt, no turn, hair clear of your eyes, both eyes open. Expression must be neutral or a natural, closed-mouth smile; an open-mouth grin fails biometric matching. And no selfies: someone else takes the photo, or the phone sits on a timer at eye level about 1.5 m away.

8–10. Glasses, coverings and clothing

• Glasses are banned outright since 1 November 2016 — not merely discouraged. The single permitted exception is a medical need (recent eye surgery, for example) backed by a signed doctor’s statement.
• Head coverings are allowed only for religious or medical reasons, each with a signed statement, and the full face must remain visible: hairline uncovered, no shadows cast. Headphones and wireless hands-free devices are never allowed.
• Clothing should be normal everyday wear. Uniforms, camouflage and anything resembling a uniform are prohibited — religious attire worn daily is the exception.

11. Image integrity: no edits, no damage

The photo must be the unaltered original — no filters, no skin smoothing, no removed blemishes or red-eye correction done in software, and certainly no AI touch-up. If a wrinkle or spot bothers you, retake the photo; don’t edit it. For paper submissions, print on matte or glossy photo-quality paper and submit an undamaged print: no creases, holes or smudges.

12. Online submissions: the file itself

When the application asks for an upload rather than a print, the file gets its own set of rules: the DS-160 visa form takes a square JPEG between 600×600 and 1200×1200 px and under 240 KB — a file with too many pixels is rejected just like one with too few. Other countries set their own windows; the pixel-size table shows how each print size converts to pixels and what each portal demands.

Run the list before you submit

About half of these rules are measurable from the file itself. Drop the photo into the checker with the US preset and it verifies the square crop, the pixel count, the head size, the background tone and the file limits — items 1, 2, 5 and 12. The rest are yours to confirm by eye: recency, expression, glasses, coverings and an unedited file. For the failures this list doesn’t catch and how to spot them, see common rejection reasons; for the equivalents in other countries, the requirements table has the side-by-side numbers.

Frequently asked questions

What size does a US passport photo have to be?

2×2 inches (51×51 mm) — a square print with the head measuring 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, including hair. For the online visa form (DS-160) the digital file must be a square JPEG between 600×600 and 1200×1200 pixels and no larger than 240 KB.

Can I wear glasses in a US passport photo?

No. The State Department banned glasses in passport and visa photos on 1 November 2016 — glare, tinted lenses and frames covering the eyes caused too many failures. The only exception is a medical need the wearer cannot remove, which requires a signed doctor's statement submitted with the application.

Is a religious head covering allowed?

Yes, under two conditions: you submit a signed statement that the covering is part of recognized, traditional religious attire worn continuously in public, and your full face stays visible in the photo — the covering may not hide the hairline or cast a shadow on the face. A covering worn daily for medical reasons is allowed with a signed doctor's statement. Ordinary hats, caps and headbands are never permitted.

How recent does the photo need to be?

Taken within the last six months, so it reflects how you look now. An older photo fails even if it still resembles you, and a new photo is needed sooner than six months after a significant change in appearance — facial surgery or trauma, a major weight change, or a new face tattoo or piercing.

Can I smile or take a selfie in a US passport photo?

A neutral expression or a faint, natural smile is allowed; both eyes must be open and the mouth closed, so a teeth-showing grin is a risk. Selfies are not allowed at all — the State Department requires another person (or a fixed camera) to take the photo, because an arm's-length shot distorts facial proportions and rarely frames correctly.

What happens if my photo fails one of these rules?

The application stalls rather than being refused outright. A mailed passport application is suspended and a letter goes out asking for a new photo; a visa photo is usually caught at the DS-160 upload or at the interview, where a compliant replacement is demanded. Either way it costs weeks — checking the list before submitting is the cheap version.