U.S. Department of State
US visa digital photo requirements
When you complete the online US visa application (DS-160) and upload a photo, the Department of State requires a square digital image — at least 600×600 pixels and no larger than 1200×1200 pixels — saved as a JPEG of 240 KB or less.
This is different from the US passport rules. Passport renewal accepts larger files and crops in-app; the visa digital image has a fixed square size and a strict 240 KB cap.
The tool below is pre-set to the official visa digital-image limits so you can check your photo before you upload. Because visa photos should be unedited camera images, it checks only — it does not resize or re-encode.
Official source: travel.state.gov — Digital Image Requirements
Official source checked on 2026-07-08. This records when we compared our summary to the linked government page — not when the tool was QA-tested. Requirements can change; always confirm the current rules on the official page before you apply.
Specifications
- Dimensions
- 600 × 600 px minimum, 1200 × 1200 px maximum (square)
- File format
- JPEG (.jpg)
- Maximum file size
- 240 KB
- Color
- Color, 24-bit sRGB
- Head size
- Chin to crown 50%–69% of image height
- Background
- Plain white or off-white
- Age of photo
- Taken within the last 6 months
Every value in this table is summarized from travel.state.gov — Digital Image Requirements (U.S. Department of State), checked 2026-07-08. Confirm the current values on the official page before you apply.
Check your photo
The tool below is set to the official digital limits. Drop your photo in to check it against each requirement — nothing is uploaded or altered.
The visa image must be square (width equal to height). ExactPic checks the size range, format, and 240 KB cap; make sure your crop is 1:1 before you upload.
Drop an image here, or click to browse
HEIC, JPG, PNG, WebP
- Auto-checked
- File size, pixel dimensions, aspect ratio, and file format.
- You must verify yourself
- Head size and position, background, lighting, expression, and colour profile — the tool cannot judge these.
Compliance note. This checks the visa digital-image dimensions, format, and 240 KB file size only. It does not judge head position, expression, lighting, background, or whether the visa system will accept your photo.
Reviewed by ExactPic editorial against the official source on 2026-07-08. Spotted something out of date or wrong? Report an incorrect requirement.
Step by step
Take a compliant color photo
Use a recent color photo on a plain white background, facing the camera with a neutral expression.
Crop to a square
The visa image must be square. Crop to 1:1 with your head centered at the correct height.
Check the file below
Confirm the 600×600 to 1200×1200 size, JPEG format, and 240 KB limit, then upload it in the official application.
Private by design. Any photo you check here is processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded. ExactPic is not affiliated with U.S. Department of State and does not guarantee acceptance — always follow the official guidance.
Source change log
- 2026-07-08 — New page split from the US passport page to correctly own the 600×600–1200×1200 px square JPEG, 240 KB visa digital-image spec.
Other portals
Official source checked: 2026-07-08