Please Note: To enhance the security of the application process and verify your identify more quickly, you must remove your eyeglasses for U.S. passport and Visa photos. 

If you are applying for a U.S. Passport, you must provide one (1) photo. Your photo is a vital part of your passport application, and providing an unsuitable photo can result in delays in processing your passport. The acceptance of your photo is always at the discretion of the U.S. Embassy. We recommend you use a professional passport photo service to ensure your photo meets all the requirements. Your passport photo must be:

• 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size;
• Printed on photo quality paper;
• In color;
• Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background without shadows;
• Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (between 25 and 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. See the Photo Composition Template on the passport application for more size requirement details. If you are printing your own photo, the State Department provides a Photo Cropping Tool to help you size your photo properly;
• Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance;
• Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera;
• Taken with a neutral facial expression and both eyes open;
• Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis;
• Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily;
• Do not wear a hat or head covering unless it is worn daily for a religious or medical purpose. Your full face must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on your face. If you wear a hat or head covering for medical purposes, submit a signed doctor’s statement verifying that the hat or head covering in your photo is used daily for medical purposes;
• Eyeglasses should not be worn in your photo. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, please provide a signed note from your doctor with application;
• Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.

The State Department Passport Photos page includes examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos.

Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver’s licenses or other official documents are not acceptable. In addition, snapshots, magazine photos, low quality vending machine or mobile phone photos, and full-length photographs are not acceptable.