🇺🇸 US Visa Photo Maker
Free US visa photo maker: upload any portrait and get a 51 × 51 mm visa size photo with a plain white or off-white background, checked against the United States rules and ready to print. Runs in your browser — your photo is never uploaded.
1Choose the document
- Photo size
- 51 × 51 mm
- Head height
- 25–35 mm
- Background
- Plain white or off-white
- Output
- 1200 × 1200 px · 600 dpi
Official requirements
- Colour photo, 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in)
- Head from top of hair to chin: 25–35 mm
- Eye line 28.6–35 mm above the bottom edge
- Plain white or off-white background
- No uniforms or camouflage
- Full face, front view, looking straight at the camera
- Eyes open, level and clearly visible — no hair across the eyes
- Natural expression with the mouth closed
- Even lighting — no shadows on the face or the background
- Colour photo, sharp, printed on photo paper with no retouching
- Glasses: not allowed (since 1 November 2016)
- Head coverings: not allowed except for religious reasons with the full face visible
- Taken within the last 6 months
2Upload your photo
3Compliance check & download
Upload a photo and it will be cropped to the exact size, then checked against every measurable rule for the document you chose.
US visa photo requirements
The tool measures the first four rules for you and checks lighting, pose, expression, sharpness and background automatically. The rest are listed so you can check them by eye.
- ✓Colour photo, 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in)
- ✓Head from top of hair to chin: 25–35 mm
- ✓Eye line 28.6–35 mm above the bottom edge
- ✓Plain white or off-white background
- ✓No uniforms or camouflage
- ✓Full face, front view, looking straight at the camera
- ✓Eyes open, level and clearly visible — no hair across the eyes
- ✓Natural expression with the mouth closed
- ✓Even lighting — no shadows on the face or the background
- ✓Colour photo, sharp, printed on photo paper with no retouching
- ✓Glasses: not allowed (since 1 November 2016)
- ✓Head coverings: not allowed except for religious reasons with the full face visible
- ✓Taken within the last 6 months
Specific to United States
- Online / digital submission: JPEG, square, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, 24-bit colour, at most 240 KB. Head 50–69 % of the image height, eyes 56–69 % up from the bottom. DV Lottery entries: 600 × 600 px, not used in a previous entry.
- Printed copies: 1 printed 2 × 2 in photo for the interview (some posts ask for 2 for immigrant visas), plus the digital upload
- The DS-160 upload and the DV Lottery entry are digital; you also bring a print to the interview.
- Scanned prints must be scanned at 300 dpi or better.
Source: U.S. Department of State – Visa photo requirements. Last reviewed 2026-09-20. Always confirm against your application form — the issuing authority has the final say.
How to make a US visa photo at home
- 1
Take the photo
Stand 0.5–1 m in front of a plain light wall, face a window, camera at eye level 1.5–2 m away. Neutral expression, mouth closed.
- 2
Upload it here
The face is detected, the head is levelled and the crop is set so the head measures 31 mm — inside the 25–35 mm range.
- 3
Fix anything flagged
Each check tells you what is wrong in millimetres — zoom, move, or retake. The background is replaced with the required colour.
- 4
Download & print
Save the single photo, the file for online forms or the 4 × 6 sheet (6 photos) and print at 100% on photo paper.
Full details in the photo-taking guide and the accepted vs rejected examples.
US visa photo — questions
What size is a US visa photo?＋
51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 in). The head, measured from the top of the hair to the chin, must be 25–35 mm, with the eyes 28.6–35 mm above the bottom edge.
What is the US visa photo size in pixels?＋
At 300 dpi a 51 × 51 mm photo is 600 × 600 px; at 600 dpi it is 1200 × 1200 px. This tool exports at 600 dpi. For online submission: JPEG, square, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, 24-bit colour, at most 240 KB. Head 50–69 % of the image height, eyes 56–69 % up from the bottom. DV Lottery entries: 600 × 600 px, not used in a previous entry.
What background colour is required?＋
Plain white or off-white. The tool replaces your background with the required colour automatically, or you can switch that off and it will check your real background instead.
Can I wear glasses in a US visa photo?＋
Not allowed (since 1 November 2016).
Are head coverings allowed?＋
Not allowed except for religious reasons with the full face visible.
How do I print US visa photos at home?＋
Download the 4 × 6 inch sheet — it holds 6 photos with cut lines — and print it at 100% / actual size on photo paper, then cut along the grey lines. The file carries 600 dpi so it prints at the true size.
Related photo sizes
Ready? Make your US visa photo now — free, in your browser.
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