United States Passport Photo Maker

Upload any photo — the tool removes your existing background, drops in the plain white or off-white background required for United States passport, and produces a spec-exact 51×51mm image ready to submit.

AI background removal plain white or off-white background applied Exact 51×51mm output

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Drop a photo to start

Face forward, eyes on the camera. Any background is fine — the tool replaces it with the plain white or off-white required for United States passport.

Works with cluttered rooms, coloured walls, indoor lighting — the AI segments you from whatever is behind you.

Choose photo

JPG, PNG, or HEIC. Max 10 MB on Free.

How to make a United States passport photo in 3 steps

Upload any photo of yourself, and the tool handles the entire United States passport spec pipeline — background removal, colour swap, spec-exact crop, file-size compression — in one pass.

1

Upload any photo of yourself

Take a photo with your phone or webcam against any background — a plain wall, a cluttered room, an office setting. The AI segments you from whatever is behind you, so you don't need to worry about finding a plain plain white or off-white backdrop before shooting.

2

AI removes the background and applies plain white or off-white

BiRefNet-portrait, the state-of-the-art open-source matting model, removes the original background and composes your face onto the plain white or off-white required for United States passport applications. Fine details like hair strands and wispy edges are preserved cleanly.

3

Auto-crop to 51×51mm and download

The tool auto-positions your face based on the segmentation mask, applies the exact 51×51mm crop at 300 DPI, and produces a JPEG under 240 KB — the standard file size for United States portal uploads. Drag the crop box if you want to fine-tune the position.

Understanding the United States passport spec

The US Department of State accepts 2×2 inch (51×51mm) colour photographs printed on matte or glossy photo paper, or uploaded digitally through the online DS-11 or DS-82 application flow. The background must be pure white (RGB 255,255,255) or off-white — no shadows, no textured backdrops. Photos taken at a photo studio typically satisfy the spec; do-it-yourself iPhone photos need proper background removal and lighting correction to avoid the "shadow behind the head" issue that rejects most home photos.

Dimensions

51×51 mm

2.0 × 2.0 in

Resolution

300 DPI

Print-ready

Background

plain white or off-white

AI-swapped

Head height

25–35 mm

Chin to crown

Requirements at a glance

2x2 inches (51x51mm), colour
Plain white or off-white background — no patterns, no shadows
Head between 25 and 35mm tall, centered
Neutral expression with both eyes open, mouth closed
No glasses (rejected since November 2016)
Taken within the last 6 months — recent likeness
No hats or head coverings (except religious, worn daily)
File size 54 KB to 10 MB

Common mistakes that get photos rejected

Wearing glasses — automatic rejection
Head too small in frame (less than 25mm) or too large (more than 35mm)
Off-white or beige background instead of pure white
Photo older than 6 months
Shadows on face or behind head
Digital photo taken in a mirror

Where United States passport photos are actually used

US passport photos are also accepted for a wide range of federal identity documents, including the Green Card renewal (I-90) and TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) applications. The 2×2 inch dimension is one of the most common passport specifications globally — the same photo often works for Canadian, Indian, and Mexican passport applications, useful for holders of multiple citizenships or those applying for family visas across borders.

Applications that accept this photo spec

New US passport book or card application (DS-11)
US passport renewal by mail (DS-82)
Passport for a minor under 16 (DS-11 with parental consent)
US Global Entry / Trusted Traveler Program enrollment photos
DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application (submitted separately at consular interview)

United States passport photo FAQ

What are the United States passport photo dimensions?

United States Passport photos are 51×51mm at 300 DPI, on a plain white or off-white background. Face must occupy 25-35mm of the frame's height (from chin to top of the head).

What background colour is required for United States passport photos?

plain white or off-white. Photos on cream, beige, or textured backgrounds are the single most common reason for application rejection at the verification step. This tool automatically replaces whatever background is in your source photo with the correct plain white or off-white colour.

Can I take United States passport photos with my phone?

Yes. Modern phone cameras produce more than enough resolution and colour accuracy for the 51×51mm output size. What matters is even lighting (no harsh shadows on your face), a plain-ish background (or use this tool to swap the background), and a straight-on, neutral-expression pose.

What is the maximum file size for United States passport photos?

The standard upload cap for United States passport portals is around 240 KB. This tool automatically compresses the output JPEG to stay under that cap while preserving the required 300 DPI resolution. If your destination portal has a stricter cap, use our free Image Compressor to shrink further.

Is my uploaded photo saved on your servers?

Your original photo is processed in memory and never persisted on our servers. The AI background removal runs server-side (the model file is 885 MB and doesn't fit in a browser), but the input image is discarded immediately after processing. Only the composited output is returned to your browser, and nothing about your photo is logged, saved, or shared with third parties.

What if the background removal misses part of my hair or clothing?

The BiRefNet-portrait model is trained specifically for people and handles hair, clothing edges, and skin tones cleanly on the vast majority of photos. If you see a specific edge artefact, try re-uploading with better lighting on your subject (indirect natural light works best) or contact us at [email protected] with the source photo and we'll investigate.

Do I need to sign up or pay to use this tool?

No sign-up required for basic use. Guests get 2 passport photos per day; free accounts get 3/day. If you need more (immigration lawyers, HR teams, travel agencies handling volume), Pro at $12/mo unlocks unlimited photos.

Can I print the United States passport photo at home?

Yes. The output is a 300 DPI JPEG at the exact 51×51mm spec, so any home inkjet or laser printer produces a print at the correct physical size when you print at 100% scale (not "fit to page"). For best results, use matte or semi-gloss photo paper.

Related image tools you may need

Background Remover

Remove backgrounds from any photo — outputs transparent PNG for further editing.

Image Compressor

Shrink photos below any portal size cap — 200KB for passport uploads, 500KB for visa forms.

JPG to PDF

Bundle your passport photo + supporting docs into one PDF for portal upload.

Image Resizer

Resize photos to exact dimensions for non-passport use cases (LinkedIn, ID cards, etc.).

HEIC to JPG

Convert iPhone HEIC photos to JPG — required by every passport portal.

Image Cropper

Manual crop with pixel-precise dimensions for non-standard photo specs.