Updated November 1, 2026

US visa photo requirements: the DS-160 digital image and the 2 x 2 print

A US visa photo must be in color, taken in the last 6 months, on a plain white or off-white background, facing the camera with a neutral expression and both eyes open, with no glasses. For the DS-160 upload it must be a square JPEG of 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels and at most 240 kB. A printed photo is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).

Every rule below comes from the State Department's photo pages, checked on November 1, 2026. We added the pixel and file size math the pages leave you to work out, and what to do when the upload fails.

What are the US visa photo requirements?

The State Department's Photo Requirements page lists the rules every visa photo or digital image must meet:

The State Department recommends a professional visa photo service. You can take the photo yourself, but its FAQ says most webcams and mobile phones can't give images of enough quality, and that a digital camera works. Whether your photo is accepted is up to the US embassy or consulate where you apply.

What size is a US visa photo for the DS-160?

When you fill in the DS-160, the form asks you to upload a digital image. The Digital Image Requirements page sets five specs:

A note on 22 mm vs 25 mm. The main Photo Requirements page converts the 1 inch minimum head height to 22 mm, while the Photo Composition Template and the photo FAQ say 25 mm. One inch is 25.4 mm, so aim for at least 25 mm and you meet both.

Where should your head and eyes be, in pixels?

The rules are percentages, so the right numbers change with your image size. Here they are worked out for three common sizes (our math from the State Department's percentages):

Most photo editors show the cursor's position from the top left corner, so the last column is the one to check. A head that fills about 60% of the height, with the eyes a little above the middle, lands inside every range.

How small can the file be? The 20:1 compression rule

The 240 kB cap pushes people to squeeze the file, but the 20:1 compression limit sets a floor too. Assuming the ratio compares the uncompressed 24-bit image with the JPEG file, here is roughly the smallest file each size allows (our math, the State Department doesn't publish a minimum):

So a 1200 x 1200 image has only a narrow window, about 216 kB to 240 kB. If your upload is rejected as too compressed, a smaller image (600 x 600 to 800 x 800) saved at a higher JPEG quality gives you the most room. The State Department's free photo tool crops to exactly 600 x 600 pixels, but it only crops. A State Department employee still decides whether the photo is acceptable.

Can you wear glasses, a hijab or a turban in a visa photo?

• Glasses: no, since November 1, 2016. The only exception is a rare medical case, such as recent eye surgery where the glasses protect your eyes, with a statement signed by a medical professional. Even then the frames can't cover your eyes, and there can't be glare, shadows or refraction over them.
• Sunglasses or tinted lenses: never for a visa photo. The FAQ notes that US passports allow tinted prescription lenses for medical reasons, but visas don't.
• Religious head coverings: allowed if worn daily for a religious purpose, as long as your full face shows and the covering casts no shadow on it.
• Hats: remove any hat that hides your hair or hairline.
• Beards and hair color: growing a beard or dyeing your hair isn't a significant change, so you don't need a new photo for it.

When do you need a new photo?

Even a photo under 6 months old needs replacing if it no longer looks like you. The State Department says the embassy will ask for a new photo if you have:

• had significant facial surgery or trauma
• added or removed many or large facial piercings or tattoos
• lost or gained a significant amount of weight

A child under 16 whose looks changed through normal growing up generally doesn't need a new one. Reusing the photo from your passport or last visa only works if it was taken in the last 6 months and wasn't copied from the document itself.

How do you take a visa photo of a baby?

• Lay your baby on their back on a plain white or off-white sheet. That supports the head and gives a plain background. Watch for shadows on the face when you shoot from above.
• Or cover a car seat with a plain white or off-white sheet and photograph your child in it.
• Only the child can be in the photo. No parent's hands or arms, and nothing that holds the child up, can be in the frame.
• The child's eyes must be open and looking at the camera.

Our tip for any photo you take yourself: shoot against a real white or off-white wall with even light from the front. The State Department doesn't allow editing that changes your appearance, not even red-eye removal in an editing tool, so fixing a background or face in an app afterward is the risky route.

What if your DS-160 photo upload fails?

Look at your DS-160 confirmation page. If it shows your photo, the upload worked and you don't need a separate photo. If it shows an "X" instead, the upload failed. The State Department's FAQ says to bring one printed photo that meets the requirements, with the confirmation page, to the embassy or consulate, and to check with that post for its instructions. In countries with a separate biometrics visit, our OFC appointment guide covers what to bring that day, and the CEAC status guide explains each status after the interview.

Do you bring a printed photo to the visa interview?

Our documents checklist for the visa interview covers everything else in the folder, and the free visa document checklist tool builds a list for your visa type.

Photo done. What comes next?

The photo is one line on a long list. The part most applicants find hardest is the interview itself: a short conversation where the officer asks about your trip, your money and your ties at home. Our US visa interview tips cover how it runs, and the US visa interview questions guide lists what officers ask by visa type.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.