Does a US passport photo need a white background? What about UK passports?

For US passports, US visas (DS-160), and all USCIS forms: yes, the background must be plain white or off-white with no patterns, shadows, or textures. For UK passports: the requirement is light grey or cream — NOT pure white (this is the most common mistake UK applicants make when taking photos at home, as US photos require white but UK requires light grey). This tool is pre-set for US white background requirements. For UK, Singapore, EU, and other international formats with different background requirements, use Passport Photo Cropper which includes country-specific background guidance for each preset.

Can I use a selfie for a US passport application?

You can take the photo yourself at home — a tripod with a self-timer, or someone else taking the photo with your phone, works well. What you cannot do is use the front-facing selfie camera at close range, as it introduces lens distortion that can make your face appear wider. Use the rear camera held or mounted at eye level, about 16–20 inches from your face. The US Department of State requires that the photo accurately reflect your appearance without digital alteration — no filters, beauty effects, or skin smoothing are permitted. The photo cannot be AI-generated or artificially created.

What size does the printed passport photo need to be?

The print must be exactly 2×2 inches (51×51mm) on photo-quality paper (glossy or matte). If you download the cropped digital file from this tool and take it to a print shop (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart photo center), specify "2×2 inch print" and ensure the print resolution is 300 DPI or above. For digital-only applications (DS-160 online visa form, USCIS online portal, US passport renewal online), you do not need to print — upload the downloaded JPEG file directly.

Are passport photo requirements the same in every country?

No — they vary significantly by country and by document type. This tool is pre-set for the US 2×2 inch (51×51mm, 1:1 square) format, which applies to US passports, US visas, USCIS forms, and India Passport. For all other countries, the format is different: UK, Australia, EU/Schengen, Japan, Singapore, and most of the world use 35×45mm portrait rectangle (7:9 ratio); Canada uses 50×70mm; China uses 33×48mm; UAE visa requires 43×55mm. Background requirements also differ: US requires white; UK passport requires light grey/cream (not white); Malaysia requires blue. India OCI/Visa uses 35×45mm — different from India Passport (2×2). For a complete 22-country reference table with head height, digital pixel dimensions, and file size requirements per portal, see Passport Photo Cropper. Need UK 35×45mm, India OCI, Canada, or other international sizes? Use Passport Photo Cropper

Does a passport photo need to be in colour?

Yes — all modern passport and visa photos must be in full colour. Black and white photos are not accepted for any current passport or visa application by the US State Department, UK UKPA, or any other major national passport authority. Colour photos are required because biometric passport systems use skin tone and colour data as part of identity verification. Photographs with colour altered, oversaturated, or heavy filters applied are also rejected.

My passport photo file is too large for the online portal. How do I compress it?

The US DS-160 online visa application requires photos between 54 KB and 240 KB. The USCIS online immigration portal (for Green Cards, citizenship, and other immigration forms) requires photos between 60 KB and 2 MB — note this is a different limit from DS-160. After cropping your photo to 2×2 using this tool, if the downloaded file is above the portal's maximum, use the Compress to 100KB tool. Compressing to 100KB puts the file well below the DS-160 limit of 240KB and above the USCIS minimum of 60KB — one target size that works for both US government portals. After cropping, compress your passport photo to under 100KB for DS-160 and USCIS portals

Is there a mobile app for cropping passport photos?

There is no dedicated BulkPicTools mobile app — and you do not need one. This web-based passport photo cropping tool works on all modern mobile browsers (Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android) without requiring any installation. Open the tool in your mobile browser, upload a photo directly from your camera roll, crop to 2×2, and download. The entire process works on mobile without any app download, storage usage, or account creation. If you do want a standalone app, the US State Department's official photo tool (travel.state.gov) is available for US-specific requirements, but it does not support UK, Canada, India, Singapore, or other international formats.

What is the correct crop ratio for a passport photo?

The crop ratio (aspect ratio) depends on the country and document type. 1:1 (square) for US passports, US visas (DS-160), USCIS forms, and India Passport — all use the 2×2 inch (51×51mm) format handled by this tool. 7:9 (portrait rectangle) for UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Germany, France, and most other countries following the ICAO 35×45mm standard. Important: India OCI and India Visa use 7:9 portrait (35×45mm) — different from India Passport which uses 1:1 square. Using a 1:1 square crop for a UK passport or India OCI application is an automatic rejection. For 7:9 portrait and all international formats, use the Passport Photo Cropper.

