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Passport Photo AI

US passport photo size: make a 2x2 inch photo with your iPhone

A US passport photo is 2 × 2 inches (50.8 × 50.8 mm) — 600 × 600 pixels at 300 DPI — with the head 25 to 35 mm from chin to crown. Passport Photo AI crops your photo to that exact size for free. It leaves the background as you shot it, because current US rules reject AI-altered photos.

3 min read · Updated 2026-08-04

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What size is a US passport photo?

US passport spec as stored in the app
ItemValue
Print size2 × 2 in (50.8 × 50.8 mm)
Digital size at 300 DPI600 × 600 px
Head height, chin to crown25–35 mm (about 1 to 1 3/8 in)
BackgroundOff-White / Cream (plain white or off-white, no pattern)
AI-altered backgroundNot allowed

The pixel size comes from the print size and resolution: 300 × 50.8 ÷ 25.4 = 600. The document card rounds the print size and shows 51×51 mm; the export screen is the one that shows the exact 600 × 600 px · 300 DPI.

Does a US passport photo have to be exactly 2x2?

Yes, the printed photo must be 2 × 2 inches. That is why the app keeps the spec at 50.8 mm instead of a rounded 51 mm, and why it writes 300 DPI into the exported file, so a print shop or your printer reproduces it at 2 inches instead of guessing.

Why the app won't touch the background of a US photo

Under the US Department of State rules from January 2026, AI-altered or digitally edited photos are rejected. For US passport, US visa and Green Card photos, Passport Photo AI skips background replacement and the automatic brightness correction. It only finds your face, crops and resizes.

In practice, the wall behind you is the background that ends up in the photo — no exceptions. A cream wall can still get flagged if a light source behind you leaves a shadow in one corner. Use a plain white or off-white wall and even light; the check samples the corners of the photo and flags Background appears too dark. if they are not light enough.

How to make a 2x2 photo on your iPhone

  1. Tap Create New Photo, pick the United States under Select Country, then tap Passport (or Visa or Green Card, which use the same size).
  2. Read the orange notice about AI-altered photos, then tap Photo requirements to see the rules: no glasses of any kind, neutral expression, no hats.
  3. Stand about an arm's length from a plain light wall, face a window or soft light, fit your face in the oval and tap Take Photo when you see Face detected — hold still.
  4. On Photo Check, read the score and the Issues found list. Fix any critical issue with Retake Photo.
  5. Tap Use This Photo, choose JPEG, PNG or PDF under Export Format and tap Export Photo.

Worked example: a head that is too small

Say your head fills 30% of the photo height. The minimum for this spec is 25 ÷ 50.8 = 49.2%, so a gap of 0.192 is well past the 0.05 limit. The app lists Head is too small in the frame. as a critical issue and takes 20 points off, landing the score at 80. The badge still reads OK at 80 despite that. Read the list under it, move closer, retake.

Tips and common mistakes

  • Do not add filters, beauty modes or portrait lighting effects. The edited look is what gets US photos rejected.
  • Glasses are not allowed on US photos. The app does not detect glasses, so take them off before you shoot.
  • A shadow on the wall behind your head darkens the corners. Step a little away from the wall and light it evenly.
  • The front camera is a selfie. If you want someone else to take it, use the main camera in the Camera app and bring the photo in with Import.

Questions and answers

What is the US passport photo size in pixels?
At 300 DPI a 2 × 2 inch photo is 600 × 600 pixels. That is the size Passport Photo AI exports for the US passport, US visa and Green Card specs.
What is the US passport photo size in cm?
5.08 × 5.08 cm, which is 2 × 2 inches. The head should measure 2.5 to 3.5 cm from chin to crown.
Can I use this as a 2x2 photo maker for free?
Yes. Choosing the US spec, the check, the crop and exporting the single 2 × 2 photo are free. Only print sheets with several copies need Pro or watching one ad.

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