DS-160 photo requirements

The specification

Editing and retouching

Photos must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way.

Department of State, quoted from the official source

What the official source does not say

The passport-specific sentence naming "computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence" does NOT appear on the visa photo pages. The visa rule is worded as no digital enhancement or alteration, and does not expressly name AI.

What gets DS-160 photos rejected

The digital check is mechanical: square JPEG, 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels, 240 KB or less. The content rules reject more photos than the file rules do. Profile shots and out-of-focus photos are not accepted. Eyeglasses have been barred in new visa photos since November 1, 2016, with only rare, documented medical exceptions. Headphones and wireless hands-free devices fail; hearing devices are fine.

The photo must also come from the right kind of source. Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver's licenses or other official documents, snapshots, magazine photos, low quality vending machine or mobile phone photos, and full-length photographs are all rejected. Take a fresh photo against a plain light background instead.

For a child's photo, the child must be alone in the frame: no parent, no guardian, no supporting hands. And note the regulatory floor under all of this, 22 CFR 41.105: the applicant uploads a digital photograph with the online application, or submits a paper photograph at the direction of the consular officer. Final acceptance is at the discretion of the US embassy or consulate.

DS-160 vs the DV lottery: same family, different pixel rule

Both use the square JPEG visa specification, but the DS-160 accepts any square size from 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 pixels, while a Diversity Visa entry photo must be exactly 600 x 600. Uploading a 800 x 800 photo that sailed through a DS-160 will fail a DV entry. Immigrant visa applicants on DS-260 follow the same digital spec as the DS-160 and also bring two identical printed photos to the interview.

If your interview post asks for a printed photo

If your upload failed or your photo was refused, every cause is matched to its rule and fix on the DS-160 photo rejected page. The DS-160 itself takes the digital upload, and some posts additionally require bringing one printed photo to the interview. The print standard is the 2x2 photo: 2 x 2 inches on photo quality paper, same content rules as the upload. Check your specific embassy or consulate's instructions, since final acceptance is at the post's discretion either way.

Questions about the DS-160 photo

What are the DS-160 photo requirements in pixels?

Square, at least 600 x 600 pixels and at most 1200 x 1200 pixels, in JPEG format at 240 KB or less. The head must take up between 50 and 69 percent of the image height, with eyes between 56 and 69 percent of the height from the bottom.

Can I wear glasses in a DS-160 photo?

No. Glasses have been barred in new visa photos since November 1, 2016. The exception is a rare medical circumstance, and it requires a signed statement from a medical professional.

Can I use a phone photo for the DS-160?

A phone can take the photo, but the rules reject low quality mobile phone photos along with snapshots and vending machine photos. Shoot in good light against a plain background, keep the image sharp, and run it through the checker to confirm the file itself passes.

Does my child need to be alone in the visa photo?

Yes. No parent, guardian, or supporting hands may appear in a child's photo. For infants, photograph the child lying on a plain light surface with nothing else in frame.

How big should the head be in a DS-160 photo?

Between 50 and 69 percent of the image's total height, measured from the top of the head including hair to the bottom of the chin, with the eyes between 56 and 69 percent of the image height up from the bottom. The fix tool crops to the middle of both bands automatically.