PHOTO GUIDE
Make a U.S. visa photo from a phone
Photos are processed in your browser. They are never uploaded to any server.
Start with a sharp, recent photo against a plain white or off-white background. Select United States — Visa · DS-160 / DS-1648 in the tool, crop without changing your appearance, and download the square JPG. Check the actual image yourself before using it: a correctly sized file can still be unsuitable because of lighting, expression or background.
Check the requirement before taking the picture
For the digital visa image, the U.S. Department of State specifies a square JPEG in sRGB, from 600 × 600 through 1200 × 1200 pixels, no larger than 240 kB. This tool exports 600 × 600 pixels. The official digital image requirements are the source for those file rules; this tool is not a government service.
The official photo requirements also call for a color image taken within the last six months, a plain white or off-white background, a full-face view toward the camera, and a neutral expression with both eyes open. The head, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, should occupy 50–69% of the image height. Read the issuing office's instructions too: some visa applicants must bring a printed photo to the interview.
Take an original that needs only cropping
Stand in even light and face the camera directly. Leave space around the head and shoulders so a square crop is possible. Keep the camera steady and use the original full-resolution file rather than a screenshot or a photo forwarded through a messaging app. Avoid beauty filters, background replacement and edits that change facial appearance. If the wall is patterned, the light casts a visible shadow, or the face is blurred, take another photograph; cropping will not repair those problems.
A phone camera is a way to capture the source image, not evidence that the result is acceptable. The Department of State cautions against low-quality mobile-phone photos and leaves acceptance to the receiving authority. Examine the original at full size before spending time on a crop.
Crop in Visa Photo Prep
- Choose the United States visa preset, then add one JPG, PNG or HEIC photo. The editor shows the source dimensions after reading the file locally. If it cannot decode the file or the available crop has too few source pixels, it reports the problem instead of silently enlarging it.
- Drag the image to center the face. Use zoom until the full head and required shoulder area are visible. The vertical guide helps with left-to-right positioning; it does not detect a face or judge symmetry for you.
- Mark the top of the head and bottom of the chin. The displayed head-height measurement comes from the points you place. Recheck both marks after moving or zooming. Correct placement matters; the tool cannot know whether you tapped the right features.
- Review the background, shadows, expression, visible eyes, sharpness and whether the photo still resembles you. Confirm the manual checklist, create the files and download the JPG.
Inspect the downloaded file, not just the preview
Open the JPG and confirm that it is square, 600 × 600 pixels, upright and not visibly blurred or distorted. Check that the face remains centered and the head has not been clipped. The tool shows the encoded file size, but it does not certify a receiving system's acceptance. If an application page rejects the image, read its error and current official instructions before making a new version; changing the filename will not fix a photograph problem.
If you also need paper copies, use the separate 4 × 6 print guide. A 4 × 6 sheet is a layout supplied by this site, not the required size of an individual visa photo. Print requirements depend on the route and receiving office.
Official requirements reviewed September 17, 2026. Recheck the linked U.S. Department of State pages before submitting an application.