Quick answer
Each application sets its own rules. The US visa form (DS-160) wants a square JPEG of 600 × 600 pixels, no larger than 240 KB. US online passport renewal accepts JPG, PNG or HEIC photos from 54 KB to 10 MB. Canada’s online passport renewal wants a 3:2 portrait JPEG of at least 1200 × 1800 pixels, from 200 KB to 5 MB. A UK passport photo must be at least 600 × 750 pixels and 50 KB to 10 MB. Always check the official page before you apply.
Digital photo requirements at a glance
| Application | Format | Pixels | File size |
|---|---|---|---|
| US visa (DS-160) | JPEG | 600 × 600, square | 240 KB or less |
| US passport renewal online | JPG, PNG, HEIC, HEIF | no fixed size | 54 KB – 10 MB |
| Canadian passport, online renewal | JPEG | 1200 × 1800 to 3000 × 4500 | 200 KB – 5 MB |
| Canada PR card, online | JPEG | 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 | 4 MB or less |
| UK passport, online | color photo | at least 600 × 750 | 50 KB – 10 MB |
Rules change, and each country has more requirements about pose, lighting and expression than fit in a table. Use the official pages linked below as the final word.
US visa photo (DS-160): 600 × 600 pixels, 240 KB
According to the US Department of State’s visa photo page, the digital image you upload with the DS-160 must be:
- a JPEG (.jpg) file, 240 KB or smaller
- square, at 600 × 600 pixels
- in color, taken within the last 6 months, with your head between 50% and 69% of the image’s height, from chin to the top of the head
If you scan an existing printed photo, scan it at 300 pixels per inch. A 600 × 600 JPEG at normal quality is usually far below 240 KB, so the size limit is rarely the problem; the square shape and head size are.
US passport photo: 2 × 2 inches, and online renewal
A printed US passport photo is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), with the head between 1 and 1⅜ inches from chin to top; at 300 DPI, that’s 600 × 600 pixels. For online passport renewal, the State Department asks for:
- a JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB
- a color photo taken in the last 6 months
- the original, unedited photo: no filters, retouching or AI edits
The State Department notes that the only official place to renew online is its own site, opr.travel.state.gov. The US also doesn’t allow glasses in passport or visa photos.
Canadian passport and PR card photos
A printed Canadian passport photo is 50 mm wide by 70 mm high (2 × 2¾ inches), with the face 31–36 mm from chin to crown. For online renewal, the digital photo must be:
- a .jpeg or .jpg file between 200 KB and 5 MB
- a 3:2 portrait photo, at least 1200 pixels wide by 1800 high and no larger than 3000 × 4500
- framed so the head (chin to crown) is 45–50% of the photo’s height, against a plain white or light background
For a PR card applied for online, the photo must be a .jpeg or .jpg between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 pixels, 4 MB or less, and taken no more than 12 months before you apply.
UK passport photo for online applications
For an online UK passport application, GOV.UK asks for a digital photo that is in color, at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, between 50 KB and 10 MB, and taken in the last month, against a plain, light-colored background. Many photo booths and shops can give you a photo code to enter in the application instead of uploading a file.
How to make a digital photo that passes
- Take it well: stand in front of a plain, light wall, in even daylight, facing the camera with a neutral expression, the phone at eye level. Ask someone else to take it rather than holding the phone yourself.
- Don’t edit or filter it. Beauty filters, background removal and retouching are a common reason for refusal, and the US passport renewal refuses edited photos outright.
- Crop and size it when the form asks you to, such as the DS-160’s 600 × 600 square: crop to the right shape first, then resize. Image size in pixels, inches and DPI explains how.
- Save it in the right format and size range, and check the file before you upload. If it’s an iPhone HEIC photo and the form wants JPEG, convert it to JPG.
Why these photos get refused
- The file is outside the pixel or size range, or the wrong format.
- The photo is edited or filtered, or is a photo of a printed photo.
- Shadows on the face or background, or a background that isn’t plain.
- Glasses (not allowed for US passports and visas), hats, or hair covering the face.
- The photo is older than the rules allow.
More fixes in photo rejected by an online form.
Questions people ask
What size is a US visa photo in pixels?
For the DS-160, 600 × 600 pixels, square, as a JPEG of 240 KB or less.
What size is a US passport photo?
2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) when printed. For online renewal, upload a JPG, PNG or HEIC between 54 KB and 10 MB.
What size is a Canadian passport photo?
50 × 70 mm when printed. For online renewal, a 3:2 portrait JPEG of at least 1200 × 1800 pixels, between 200 KB and 5 MB.
What size is a UK passport photo in pixels?
At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall, between 50 KB and 10 MB.