US Passport Renewal Photo Requirements
Renewing online means uploading an original, unedited file between 54 KB and 10 MB. Renewing by mail means a 2 x 2 inch print. Here is what the State Department lists for each.
The passport renewal photo requirements for a US passport depend on how you renew: online, you upload one original, unedited color photo as a JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF file between 54 KB and 10 MB; by mail, you send one printed 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) photo. Either way the photo must have been taken in the last 6 months against a plain white or off-white background.
Those figures are from the U.S. Department of State's Uploading a Digital Photo page, last updated 4 May 2026, and its Passport Photos page for paper forms, as they stood on 11 October 2026. State says unacceptable photos are the number one reason it puts passport applications on hold.
Online or by mail: which photo rules apply?
The route decides the format. Online renewal takes a file and nothing printed. A paper renewal takes a print and no file.
What file does the online passport renewal photo need to be?
The online renewal photo is a single color image file, saved on the device you are renewing from before you start the application. State lists these requirements:
| File format | JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF |
| File size | Between 54 KB and 10 MB |
| Color and age | In color, taken in the last 6 months |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, no shadows, texture, lines or objects |
| Editing | None. The original, unedited photo, with no filters or retouching |
| Source | A digital original. Not a scan, and not a photo of a printed photo |
HEIC and HEIF are on the list, so a photo straight from an iPhone can go up as it is. State notes that photos taken on a mobile device may save in one of these formats automatically. If the name is new to you, see what HEIC is.
What pixel size does the online renewal photo need?
State's upload page gives no pixel dimensions, and it does not ask for a square file. The quality rule is written in words: the photo must be sharp and in focus, and not grainy or pixelated. Framing is described the same way. Your head and shoulders are centered, and the bottom edge of the photo sits at the edge of your shoulders, near where they connect to your arms.
You do the final framing inside the application. In State's words, "You can reposition or crop your photo in the application," and its advice is to leave a little extra room around your face if you are unsure.
If you have seen a square of 600 x 600 to 1,200 x 1,200 pixels quoted for renewal, that is the US visa photo, a separate specification covered in our US visa photo requirements guide.
Can you edit, crop or resize the photo before uploading?
No. For online renewal, upload the file your camera saved. State's wording is direct: "If your photo is edited or filtered, we will not accept it," and "Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters." That includes red-eye. State says not to fix it and to take a new photo in natural light.
Two of State's tips are about keeping the file intact. Choose the highest quality setting when you save the photo, and do not send it by text message, which can make the image quality worse. Move it to your computer another way.
This is also why our own US Passport Photo Maker is the wrong tool for the online route. It saves a new 600 x 600 pixel JPG, which is a resized copy and not your original, and it does not check file size. When we ran a test photo with a plain light background through it, the result was 46 KB, under State's 54 KB minimum. It is built for the printed photo, covered below.
How to take a photo the online renewal will accept
- Stand several feet in front of a plain white or off-white wall. State suggests covering a wall of another color with a white blanket or sheet.
- Use even light with no shadows on your face or the wall. State recommends a well-lit area with natural lighting.
- Take off glasses and hats. Head coverings worn for religious purposes are allowed. State says the covering must be one color, without patterns or small holes.
- Have someone stand several feet away and take the photo while you face the camera with both eyes open. A neutral expression or a natural smile is fine. State says to avoid showing teeth.
- Keep your head and shoulders centered, with some room around them for the crop.
- Save at the highest quality setting and get the file onto the device you will renew from without texting it.
For the room setup and lighting in more detail, see how to take a passport photo at home.
What photo do you need to renew a passport by mail?
To renew a passport by mail you need one printed color photo, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), with your head measuring 1 to 1-3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. State asks for matte or glossy photo-quality paper and refuses photocopies and digitally scanned photos.
The US Passport Photo Maker is built for this route. Its supported inputs are JPG, PNG and WebP. It gives you a square crop box to drag and resize over your photo, and saves a 600 x 600 pixel JPG. Printed 2 inches wide, 600 pixels works out to 300 pixels per inch. It runs in your browser, so the photo is not uploaded to us.
The tool does not measure your head, so check the print against the 1 to 1-3/8 inch band yourself. State's examples of banned digital changes are filters, retouching, background edits and red-eye fixes, and the tool does none of those. State also says "Do not stretch or compress your image to resize it." The crop box is locked to a square, so a single photo is scaled by the same amount in both directions. Add one photo at a time: in a batch, the box you set on the first photo is applied to the others in proportion, and a photo of a different shape can come out stretched.
Our guide to printing passport photos at home covers paper and print size, and US passport photo requirements has the full rules on head size, expression and clothing. For other countries, start from the Passport Photo Maker hub.
What happens after you upload the photo?
The application checks the photo first, then a person does. State says its photo tool checks whether the photo meets the basic requirements and tells you what to change if it does not, and you can try again with a different photo. After you apply, an employee reviews the photo. If there is an issue, State sends a letter or email asking for a new one.
So a photo that clears the upload check can still be turned down later. The usual causes are in why passport photos get rejected.
FAQ
Can I upload a HEIC photo from my iPhone?
Yes. State lists JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC and HEIF as accepted formats for online renewal, so there is no need to convert it first.
Is there a minimum pixel size for the online renewal photo?
State's upload page states none. It sets a file size of 54 KB to 10 MB and asks for a sharp photo that is not grainy or pixelated.
Can I scan my printed passport photo and upload that?
No. State says not to scan a physical photo or take a photo of a printed photo to make the digital file.
Can I reuse the photo from my current passport?
Almost certainly not. The photo must have been taken in the last 6 months, for online and mail renewals alike, and the online route also refuses scans of a printed photo.
My photo was accepted by the upload tool. Is it approved?
Not yet. The tool checks basic requirements only. An employee reviews the photo after State receives your application and can still ask for a new one.