What background do you need for a US visa photo?

Quick answer

A US visa or passport photo needs a plain white or off-white background with no shadows, patterns or objects behind you. The photo must be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), at least 600 x 600 pixels, in colour, front-facing, and taken within the last six months.

Getting a perfectly plain white wall at home is hard, which is the most common reason home photos get rejected. Removing the background digitally and replacing it with clean white solves this — as long as your face is untouched.

Our free tool sets a pure-white backdrop and crops to the exact 600 x 600 px US spec from your real photo.

Make a compliant passport photo free

Upload your real photo, remove the background, and crop to the exact official size — your face is never altered.

Open the passport photo tool →

Related questions

Guidance for identity documents changes and varies by authority — always confirm against the current official specification before submitting.