U.S. passport and visa photos, made from your own picture
Upload a photo you took at home. We crop it to the State Department's size rules and check it, and you see the result and a watermarked preview for free.
$7.99 per photo, all files included. You pay only if your photo passes every check.
Choose your photo
- U.S. passport photo: 2 × 2 in print and 600 × 600 px digital
- U.S. visa photo: 2 × 2 in print and 600 × 600 px digital
- U.S. passport photo for online renewal: 600 × 600 px digital
- U.S. baby passport photo: 2 × 2 in print and 600 × 600 px digital
How it works
- Take a photo and upload it. Stand in front of a plain white or off-white wall, in bright, even light, and look straight at the camera.
- We crop it and check it. We crop your photo to the official size and head position and run every check below. You see the results and a watermarked preview, free.
- Pay only if it passes. If your photo passes every check, $7.99 unlocks all its files: the digital photo (600 × 600 px JPEG), the printed photo (2 × 2 in at 300 DPI) and a 4 × 6 in print sheet. The files stay available for 7 days.
We crop and check your photo. We never edit it. We don't whiten, retouch or replace the background, because the State Department rejects edited photos. Take your photo in front of a plain white or off-white wall; if the background isn't right, the check tells you, so you can take another.
What we check
- Size and position: the head height and the eye height, measured against the official rules, and that your whole head is in the photo.
- Pose: your head is level and faces the camera, with your chin neither raised nor lowered.
- Expression: both eyes open and the mouth closed.
- Quality: the photo is sharp, and your face is bright and evenly lit, without a strong shadow on one side.
- Background: plain, and white or off-white without a color cast.
- Resolution: your face is large enough in the photo to make the files without enlarging it too much.
- The digital file: its format, its exact size in pixels, and a file size within the limits.
Some rules can't be checked from the photo, so they're up to you: it must be taken in the last 6 months, without glasses (you confirm this when you upload), without a hat or head covering unless worn for religious or medical reasons, and without a uniform or headphones.
Questions
Will my photo be accepted?
We can't promise that. The State Department, or the agent or consular officer who reviews your application, makes that decision. Our checks cover the size and position rules and the common photo problems listed above, but not every rule. Read the official requirements on travel.state.gov: passport photo requirements and visa photo requirements. If your photo is rejected, you can get a full refund (see below).
Do you change the background?
No. We crop and resize your photo, and that's all. We never edit, whiten or replace the background, because the State Department rejects edited photos: “Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters.” If your background isn't plain white or off-white, the check fails and tells you why, so you can take another photo.
Is cropping allowed?
Yes. The State Department's own photo tool crops photos to a 600 × 600 pixel square, and the online passport renewal lets you reposition or crop your photo.
What do I get for $7.99?
All the files of your photo: the digital photo (600 × 600 px JPEG), the printed photo (2 × 2 in at 300 DPI) and a 4 × 6 in print sheet. It's one payment for one photo, with no subscription. Your files stay available for 7 days after you pay.
When do I pay?
Only once your photo passes every check. Uploading, the checks and the watermarked preview are free. You pay by card through Stripe; we never see your card details.
Can I wear glasses?
No. Glasses aren't allowed in new U.S. passport and visa photos, except when you can't remove them for medical reasons, with a signed statement from your doctor. We can't detect glasses, so the upload form asks you to confirm you aren't wearing any.
Which file do I need?
Passport: for an online renewal, upload the digital photo. For a paper application, print the 2 × 2 in photo.
Visa: for the DS-160 online application, upload the digital photo. Immigrant visa applicants bring two identical printed 2 × 2 in photos, and some embassies ask other applicants for one: print the 2 × 2 in photo.
How do I print it?
Print the 4 × 6 in sheet at a photo lab or kiosk, on matte or glossy photo-quality paper, at actual size (100%, not “fit to page”), then cut along the lines.
What happens to my photo?
We delete the photo you upload as soon as it has been checked, usually within seconds. The files we make from it are deleted 24 hours after the upload, or 7 days after your payment if you buy them. See the privacy policy.
What if my photo is rejected?
Not happy, or your photo was rejected? Email support@passportphotopal.com within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. See the refund policy.