US visa photo size — square, 600x600 px minimum, under 240 KB
Visa photos are square, not passport-shaped — the US wants at least 600 x 600 px under 240 KB, and India's e-Visa wants at least 350 x 350 px between 10 and 300 KB.
Visa photo (US DS-160 & Indian e-Visa) specification
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Shape | Square — height must equal width |
| US visa dimensions | Minimum 600 x 600 px, maximum 1200 x 1200 px |
| US visa file size | 240 KB or less (no minimum stated) |
| US visa format | JPEG, colour, 24 bits per pixel, sRGB colour space, compression ratio not more than 20:1 |
| Scanning an existing print | A 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) print scanned at 300 ppi (12 px per mm) |
| Signature upload | None — DS-160 does not take a signature image |
| No alteration | Photos must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change appearance in any way |
| Indian e-Visa dimensions | Height equal to width, minimum 350 x 350 px, maximum 1000 x 1000 px |
| Indian e-Visa file size | Minimum 10 KB, maximum 300 KB, JPEG format |
| Indian e-Visa framing | Full face, front view, eyes open, head centred, plain light or white background, no borders, no shadows |
| Indian e-Visa head size | Head should measure 1 inch to 1 3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm) |
Source: Digital Image Requirements — U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs (live page, no version date printed; read September 2026). checked on 2026-09-06.
Visa photos are square, and that surprises people
Every Indian form you have filled wants a 3.5 x 4.5 cm rectangle. Visas do not. The US Department of State digital image requirements specify a square image between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels, and the Indian e-Visa photo upload process says the height and width of the photo must be equal, with a minimum of 350 x 350 px.
Two ceilings, two floors
The US caps the file at 240 KB with no minimum and adds technical detail no other authority bothers with: JPEG, 24 bits per pixel, sRGB colour space, compression ratio not more than 20:1. India sets a floor of 10 KB and a ceiling of 300 KB, and the instructions page adds a head-size rule of 25 to 35 mm within the frame, plain light background, no borders and no shadows.
The rule that voids everything else
The State Department forbids photographs that have been digitally enhanced or altered to change appearance in any way. That covers skin smoothing, slimming filters and the beauty mode most phones apply by default. Turn those off before you shoot, because a rejected visa photo costs an appointment, not just an upload.
How it works
- Shoot facing the camera against a plain white or light background with no shadows.
- Crop to a perfect square with the head centred and the full head visible.
- For a US visa, resize between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 px and export JPEG under 240 KB in sRGB.
- For an Indian e-Visa, resize between 350 x 350 and 1000 x 1000 px and export JPEG between 10 and 300 KB.
- Do not retouch, beautify or replace the background.
- Check the preview in the visa portal, which usually shows a face-detection box.