United States · Passport
US passport photo
The State Department asks for a 2 x 2 inch color photo with the head between 25 and 35 mm, on plain white or off-white, taken in the last 6 months. Upload a phone photo and we crop it to size and run the checks we can — free — before you decide to pay for the file.
The check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file — $4.99, or $6.99 with a 4 × 6 in print sheet.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies — drawn from our United States guide, which lists the official sources it was verified against.
- Printed size
- 1 × 51 × 51 mm
- Print rules
- Matte or glossy photo-quality paper. No photocopies or scans of a print.
- Digital file
- JPG/JPEG/PNG/HEIC/HEIF · 600 × 600 to 4000 × 4000 px · 54 kB min, 10 MB max
- Head size
- 25–35 mm chin to crown
- Eye line
- 28–35 mm from the bottom edge
- Background
- Plain white or off-white
- Glasses
- Glasses must be removed. A medical exception needs a signed doctor's note with the application.
- Taken within
- the last 6 months
About background editing. The State Department lists a photo whose background was cut out with a retouching tool as unacceptable, and says it checks for AI edits. Shoot against a real white or off-white wall; background replacement is off by default.
What the free check covers
We measure
- Head size against the published window
- Eye position, where the authority sets one
- Head tilt and rotation
- Background brightness and evenness
- Sharpness and exposure
Only you can confirm
- Glasses — we can't reliably detect them, so we flag rather than pass
- Expression and mouth position
- Red eye
- Filters, retouching or AI edits made before upload
We are an independent service, not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority always makes the final decision — a pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check.
Common questions
A printed US passport photo must be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Your head, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, must be between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm).