What is Biometric Photo?

What is a certified biometric photo?

What is ICAO? 

What should be the biometric photo features?

What should be the biometric photo dimensions?

What are the biometric photo measurements by country?

Are the biometric photo dimensions of each country the same?

What to wear for Visa, Passport photo?

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Just like any other official document photo, the US passport photo has to follow very specific rules. Here are the basic and most important requirements to keep in mind when taking photos for your US passport:

 

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You should look directly into the camera with your full face in view.

Ordinary clothes. Extravagant clothing or uniforms may result in rejection of the photo. However, religious attire is allowed.

The background must be white or off-white.

Glasses, headphones and other items should not be used.

Passport photo must have been taken within the last six (6) months.

Passport-style photos are biometric photos. This means that the images analyze and download the individual characteristics of people and allow for fast and reliable identification.

 

For this reason, when taking a biometric photo, you should position yourself from the front and look straight ahead. Other people's visibility is never allowed, and background requirements vary. But in most cases it should be uniform and monochromatic. The specs regarding glasses and head coverings are also generally the same, meaning you have to pose with and without a hat (if you wear prescription glasses, you can wear them, but make sure they're not dazzling, as this could cause your passport photos to be rejected).

 

USA passport photo - size and dimensions

 

The photo size for a US passport should always be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).

 

The applicant should remember that the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin should be between 1 and 1.375 inches (i.e. 25-35 mm). The eye height of the person appearing in the photo should also be between 1.125 - 1.375 inches (28-35 mm) from the bottom of the photo (not under the chin).

 

Digital passport photos: size

 

The face has to occupy a certain place in the US passport photo. It is stated that the applicant's face (from the top of the head including the hair to the lower part of the chin) should occupy 50 to 69% of the height of the image.

 

Photo dimensions: digital photo size is measured in pixels instead of inches/centimeters. The pixel dimensions of the photo must be in a square aspect ratio (that is, the height must equal the width).

 

Photo size must be between 600x600 pixels and 1200x1200 pixels, meaning a photo with a width/height greater than 1200 pixels will be rejected. The same is true if the width/height of the photo is less than 600 pixels.

 

Photo format: The only image format allowed is the JPEG file format. Make sure your image is not a PNG file; some cameras and photo editors save pictures in this format by default.

 

Photo file size and compression: also, the US passport photo format cannot be larger than 240 kB (kilobytes), meaning that the image may need to be compressed to meet the maximum file size requirement. The compression ratio must be less than or equal to 20:1.

 

Color photo: The passport style photo must be in color (24 bits per pixel) in the sRGB color space, which is the common output for most digital cameras.

 

All the technical specifications of a US passport photo are automatically covered by our passport photo editor. Try it easily at home!

 

USA passport photos: background

 

Taking a passport photo against a colored background is a common mistake. The official requirement says that a passport photo is acceptable only if it is taken in front of a plain background (white or off-white) with a US passport in mind. Also, there cannot be any pattern on the wall you choose as a background. Also check if there are any other objects behind you. The background should be smooth and white or off-white.

 

USA passport photo - lighting, clarity and contrast

 

The best option is to take your passport photos for your American passport after dark in daylight rather than using the flash. This helps prevent the red-eye effect and keeps the skin looking natural. Both sides of your face should be evenly lit. This means that there can be no shadow on the percentage. Make sure the lighting is not over or underexposed. Your face should be clearly visible. Moreover, beware of reflections - you cannot have reflections on your face. The photo should be sharp with sufficient contrast and detail.

 

ID photo printing and quality

 

Submit a high resolution photo that is not blurry, grainy, or pixelated. The application requirements state that the passport photo must be printed on photo-quality matte or glossy paper. You cannot submit a photo that is damaged (for example, with holes, wrinkles, or spots). Do not beautify the picture digitally; you can use passport photo converters and cropping tools instead.

 

Try our US passport photo tool. Thanks to this, you will receive high-quality pictures in print and digital format. Choose the one that works best for you and take your passport photos at home!

 

glasses in US passport picture

 

According to official passport photo requirements, a