United States passport photo size: 51×51mm
The size United States requires for a passport & visa photo, in every unit you might be asked for — plus a free tool that crops and sizes your photo to match, in your browser.
The specification
| Photo size | 51 × 51 mm |
|---|---|
| In centimetres | 5.1 × 5.1 cm |
| In inches | 2.01 × 2.01 in |
| Pixels at 300 DPI | 602 × 602 px |
| Pixels at 600 DPI | 1205 × 1205 px |
| Head height (chin to crown) | 25 – 35 mm |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Digital upload | JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF for online renewal |
Source: these figures are published by the issuing authority. Official page
What trips people up
- Square 2×2 inch format — one of the few countries that does not use 35×45mm.
- Head height is measured chin to top of head, 1 to 1⅜ inches.
- Taken within the last 6 months, neutral expression, no glasses.
Making the photo
Physical size is what the authority specifies, so work in millimetres and let the pixels follow. At 300 DPI, 51×51mm is exactly 602×602 pixels — that is the number most upload forms quote, and it is the same photo, not a different one.
A phone photo is not the right shape, so it has to be cropped to 51:51 before resizing — squashing it to fit distorts your face and gets the application rejected. The Passport & Visa Photo Maker centre-crops, sizes to the exact millimetres, and can lay out a 4×6in sheet of copies for a print shop. It runs entirely in your browser — your photo is never uploaded.