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Guide

DS-160 photo rejected? What to check and how to fix it

As of October 25, 2026, the DS-160 takes a square color JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, no larger than 240 KB, with the head filling 50% to 69% of the image height and the eyes 56% to 69% of the way up. A photo that misses any of these rules can be refused. SelfieToPassport turns a phone photo into a 600 x 600 pixel JPEG under 240 KB that meets them, with a free preview and $6.95 for the file.

Updated Rules checked against travel.state.govHow we check

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The short version

  1. SelfieToPassport: a 600 x 600 px DS-160 JPEG under 240 KB from a phone photo, free preview, $6.95.
  2. Make the image square: the height must equal the width.
  3. Size it between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels; 600 x 600 keeps the file small.
  4. Save it as a JPEG of 240 KB or less, in color (24-bit sRGB), compressing no more than 20:1.
  5. Frame it so the head, hair included, is 50% to 69% of the height and the eyes 56% to 69% up from the bottom.
  6. Use a plain white or off-white background and a photo taken in the last 6 months.

The file rules the DS-160 photo has to meet

Start with the file. A rectangular phone photo, an image larger than 1200 pixels or a file over 240 KB breaks the rules below.

A photo straight from a phone camera is usually several thousand pixels wide and a few megabytes, so it needs cropping to a square, resizing and saving as a smaller JPEG.

The rules

  • A digital U.S. visa photo must be square, no smaller than 600 x 600 pixels and no larger than 1200 x 1200 pixels. travel.state.gov
  • The digital visa image has to be a JPEG file of 240 KB or less. travel.state.gov
  • Visa images must be in color, at 24 bits per pixel in the sRGB color space, which is what most digital cameras produce. travel.state.gov
  • If a visa image needs compressing to get under the size limit, the State Department sets the compression ratio at 20:1 or less. travel.state.gov

Head size and eye height

After the file rules, framing is the next thing to check. A selfie at arm’s length makes the head too big; a photo from across the room makes it too small.

Measure from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, and from the bottom edge of the image up to the eyes, as a share of the image height.

The rule

  • In a digital U.S. visa photo, the head including the hair must take up 50% to 69% of the image height, and the eyes must sit 56% to 69% of the way up from the bottom edge. travel.state.gov

Background, age of the photo and what is refused

If the file and the framing are right, look at the photo itself: the background, how recent it is and whether it is a copy of another document.

The rules

  • A U.S. visa photo is taken in front of a plain white or off-white background. travel.state.gov
  • A U.S. visa photo has to be taken within the last 6 months. travel.state.gov
  • Photos copied or scanned from a driver’s license or another official document are refused for U.S. visas, as are snapshots, magazine photos, full-length photos and low-quality vending machine or mobile phone photos. travel.state.gov

How to fix the photo

The State Department offers a free photo tool that crops an image to 600 x 600 pixels. It only crops: it does not check the quality of the photo.

SelfieToPassport does the crop, the resize and the JPEG compression in your browser and shows the measurements in a free preview before you pay. The file costs $6.95.

  1. Retake the photo if needed: a friend or a timer, several feet away, against a plain white or off-white wall.
  2. Crop to a square with the head 50% to 69% of the height.
  3. Resize to 600 x 600 pixels.
  4. Save as a color JPEG and check that the file is 240 KB or less.
  5. Upload it again in the DS-160.

FAQ

What size should a DS-160 photo be?

Square, between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, as a color JPEG of 240 KB or less. Source: official page "Digital Image Requirements", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

How do I make my DS-160 photo smaller than 240 KB?

Resize it to 600 x 600 pixels and save it as a JPEG. At that size a normal photo fits under 240 KB without compressing beyond the 20:1 limit. Source: official page "Digital Image Requirements", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Can I use a phone photo for the DS-160?

Yes, if it meets the rules. The State Department refuses low-quality mobile phone photos and snapshots, so use good light, a plain white or off-white wall and the camera’s full resolution, then crop and resize. Source: official page "Photo Requirements (U.S. Visas)", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Does a photo that uploads mean the visa photo is accepted?

No. The embassy or consulate decides on the photo. No photo service, including SelfieToPassport, can promise a consular officer will accept it. Source: official page "Photo Requirements (U.S. Visas)", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from a page published by the U.S. Department of State and the companies named, read on the date shown. We rewrite each rule in plain words and link to the page it came from. Each rule has a review deadline; one that passes it without a new check comes off the page.

Something here out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official page.