Passport Photo Requirements

Uploading a digital passport photo sounds simple, but there are a number of ways your photo can be dismissed when you submit it online. The denial is often not because of the photo but due to problems with the file format, resolution, cropping or metadata.

Don’t get your application rejected right away: make sure your digital passport photo is formatted for uploading. Many files are rejected for being improperly formatted or too low resolution/compressed.

If you’re trying to figure out whether you need a digital or print passport photo for your next passport photo 2026 application, you’re one of many: the requirements seem to change all the time.

If you are wondering about the actual baby passport photo requirements in the USA, you have likely already come to know that there are some pretty strict official standards, which are even more rigid when the “model” is a newborn ...

Most digital passport photo rejections relate to technical errors that the user is unaware they made. Machines see them instantly. Humans don’t. These problems are divided into two groups: background and lighting issues and may result in non-compliance with a photo that appears to be acceptable at first glance.

If you got a digital passport photo rejected out of the blue, you’re addressing one of the more common problems in the U.S. passport photo submission system. Both the U.S. Department of State and the on-screen automated checks of the online renewal system have very rigorous standards to which they apply.

Is It OK to wear glasses or headwear in your U.S. Passport Photo? Many people get confused about glasses and headwear and I hope to clear things up for you. The criteria are strict, and even small things - like a slight glare on a pair of glasses or a shadow cast by a scarf on a person’s face - can cause an image to be rejected, even if it looks fine to the naked eye.

When you hear the words "digital passport photo", it sounds straightforward - snap a picture, save it, upload it. But the fact is that the U.S. has some of the toughest and most technical passport photo requirements in the world.