DS-160 photo checker for the upload step

Review the image you intend to upload while completing Form DS-160. This page keeps the DS-160 profile selected so you can work through the file requirements and the composition findings for that route. For the China visa option, visit the visa photo checker.

Separate a file problem from a photo problem

Use the requirements below to review the format, byte size and dimensions of the file you will submit. The official digital-image instructions treat these as distinct requirements. Passing those technical checks does not establish that the subject or capture meets every visa-photo rule.

The DS-160 photo instructions place the digital upload inside the application process. This checker provides findings for review; it does not submit the image to the government form.

Common upload and capture problems

A file outside the listed format, size or dimension limits needs attention before upload. A technically suitable file can still show a face obscured by hair, shadows or accessories. The official examples highlight these visibility problems. Read the not-checked list below: this profile does not evaluate every example shown by the authority.

When to take a fresh photo

If your face is obscured or you are not looking straight at the camera, make another capture with your full face visible and your eyes open. Follow the official visa capture instructions. Take the photo against a plain white or off-white background, and do not digitally enhance or alter it to change your appearance. Recheck the new file as well as the composition; replacing the picture alone does not establish that its file properties fit the upload rules.

The same official page notes that some embassies or consulates also require a photo at the interview. Check the instructions where you will apply; this page focuses on the DS-160 upload, while the profile below also records its print requirements.

Our free photo tools process photos in your browser, on your device. The tools do not upload your photos.

The tool’s “likely compliant” outcome is not an official decision. The authority decides whether the photo meets its requirements.

U.S. visa — DS-160

Official source: U.S. Department of State

Last reviewed:

Requirements for this route

Submission
Digital and print
File formats
JPEG
Minimum file size (bytes)
No rule recorded in this profile
Maximum file size (bytes)
240,000
Minimum length of each side (pixels)
600
Maximum length of each side (pixels)
1,200
Square image (width equals height)
Required
Printed photo size
2 × 2 inches
Head height, top of hair to bottom of chin (% of image height)
50–69 %
Eye line from bottom (% of image height)
56–69 %
Background colors
Color is not checked; consult the official source for background color.
Uniform background
Required

Measured checks

Measured checks produce pass or fail findings.

  • File format
  • File size
  • Pixel dimensions
  • Aspect ratio
  • Number of faces
  • Head height
  • Eye-line position
  • Head centering

Estimated visual checks

Estimated checks produce pass or review warnings, rather than failures.

  • Background uniformity
  • Pose
  • Open eyes
  • Eyeglasses

Not checked

  • Head tilt
  • Background color
  • Blur
  • Exposure

Editing rules

  • Cropping: permitted for this route.
  • Background replacement: the official source does not address this edit. This is not permission to make it.
  • Retouching: not allowed.