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US passport photo regulations

Instructions for passport photos for US visa applications

The photo used for your visa application must meet certain criteria in terms of size and content. The US authorities accept US-specific passport photo formats only. Passport photos that do not meet the American requirements cannot be used for the visa application. If you submit a photo that does not meet the guidelines, your visa application may be rejected.

We therefore recommend having the photos taken in a photo studio. Make sure you use the correct format (51 x 51 mm).

Requirements for biometric photos

A total of 2 biometric passport photos in US format (1x digital, 1x photo paper)required.

The following requirements apply:

  • Photo format must 51 x 51 mm large be
  • Photos must be up-to-date and may not older than 6 months be
  • The head must be 2.5 - 3.5 cm in size (see illustration)
  • The photos must be in color and have a white/bright background, without shading or textures
  • Spectacles, Sunglasses, caps/hats are not allowed
  • Headgear are only permitted if they result from religious reasons are worn and they do not cover any part of the face. The entire face and hairline must be visible.
  • The applicant's head must be facing the camera frontally, with a neutral gaze (not sideways!)
  • The face must be easily recognizable and well-lit, but must not be overexposed or cast any shadows
Digital and printed requirements

Requirements for the digital image

Dimensions: The dimensions of the image must have a square aspect ratio (the height must be equal to the width). The minimum dimensions are 600 x 600 pixels. The maximum permitted dimensions are 1200 x 1200 pixels. Please refer to the photo requirements for the exact dimensions.
Color: The image must be in color (24 bits per pixel) in the sRGB color space, which is used by most digital cameras.
File format: The image must be in JPEG file format.
File size: The image must be less than or equal to 240 kB (kilobytes).
Compression: The image may need to be compressed to keep it below the maximum file size.

 

Don't worry about the digital image and the adjustments to it. If you are unable to convert the photo to the correct file format and size, we will be happy to do this for you.

Requirements for printed photo

You must take one of the passport photos with you to the US Consulate for your interview appointment. You have either received this from a photo studio or printed it at home.

Please note the following:

  • Copies/scans of ID cards or passports are not permitted
  • Passport photo must be submitted on photo paper in 5 x 5 cm format
Note

The US authorities are very strict when it comes to photos for the visa application. It is therefore important that your photo is up-to-date and not older than 6 months. Therefore, do not simply use an older passport photo that you used to apply for your passport.

If you are taking the passport photo at home rather than in a photo studio, please refer to our instructions above regarding photo requirements. It is essential that the photo you submit for the interview at the US Consulate is printed on photo paper.

Photos of babies and toddlers

When you take a photo of your baby or toddler, there should be no other person in the photo and your child should be looking at the camera with open eyes.

Tip 1

Lay your baby on its back on a white or cream-colored sheet. This will support your baby's head and the background for the photo will be a solid color. Make sure that there are no shadows on your baby's face, especially if you take the photo from above while your baby is lying down.


Tip 2

Cover a car seat with a white or off-white sheet and take a photo of your child in the car seat. This will ensure that your baby's head is supported.

Do's and don'ts of visa passport photos

Examples of accepted and invalid passport photos for US visas

Mehr erfahren
Use of passport photos

Passport photo 1 (digital)

US Visa Service

Passport photo 1 will be sent digitally to the responsible US consulate online before your personal interview appointment.
Please upload the passport photo as a JPEG file in good quality and high resolution to your customer account as soon as possible.

Passport photo 2 (photo paper)

US Consulate

Passport photo 2 (in physical form on photo paper) will also need to be submitted directly to the US Consulate on the day of your interview appointment (together with the other application documents). Please keep the passport photo with your private application documents. You do not need to send us photo 2.

Questions?

If you are unsure or have any questions, please send your personal visa consultant a message.