US Visa Photo for DS-160: 600×600 Pixels, Under 240 KB (How to Make)

The short answer

The US Department of State's digital image requirements for visa applications say the photo must be a square JPEG, at least 600 × 600 pixels and at most 1200 × 1200 pixels, in colour, and 240 kB or smaller. The photo itself must be recent (taken in the last 6 months), on a plain white or off-white background, with no glasses. To make one, crop your photo with the US DV Lottery preset in the Passport Photo Maker, which outputs exactly 600 × 600 pixels, then check the file size and, if needed, compress it with the Compress Image to KB tool.

The official digital requirements

These come from the "Digital Image Requirements" and "Photo Requirements" pages on travel.state.gov, checked in October 2026:

Requirement	Rule
Shape	Square: height equals width
Size in pixels	Minimum 600 × 600, maximum 1200 × 1200
File type	JPEG
File size	240 kB or less
Colour	Colour (24 bits per pixel), sRGB
Head size	50% to 69% of the image's total height
Background	Plain white or off-white
Age of photo	Taken within the last 6 months
Glasses	Not allowed (rare medical exceptions need a signed statement)
Editing	Must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change your appearance

Requirements can change. Before you upload, open the Photo Requirements page on travel.state.gov and compare it with this list.

What "head size 50% to 69%" means in pixels

The head is measured from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin. In a 600 × 600 photo:

• 50% of 600 = 300 pixels
• 69% of 600 = 414 pixels

So your head should be between 300 and 414 pixels tall. A head that is too small (the camera was far away) or too large (cropped too tight, chin or hair cut off) is a common reason a photo is rejected.

Step 1: Take a photo that can pass

No crop can fix a photo that breaks the content rules. Before you open any tool, check:

• Background: stand in front of a plain white or off-white wall. No patterns, doors or shadows behind you.
• Light: face a window or soft light so there are no shadows on your face or behind your head.
• Face: look straight at the camera, neutral expression, both eyes open.
• Glasses off. Hats and head coverings are allowed only if worn daily for religious reasons, and your full face must stay visible.
• Distance: have someone else take the photo from about 1 to 1.5 metres away, at eye level. Selfies distort the face.
• Recent: the photo must reflect how you look now.

The Passport Photo Maker crops and resizes, but it does not replace the background. If your wall is not plain and light, use the Photo Background Changer first to make it white, then crop. More tips on shooting at home are in How to Take a Passport Photo at Home.

Step 2: Crop to 600 × 600 with the Passport Photo Maker

Open the Passport Photo Maker and upload your photo.

Under Photo specification, choose US DV Lottery. Its output is exactly 600 × 600 px, the minimum allowed for a digital visa photo, which also keeps the file small.

Use Zoom, Move left/right and Move up/down to frame your head in the centre. Aim for your head to fill a little over half to about two-thirds of the height of the square.

Click Download Photo. You get a JPEG file.

The US Passport/Visa preset is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) at 300 DPI, which comes out at 602 × 602 pixels. That is also inside the 600 to 1200 range, so either preset works for an online visa application. Use the 2 × 2 inch size if you also need printed photos, which immigrant visa applicants and Diversity Visa selectees are asked to bring.

The tool works in your browser, so your photo is not uploaded to a server while you crop.

Step 3: Check the file size and compress if needed

Look at the downloaded file's size (right-click and choose Properties on Windows, or Get Info on a Mac).

• 240 kB or less: you are done.
• Over 240 kB: open the Compress Image to KB tool, enter a custom target such as 230 KB, and compress. Aiming a little under the limit leaves a margin, because different systems round kilobytes differently.

After compressing, check two things: the image should still be 600 × 600 pixels (the compressor reduces quality first and only shrinks the image if it must), and it should not look blocky. The State Department also asks that compression is not excessive (a ratio of no more than 20:1), so do not squeeze a 600 × 600 photo far below what you need. A 600 × 600 JPEG of a face on a white background is usually well under 240 kB already.

Step 4: Upload and read the result

The DS-160 checks the photo when you upload it. If it is rejected, read the message carefully, then use this table:

Rejection reason	What to change
Image is too small	Use a 600 × 600 or larger square export, not a phone screenshot
File size too large	Compress to about 230 kB
Head too small or too large	Re-crop with less or more zoom
Background not plain	Retake against a plain wall or whiten the background first
Face not centred	Adjust Move left/right and Move up/down
Image is not square	Use a preset; do not crop by hand in a photo app

If the upload keeps failing, check the instructions on your embassy or consulate's visa page, because local guidance can add details.

Common mistakes

• Using an old photo. It must be from the last 6 months.
• Wearing glasses. They are no longer allowed in new visa photos.
• Using a beauty filter or retouching. Altering your appearance is not allowed.
• Compressing until the photo looks blurry. Stop at about 230 kB; you rarely need to go lower.
• Cropping too tight. Leave space above the hair and below the chin, inside the 50% to 69% head-height range.
• Uploading a PNG or HEIC. The file must be JPEG; the Passport Photo Maker always saves JPEG.

For other countries' printed photo sizes, such as the 35 × 45 mm Indian passport photo, see the Passport Photo Size Guide.