What size is a US passport photo in pixels?

For a digital photo, a square between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, according to guides that quote the State Department. Confirm on travel.state.gov.

Can I crop an existing photo to passport size?

You can crop the shape and size, but the photo must also meet the rules on background, lighting, expression and recency. Cropping does not fix those.

How do I convert 2 x 2 inches to pixels?

Multiply inches by pixels per inch. At 300 pixels per inch, 2 inches is 600 pixels.

How to crop a photo to passport size (US 2x2 inch)

Updated October 8, 2026 · 3 min read

Short answer

A US passport photo is a square 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) with the head between 1 and 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of head. Crop to a square with the face centred, and keep a digital photo between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels. Confirm the current rules on travel.state.gov before you apply.

We could not open travel.state.gov to check these figures. They agree across several third-party guides that quote the State Department. The official page is the authority, and a rejected photo can delay an application, so check it before you submit. SizeSpec is not an official photo service.

What the sizes are

Print: square, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).
Head: between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
Digital photo: square, between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels.
File type and size: these depend on the application. Guides report JPEG, PNG or HEIF between about 54 KB and 10 MB for online renewal, and JPEG only, up to 240 KB, for visa and Diversity Visa uploads. Confirm for your own application.

How to crop the photo

01Start from a sharp, front-facing photo. Read the official rules for background, expression and glasses first. Cropping cannot fix those.
02Crop to a square (1:1) with the face centred. See how to crop a photo to a square.
03Measure the head from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head and compare it with the table below.
04Scale the square to a size between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels.
05Save as a JPEG and check the file size against the limits of your application.

How big the head should be in pixels

600 x 600 px
Pixels per inch
300
Head, 1 inch
300 px
Head, 1 3/8 inches
413 px
1000 x 1000 px
Pixels per inch
500
Head, 1 inch
500 px
Head, 1 3/8 inches
688 px
1200 x 1200 px
Pixels per inch
600
Head, 1 inch
600 px
Head, 1 3/8 inches
825 px

Head size in pixels for a 2 inch square
Photo size	Pixels per inch	Head, 1 inch	Head, 1 3/8 inches
600 x 600 px	300	300 px	413 px
1000 x 1000 px	500	500 px	688 px
1200 x 1200 px	600	600 px	825 px

Other countries

Many countries use a different size. A 35 x 45 mm photo is common in Europe and the UK. At 300 pixels per inch that is about 413 x 531 pixels. Always use the size on your own government's page. For how to turn millimetres into pixels, see how to crop a photo to a specific size.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a US passport photo in pixels?: For a digital photo, a square between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, according to guides that quote the State Department. Confirm on travel.state.gov.
Can I crop an existing photo to passport size?: You can crop the shape and size, but the photo must also meet the rules on background, lighting, expression and recency. Cropping does not fix those.
How do I convert 2 x 2 inches to pixels?: Multiply inches by pixels per inch. At 300 pixels per inch, 2 inches is 600 pixels.

Selling online? Do a whole batch at once

SizeSpec crops and resizes a batch of product photos to the size each marketplace asks for and gives you one ZIP. It crops from the centre or pads the image on white, and it works in your browser, so your files are never uploaded. It does not offer free-hand cropping of a single picture.

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