U.S. Passport Photo Requirements

You must provide 2 photos with your passport application.
 
The processing of your passport application may be delayed if you do not submit a photo that meets the requirements below. To avoid processing delays, it is recommended to use a professional passport photo service.
 
Your passport photo must be:

  • In color 
  • Printed on matte, non-glossy photo quality paper 
  • 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inches) in size
  • Sized such that the head is between 2.5 and 3.5 cm (between 1 and 1 3/8 inches) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
  • Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
  • Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background
  • Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
  • With a neutral facial expression, both eyes open and mouth closed
  • Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis: Uniforms, clothing that looks like a uniform, and camouflage attire should not be worn in photos except in the case of religious attire that is worn daily
  • You may only wear a hat or head covering if you wear it daily for religious purposes. Your full face must be visible and your head covering cannot obscure your hairline or cast shadows on your face
  • Headphones, wireless hands-free devices or similar items are not acceptable in your photo
  • Eye glasses are no longer allowed on passport photos. You must remove eye glasses to take your passport photo.
  • 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.