US Passport Photo Requirements 2026

No. As of January 1, 2026, the State Department's 8 FAM 402.1 update explicitly rejects passport photos that have been AI-edited — including AI background replacement, skin smoothing, and face reshaping. Standard cropping, resizing, and uniform background recolouring on a real plain wall are still allowed. For US passport submissions, capture against an actual plain white wall and use our tool for geometric crop + resize only.

The automated photo-validation check on the online passport renewal portal returns a result in under 60 seconds. For mailed paper applications, the photo review happens during the standard 6–8 week processing window. Photos that fail automated validation trigger a Request for Evidence notification, adding 60–90 days to the application.

Yes — Walgreens and CVS in-house passport photos meet State Department dimensions. The cheaper alternative: take the photo at home (free), produce the file with our tool ($3.99), and print the 4×6 sheet at any Walgreens or CVS photo kiosk for $0.33 – $0.49. Total ~$4.50 vs $14.99 – $16.99 at their passport-photo counter.

Yes. Any recent smartphone shoots well above the 600 × 600 pixel minimum the State Department requires, so you don't need a studio, a professional photographer, or a special camera — an ordinary phone photo works. Stand about one metre from a plain white wall in soft daylight, hold the phone at eye level, and take a few shots. Upload the original file (don't send it through WhatsApp or iMessage first, as they compress it below the quality threshold) and our tool crops it to the exact 2 × 2 inch size with the head in the required 50 – 69% band.

Lay the baby on their back on a plain white sheet and photograph straight down from above — the sheet provides the required white background and supports the head with no hands showing in the frame. The child must be alone in the photo, with no toys, pacifiers, hands, or arms visible. The State Department relaxes the rules for infants: the eyes do not have to be fully open and a neutral expression is not required. Take the shot with your phone, upload it, and the tool auto-crops the small head to the correct 2 × 2 inch size band so you don't have to measure anything.

The official US Passport Photo Online size is 51 mm × 51 mm (2.01 in × 2.01 in). For digital uploads it equals 1200 × 1200 px at 300 DPI.

US Passport Photo Online photos must be taken on a plain white background, evenly lit and free of shadows or patterns.

The head should fill approximately 70–80% of the photo height, with eyes positioned in the upper-middle of the frame and a neutral expression looking straight at the camera.

Yes. Use a recent phone photo against a plain wall, with even daylight and no glasses. Our tool then crops, recolors the background, and resizes to the official 51 mm × 51 mm template.

Yes. We generate a 4x6 print sheet with 6 photos that any pharmacy or photo kiosk can print.