BulkPicTools

Free 2×2 Passport Photo — Exact 51×51mm for US Visa & DS-160, No Upload

Precisely crop your photo to exactly 2x2 inches (51x51mm). Fully compliant with official requirements for US Visa, Passport, and India OCI applications.

Upload Photo (US Visa / 2x2)

Support JPG, PNG, WebP. Batch processing supported.

100% Compliant: 51x51mm • Privacy Protected

Related ToolsCircle Image Cropper

Bulk Image Cropper

Passport Photo Cropper

Key Features of 2x2 Photo Cropper

Exact 2x2 Inch

Locked 1:1 aspect ratio ensures your photo is a perfect square, strictly following the 51x51mm requirement.

Face Alignment Guide

Use our built-in overlay to center your head. The head height should be between 1 and 1 3/8 inches.

US & India Ready

Perfect for US State Department applications and Indian OCI/Visa processes.

Guides & Tips

How to Crop a Photo to 2×2 Inches for US Passport, Visa, USCIS and ID Applications — Free Online Cropping Tool

A 2×2 inch (51×51mm) photo is the standard requirement for US passports, US visas, Green Cards, and all USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) applications. Using a general-purpose crop tool risks getting the dimensions slightly wrong — application processing systems measure submitted photos automatically, and even a 1–2 pixel deviation from the required dimensions can trigger a rejection. This free online passport photo cropping tool locks the output to exactly 51×51mm, eliminating dimension errors entirely.

This tool crops and resizes simultaneously: When you set the 2×2 inch target, the tool both crops to the correct aspect ratio (1:1 square) and resizes to the exact output dimensions in one step. No separate resize step needed.

Important — all processing is local: Your photo never leaves your device. Unlike PhotoGov, PhotoAiD, IDPhoto4You, and other online passport photo tools that upload your image to a remote server, this cropping tool runs entirely in your browser. Your face photo is not stored, transmitted, or used in any way.

Step 1: Upload Your Photo
Drag your photo onto the upload area or click to browse. JPG, PNG, and WebP are all supported. The photo should show your full head and shoulders against a plain white or light background. Avoid photos taken in poor lighting or with visible shadows — these are common rejection causes that cannot be corrected by cropping alone.
Step 2: Centre Your Face Using the Overlay Guide
The 2×2 frame locks automatically. Use the face alignment overlay to position your head correctly: your head height (chin bottom to top of hair) should fill the green zone, corresponding to the 1 to 1⅜ inch (25–35mm) range required by the US Department of State. Both eyes should be visible and roughly centred horizontally. Drag and zoom the crop box until the alignment guide shows your face in the correct position.
Step 3: Download and Verify
Click Download. The output file is exactly 2×2 inches at the resolution of your source photo. For digital submissions: check the file size against your portal's limit. DS-160 (US visa form) requires 54–240 KB. USCIS portals require 60 KB–2 MB. If the file is above the limit, use the Compress to 100KB tool after downloading.

Next step — file size for DS-160 and USCIS: After cropping to 2×2, use the Compress to 100KB tool to bring the file below 100KB. This fits within the DS-160 limit (max 240KB) and above the USCIS minimum (60KB) — a single target size that works for both US government portals.

Is 2×2 the Right Format for Your Application? US, UK, India & International Passport Photo Sizes Explained (2026)

The 2×2 inch (51×51mm) square format applies to US documents only — and India Passport only. If you are applying for a UK passport, Canadian passport, Australian passport, EU/Schengen visa, or most other international documents, the required format is 35×45mm portrait rectangle (7:9 aspect ratio) — not a square. Submitting a square 2×2 crop for a UK application is one of the most common causes of rejection for international applicants.

