All photo formats / United States
US passport online renewal photo
Renewing a US passport online asks for a digital photo between 54 KB and 10 MB - and files compressed too hard fall under the minimum and get rejected. The State Department states no fixed pixel size: you crop inside the application itself. This tool prepares a clean JPEG inside the allowed size range.
The official requirements
| File format | JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF (this tool delivers JPEG) |
|---|---|
| File size | 54 KB to 10 MB - there is a minimum, so do not over-compress |
| Pixel size | No fixed size in the official rules; the application crops the photo for you |
| Head size | No head-size percentage is stated for the online upload; the application crops and checks the photo itself. Compose loosely: head centred, bottom of the frame at the edge of the shoulders |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, no shadows |
| Other rules | Taken in the last 6 months, no filters or retouching, no eyeglasses, no scanned paper photos; a smile is allowed as long as the mouth is closed and the eyes are open |
Checked against the official sources below on 7 Nov 2026.
Official guidance says not to crop the photo yourself and to keep the bottom of the frame at the edge of your shoulders. The framing stays exactly as you upload it here - only the file is converted to fit the file rules; the renewal application does the final crop.
Not everyone can renew online - it requires a previous 10-year passport, age 25 or over, and other conditions listed on travel.state.gov.
How to do it
- Take the photo several feet from the camera, head centred, bottom of the frame at your shoulders.
- Upload it below and keep the framing loose - include head, shoulders and upper body.
- Create the file; the checklist confirms the 54 KB - 10 MB range.
- Download and upload it in the online renewal application, which does the final crop.
Common questions
Why is there a minimum file size?
A file under 54 KB is usually a screenshot or an over-compressed copy with too little detail for a passport. The State Department rejects those.
Can I scan my old passport photo?
No. Photographing or scanning a printed photo is explicitly not accepted for online renewal.