US Passport (2×2 in) photo requirements

A quick summary of the published size rules for this passport photo, and a free tool that crops your own photo to that size and checks the measurable rules — privately on your device.

⚠ Take the photo against a real plain white or off-white wall. If the background, lighting or red-eye is wrong, retake the photo — the State Department does not accept edited, filtered or AI-altered photos.

⚠ Renewing online? Upload your original photo instead — the online renewal lets you crop it there, and the State Department's own crop tool is only for paper or in-person applications. This size is for printed photos.

Make my US Passport (2×2 in) photo

Size at a glance

Photo size	50.8 × 50.8 mm (2.00 × 2.00 in)
Head height (chin to top of head)	25.4–34.9 mm
Eye line from bottom	28.6–34.9 mm
Background	White / off-white
Pixels at 300 DPI	600 × 600 px
Digitally edited photos	Not accepted — US Department of State: "Submit the original, unchanged photo. Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence."
Photos per 4×6 print	6

Glasses are not allowed in US passport photos. Neutral expression or natural smile, both eyes open.

How to take it at home

Stand about 1–1.5 m in front of a plain, light wall in even light; avoid shadows on your face and behind you.
Have someone else take the photo at eye level (selfies at arm's length distort the face). Look straight at the camera.
Keep a neutral expression or a natural smile. Both eyes open, hair away from the face, and no glasses.
Leave plenty of space above your head and around your shoulders. Don't use filters, beauty modes or portrait (background-blur) mode.
Open the photo tool: it crops to the exact size, places your head and eye line in range and checks the measurable rules. It does not change your background for documents that forbid edited photos — if the background isn't plain, retake the photo.
Download the digital file, or a 4×6 sheet and print it as a standard photo print ("fit / no crop").

The issuing authority makes the final decision on every photo; automatic checks can't guarantee acceptance.

Official source: travel.state.gov. This summary is provided for convenience and may be out of date.