US Visa Photo Requirements (Check your Photo)

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

Unlike the passport guidance, the visa photo pages do NOT name software, apps, filters or artificial intelligence. The visa rule is worded as no digital enhancement or alteration. Also note the government page prints the head range as "(22 mm and 35 mm)", which is an error: 1 inch is 25.4 mm, so publish 25 to 35 mm.

One photo standard, two ways to submit it

Every US visa category uses the same photo standard; what changes is the container. A nonimmigrant application submits one digital photo uploaded with the DS-160: a square JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, 240 KB or less, 24-bit sRGB color, compressed at 20:1 or less. An immigrant application on DS-260 uses the same digital spec and adds two identical 2 x 2 inch prints brought to the interview. Some posts also ask nonimmigrant applicants for a print; the print standard is the 2x2 photo.

The content rules are identical either way: head measuring 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head (50 to 69 percent of a digital image's height), eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom (56 to 69 percent), plain white or off-white background, taken within the last 6 months.

One correction worth knowing: the State Department's own visa photo page prints the head range as 22 mm to 35 mm, which does not match its inch figures, since 1 inch is 25.4 mm. The inch measurements control; in millimeters that is 25 to 35 mm.

How a visa photo differs from a passport photo

Three real differences. Expression: the visa standard requires a neutral expression with both eyes open and mouth closed, while the passport rules explicitly permit a closed-mouth smile. Format: a visa photo is primarily a digital upload, a passport photo is primarily a print unless you renew online. Editing: the visa rule is worded as "Photos must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance in any way," and unlike the passport guidance it does not name apps, filters, or artificial intelligence; the prohibition is broader and vaguer, so treat any appearance-changing edit as barred.

Two rules are shared and strict on both sides: eyeglasses have been barred in new visa photos since November 1, 2016, with only rare documented medical exceptions, and a child must be alone in the frame with no parent or supporting hands visible. And a rule unique to visas: final acceptance is always at the discretion of the US embassy or consulate processing the application, which is why matching every published figure exactly is the only safe play. If an upload already failed, every cause and fix is on the DS-160 photo rejected page.

Photo requirements by form

The physical photo is the same for every form below; what changes is whether photos are required at all, how many to send, and the form-specific traps. Jump straight to yours:

DS-260

Questions about the US visa photo

What size is a US visa photo?

Printed: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Digital: square, at least 600 x 600 and at most 1200 x 1200 pixels, JPEG, 240 KB or less. The head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of head, which is 50 to 69 percent of a digital image's height.

How recent must a US visa photo be?

Taken within the last 6 months. There is no 30-day rule for visa photos; that shorter window belongs to certain USCIS petitions, not to the visa photo standard.

Can I wear glasses in a US visa photo?

No. Eyeglasses have been barred in new visa photos since November 1, 2016, except in rare medical circumstances with a signed statement from a medical professional. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are barred outright.

Can I smile in a US visa photo?

The visa standard is stricter than the passport one: a neutral expression with both eyes open and the mouth closed. Save the smile for the passport photo.

Can I crop a photo from my driver's license or an old document?

No. Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver's licenses or other official documents are rejected, along with snapshots, magazine photos, low quality vending machine or mobile phone photos, and full-length photographs.

Who has the final say on whether my visa photo is accepted?

The post processing your application. Final acceptance is at the discretion of the US embassy or consulate, which is why the safe play is matching every published figure exactly. You can check your file against them before you upload.

How many printed photos do I bring to the immigrant visa interview?

Two identical printed photos, in addition to the digital photo uploaded with the DS-260. Diversity Visa selectees applying for the immigrant visa follow the same rule.

Are DS-260 photo rules different from DS-160 rules?

The digital specification is the same visa standard: square JPEG, color, neutral expression, no glasses. The DS-260 route adds the two identical prints at the interview, and as with all visa photos, acceptance is at the discretion of the embassy or consulate.

Can my photo be a snapshot or cropped from an ID?

No. Snapshots, magazine photos, low-resolution vending machine or mobile phone photos, full-length photos, and photos copied from driver's licenses or official documents are all rejected.