How to Resize a Photo for US Visa & Passport (DIY Guide)

Applying for a US Visa (DS-160), Green Card (DV Lottery), or renewing your passport online can be frustrating. The number one reason for rejection? The photo.

You don't need to pay $15 at CVS or Walgreens. You can take a compliant photo with your phone and format it correctly for free.

1. The Official Requirements (2025)

• Dimensions: Must be square. Exactly 600 x 600 pixels (2x2 inches).
• File Size: Must be less than 240 KB.
• Background: Plain white or off-white. No shadows.
• Expression: Neutral expression, eyes open, facing the camera directly.

2. How to Take the Photo

Stand against a white wall. Ask a friend to take the photo (selfies often distort the face). Leave plenty of space above your head and around your shoulders—you can crop it later.

3. How to Resize & Crop (The Easy Way)

Once you have the raw photo, it will likely be too large (rectangular and 3MB+). You need to crop it to a square and shrink the file size.

If you prefer to do it manually:

1. Open your image editor.
2. Crop to a 1:1 aspect ratio (Square).
3. Resize to 600px Width and 600px Height.
4. Export as JPEG with quality settings around 80% to stay under 240KB.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• No Glasses: You cannot wear glasses in US visa photos.
• No Uniforms: Wear normal street clothes.
• Watch Shadows: Ensure lighting is even.

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Ready to fix your photo?

Use our secure, client-side tool to make your US Visa photo here.