Photo checker UK requirements Photo guides

Official measurements · local preparation · human review

2x2 Passport Photo Maker Online

Prepare a 2 × 2 inch photo for a specific US application, and keep the print size separate from the digital upload requirements.

Private, browser-only photo preparation

Prepare the file you actually need

Choose the exact application route, use the measured checks, then review the items a browser cannot judge.

Your photo stays on this device

The file is decoded, cropped, and downloaded in your browser. This flow does not upload it to our server.

  1. Choose
  2. 2Upload
  3. 3Adjust or check
  4. 4Review and download

The exact 2 × 2 specification

The measurements below come from the U.S. Department of State photo pages. The head-size rule is the part most home photos miss: the face must not fill the whole square.

Photo size
2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), square. A 600 × 600 pixel crop at 300 DPI matches that print size.
Head height, chin to crown
Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm) — roughly 50% to 69% of the photo height.
Eye height from the bottom
Between 1 1/8 inches and 1 3/8 inches (28–35 mm).
Background
Plain white or off-white, with no shadows, texture, or objects.
Recency and appearance
Taken within the last 6 months, in colour, with a neutral expression, both eyes open, and no filters or appearance edits.

Three decisions that must not be mixed

Paper passport application

The printed photo for a US passport measures 2 × 2 inches. The print sheet must preserve that physical size.

Digital visa photo

A square image is not enough: the upload also requires JPEG format, pixel dimensions, and a file-size limit of 240 KB.

Other forms

A form that asks for a «passport-style» photo does not necessarily share these requirements. Read its own instructions.

How to take and print a 2 × 2 photo

  1. 01

    Set up the shot

    Stand about 1.5 metres in front of a plain, evenly lit wall so no shadow falls behind you. Prefer front daylight over a flash.

  2. 02

    Frame straight on

    Camera at eye level, face forward, neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed. No glasses, head coverings, or uniforms unless an exception applies.

  3. 03

    Crop to the template, not by eye

    Use the tool above to place the head inside the 2 × 2 template. A selfie cropped to a square almost always leaves the head too large.

  4. 04

    Print the sheet at true 4 × 6 size

    The generated PDF already defines a 4 × 6 inch page. For the JPG, select 4 × 6 inch photo paper in the print dialog so the image fills the sheet edge to edge, then cut the 2 × 2 photos. Any other scaling changes the physical size and can be rejected.

Source and limits

Technical measurements do not decide acceptance

The U.S. Department of State makes the final decision on a photo. The tool only prepares and checks measurable data; background, expression, lighting, and likeness still need a person.

Official passport photo requirements