Updated · how we check
US visa photo size
The US visa form takes a photo of 600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px, at most 240 KB, as JPG/JPEG. A file of 240,000 bytes or less passes whether the portal counts 1 KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes.
US visa photo
JPG · under 240 KB (at most 240,000 bytes) · 600x600 px · white background
PixelFit aims at 240,000 bytes or less, so the file passes whether the form counts 1 KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes.
Fit, background and padding crop to fill · white background
Saving presets is part of Pro.
The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.
The batch kit (one ZIP for up to 500 photos, several photos merged into one PDF) is part of Pro.
US visa upload specifications
Values for the US nonimmigrant visa (Form DS-160) digital photo, copied from U.S. Department of State: Digital Image Requirements for visa photos (travel.state.gov page as served on adoption.state.gov), checked 31 October 2026; "not stated" means the source gives no figure for it.
| Upload | Pixel size | Print size | File size | Format | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px | 50.8 × 50.8 mm at 300 DPI | at most 240 KB | JPG/JPEG | plain white or off-white |
US visa sizes in pixels and millimetres
Print sizes become pixels at a resolution (pixels = mm ÷ 25.4 × DPI); pixel sizes become print sizes the other way round. Computed for the US visa uploads at 200 and 300 DPI.
| Upload | Aspect ratio | Megapixels | At 200 DPI | At 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 1:1 (print size) | 0.36 MP at 300 DPI | 400 × 400 px | 600 × 600 px |
What the US visa KB limits mean in bytes
The US visa photo limit of 240 KB is 245,760 bytes when 1 KB = 1,024 bytes and 240,000 bytes when 1 KB = 1,000 bytes; a file of 240,000 bytes or less passes either way.
Estimated JPG file size for US visa uploads
Estimated from sizes measured with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on public-domain sample images (31 October 2026), interpolated to each target size. Your own scan can land 30-50% either side, which is why the tool measures the real file.
| Upload | Pixel size used | Quality 60 | Quality 75 | Quality 85 | Quality 95 | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 600 × 600 px | 35.2 KB | 45.5 KB | 60.4 KB | 108 KB | at most 240 KB |
Will the US visa photo fit the limit?
For the US visa photo at 600 × 600 px, even quality 95, the highest setting estimated here, stays under 240 KB at about 108 KB.
US visa rejection checklist
Upload checks computed from the US visa specification; a file that fails any one of them is usually refused at upload or flagged later.
- Photo: File type is JPG/JPEG (a PNG or HEIC renamed to .jpg is still rejected).
- Photo: The US visa photo file is no larger than 240 KB (240,000 bytes is safe under both KB definitions).
- Photo: Pixel size is 600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px (the smallest and largest sizes accepted).
- Photo: Background: plain white or off-white.
How to resize your photo for US visa
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Take or scan the photo
Use a recent colour photo (background: plain white or off-white). Frame it in the 50.8 × 50.8 mm shape.
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Load the preset
Drop the file into the tool at the top of this page. The "US visa photo" preset is already set to 600 × 600 px (the form accepts 600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px) and at most 240 KB, as JPG/JPEG.
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Check the result
Read the before and after sizes: the US visa photo must end at or under 240,000 bytes. Download it.
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Upload and preview
Upload the file on the US visa form and check the preview before you submit; verify the figures with the official notice first.
What the US visa source also says
- The DS-160 or DS-1648 form asks you to upload the image while you complete it; some embassies also ask for one printed photo at the interview.
- Photo: Colour at 24 bits per pixel in the sRGB colour space, the usual output of digital cameras.
- Photo: Square: the height must equal the width.
- Photo: The compression ratio should be 20:1 or less.
- Photo: A scanned print must be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), scanned at 300 pixels per inch (12 pixels per millimetre).
US visa compared with similar forms
Of these 5 forms, the US visa photo limit of 240 KB is the most generous, level with DV lottery; a file made for a stricter form usually passes a more generous one only if it also meets the minimum and the pixel size.
| Form | Photo size | Photo file size | Signature file size |
|---|---|---|---|
| US visa (this page) | 600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px | at most 240 KB | none |
| DV lottery | 600 × 600 px | at most 240 KB | none |
| Canada IEC | at least 420 × 540 px | at least 60 KB | none |
| Indonesia e-VOA | no pixel size stated | at most 200 KB | none |
| China visa | 354 × 472 to 420 × 560 px | 40 KB–120 KB | none |
Where the US visa figures come from
This page covers Form DS-160 (nonimmigrant visa); Form DS-1648.
Verify with the official US visa notice before you submit: forms change between application cycles and the check on the live portal is final.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: Digital Image Requirements for visa photos (travel.state.gov page as served on adoption.state.gov), U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, checked 31 October 2026: adoption.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-inform…
- Measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026, interpolated to each US visa target size, on this sample: head-and-shoulders portrait, Pete Souza (Official White House photo), public domain: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Barack_Obama.jpg
Frequently asked questions
What is the photo size for US visa in KB?
The US visa photo must be at most 240 KB (keep it at or under 240,000 bytes to be safe), 600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px, as JPG/JPEG.
What is the signature size for US visa?
The US visa source sets no separate signature upload; only the photo is uploaded.
How do I resize my photo to 240 KB for US visa?
Open the tool on this page with the US visa photo preset, drop the file and download the result: it searches JPG quality until the file is under 240 KB; at 600 × 600 px expect about 60.4 KB at quality 85. Nothing is uploaded.
What pixel size should the US visa photo be?
600 × 600 to 1,200 × 1,200 px, printed 50.8 × 50.8 mm. At 300 DPI that is 600 × 600 px; at 200 DPI 400 × 400 px.
Can I upload a PNG or PDF for the US visa photo?
Only JPG/JPEG; PNG, PDF, HEIC are not listed. The tool can turn a PNG, WebP or (in Safari) HEIC file into JPG while it resizes.
Related
Similar forms
- DV lottery photo size at most 240 KB
- Canada IEC photo size at least 60 KB
- Indonesia e-VOA photo size at most 200 KB
- China visa photo size 40 KB–120 KB
- Rwanda visa photo size at most 500 KB
- Tanzania e-Visa photo size at most 500 KB
Compress to the US visa limits
- Compress an image to 240 KB US visa photo limit at most 240 KB
Resize to the exact size
Change the file format
- PNG to JPG US visa accepts JPG/JPEG
- WEBP to JPG US visa accepts JPG/JPEG
- HEIC to JPG US visa accepts JPG/JPEG