2×2 Photo Requirements: Size, Background and Rules (US Passport & Visa)
Updated October 6, 2026
A 2×2 photo is a square photo that measures 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm). It’s the format for US passports and visas, and the Philippines and other countries often request it for job, school and government applications.
US passport and visa photo rules
According to the U.S. Department of State, a passport photo must meet these rules:
- Size: 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm).
- Head size: 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of your chin to the top of your head.
- Background: plain white or off-white, with no shadows, texture or objects.
- Recent: taken within the last 6 months.
- No glasses: take off your eyeglasses. Head coverings are only allowed for documented religious or medical reasons.
- Expression: face the camera directly, with both eyes open and a neutral expression.
- No digital changes: submit the original photo. Don’t change it with software, apps, filters or artificial intelligence. That includes replacing or cleaning up the background: if the background isn’t right, retake the photo.
US visa photos use the same 2×2 format, and the visa photo examples also reject a background that was digitally cropped. See can you edit the background of a passport or visa photo? Rules can change, so check the official passport photo page before you submit.
2×2 photos in the Philippines
Many application forms in the Philippines ask for a “2×2 ID picture,” usually with a white background. There isn’t one national standard, so follow the list from the office you’re applying to. Some ask for a colored photo, a handwritten name tag below the chin, or a photo taken in the last few months.
How to make a 2×2 photo at home
For a US passport or visa, take the photo against a real plain white or off-white wall, with even light and no shadows, and don’t edit it afterwards. A background changed with an app or AI tool, including White ID Photo, can get the photo rejected.
For other 2×2 photos, such as Philippine job, school and government forms that don’t forbid editing:
- Take the photo with someone else holding the phone at eye level. Leave space above your head and include your shoulders. See our step-by-step guide.
- Make the background white with White ID Photo. It’s free and runs in your browser, so your photo is never uploaded.
- Crop it square. Choose 2×2 in under Output size and the tool crops a square around your head at 600 × 600 pixels. For a US photo, your head (chin to top of head) should take up about half to two-thirds of the photo’s height, the same proportion as the US 1 to 1⅜ inch rule on a 2-inch photo. The tool keeps as much of the photo as fits, so if your head looks too small, take the photo closer, framed from mid-chest up.
- Print at 2 × 2 inches on photo paper, or ask a photo printing shop to print it as “2×2.” For a digital copy, 600 × 600 pixels matches 2 inches at 300 DPI.