Use this 2×2 Photo Cropper if you are applying for:

· 🇺🇸 US Passport (paper renewal or new)
· 🇺🇸 US Visa — DS-160 online form
· 🇺🇸 Green Card, USCIS immigration forms
· 🇮🇳 India Passport (51×51mm — same square format as US)

Use Passport Photo Cropper instead if you are applying for:

· 🇬🇧 UK Passport or UK Visa — requires 35×45mm, and UK passport requires light grey background (NOT white)
· 🇨🇦 Canada Passport — requires 50×70mm (not square, not 35×45mm)
· 🇦🇺 Australia Passport — requires 35×45mm
· 🇩🇪 EU / Schengen Visa — requires 35×45mm
· 🇯🇵 Japan / 🇸🇬 Singapore / 🇰🇷 South Korea — all 35×45mm
· 🇮🇳 India OCI or India Visa — requires 35×45mm (different from India Passport, which uses 2×2)
· 🇨🇳 China Passport / Visa — 33×48mm
· 🇦🇪 UAE Visa — 43×55mm
· 🇲🇾 Malaysia — 35×50mm with blue background
· Any other country not listed above

The crop ratio difference: US and India Passport documents require a 1:1 square crop (equal width and height). UK, EU, and most international documents require a 7:9 portrait rectangle (taller than wide). Cropping to a 1:1 square and then submitting for a UK passport application is an automatic rejection — the system measures the aspect ratio.

India OCI vs India Passport — the most common India-specific mistake: India Passport uses 51×51mm (2×2 inch, 1:1 square) — use this tool. India OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) and Indian visa applications use 35×45mm portrait format — use Passport Photo Cropper. These are different documents with different photo requirements, even though both are issued by India.

For complete country-by-country specifications including head height measurements, digital pixel dimensions, file size limits per portal, and background colour requirements for all 22 countries — see the full reference table on Passport Photo Cropper.

Need UK 35×45mm, India OCI, Canada, or other international sizes? Use Passport Photo Cropper
For social profile pictures and circular avatars, use Circle Image Cropper

How to Take a Compliant Passport Photo at Home: Lighting, Background, and the EXIF Date Requirement

You do not need a professional photographer to take a compliant passport photo. With a modern smartphone and a white wall, you can produce a photo that meets all US Department of State requirements — no technical skills needed.

Background: Find a plain white wall or hang a white sheet. The background must be evenly lit with no visible texture, patterns, or shadows. Stand at least 4 feet (1.2m) from the wall — this prevents your shadow from falling on the background. For UK applications: use a light grey or cream background, not pure white.

Lighting: The most common rejection cause is facial shadows. Use soft, diffused lighting from the front — natural daylight from a window works well if you face the window directly. Avoid overhead lighting (shadows under the eyes and chin), side lighting (shadows on one side of the face), and direct flash (red-eye and harsh shadows).

Camera: Use your smartphone's rear camera, not the front-facing selfie camera — rear cameras have higher resolution and optical quality. Hold or mount the phone at eye level, directly in front of you. Take 5–10 shots with slightly different positions and choose the best one.

Expression and posture: Neutral expression, mouth closed. Both eyes fully open and looking directly at the camera. No smiling, squinting, or tilted head. Both ears visible. No hats. No glasses.

'Recent photo' requirement and EXIF date verification: US passports require photos taken within the last 6 months. UK passports require photos taken within the last 1 month. Some government portals — including the US DS-160 visa form and UK UKVI portal — check the EXIF metadata embedded in the uploaded JPEG file to verify the 'Date Taken' timestamp. If your phone's date was set incorrectly when you took the photo, or if editing software changed the EXIF date, your application may be flagged. Use the EXIF Viewer to check the Date Taken field before uploading, and the EXIF Editor to correct it if needed.

How to use

Upload

Upload a recent photo taken against a white background.

Crop

The tool automatically locks to a square. Move the box to center your face using the guide.

Download

Save as a high-quality JPG or PNG ready for printing or online upload.

Frequently Asked Questions About 2x2 Photo Cropper

A 2×2 inch photo is exactly 51×51 millimetres (5.1×5.1 centimetres), with a 1:1 square aspect ratio. This is the standard size for US passports, US visas (DS-160), Green Cards, and all USCIS applications. It is also the format for India Passport (not India OCI — see below). For digital submissions, the pixel dimensions should be between 600×600 and 1200×1200 pixels at 300 DPI. Note: most other countries use the ICAO standard of 35×45mm (approximately 1.38×1.77 inches, 7:9 portrait ratio) — UK, Canadian, Australian, Singapore, EU, and India OCI/Visa applications all require 35×45mm, not 51×51mm. See the Format Navigation Table on this page to confirm the right format for your application.