🖼️ Image · Updated October 8, 2026 · 9 min read

Crop Photo to Passport Size: 2x2 in and 35x45 mm

To crop photo to passport size for a US application, cut a square 2 x 2 inch frame where the head, measured from chin to top of hair, spans 1 to 1 3/8 inches. The UK, Schengen countries and much of Europe want 35 x 45 mm instead, with different head rules. Get the crop right and you can print official-size copies at home or at a drugstore kiosk for well under a dollar, instead of paying around $15 at a counter service. Cropping cannot fix a bad background or shadows, though, so start with a compliant shot.

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Resize to 600 × 600 for a digital upload, or print two on a 4x6.

💡 Why passport photos get rejected

Agencies reject photos for problems that a quick crop would have prevented. The US State Department lists head size and position among the most common reasons, alongside shadows, glasses and old photos. A face that is too small or too large, or eyes set too high in the frame, fails no matter how sharp the picture is. Most home photos are taken from farther away, so the head fills too little of the frame until you crop in. Doing that crop carefully against the official measurements, rather than eyeballing it, is what turns a decent phone picture into an acceptable application photo. Keep in mind that editing beyond cropping and resizing, such as smoothing skin, replacing the background or using filters, is not allowed and can lead to a rejected application. Doing it yourself pays off most for families: four passport renewals at a counter service cost around $60, while a home photo cropped correctly and printed on two 4x6 sheets costs about a dollar. Students applying for visas, job applicants needing ID badges and anyone renewing a driver's permit or residence card with an agency that accepts self-supplied photos can follow the same process.

Passport photo size rules by country

Always confirm on the issuing agency's own page before you print, because rules do change. These are the published specs at the time of writing.

United States passport and many visas: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm); head 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from chin to top of hair
United Kingdom: 35 x 45 mm; head 29 to 34 mm from chin to crown; plain cream or light grey background
Schengen visas and most EU passports: 35 x 45 mm; face 32 to 36 mm, roughly 70 to 80 percent of the height
Canada: 50 x 70 mm; face 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown
Indian visa applications: 2 x 2 inches, square like the US format

Background, lighting and expression rules sit alongside the dimension rules. The US requires a plain white or off-white background, both eyes open, a neutral expression or natural smile, and no glasses.

Translating the rules into pixels

An editor works in pixels, not millimeters, so convert the head rule into a share of the frame first.

US 2 x 2 at 600 x 600 pixels: head should span 300 to 413 pixels, which is 50 to 69 percent of the height
US eye line: 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom, or 56 to 69 percent of the height up from the bottom edge
35 x 45 mm frames: use exact pixel entry at a 7:9 shape, for example 700 x 900 pixels
At 700 x 900, a 32 to 36 mm face equals roughly 640 to 720 pixels tall
Keep the face centered left to right with even space on both sides

The Passport 2x2in preset in Crop Image locks a square box; for 35 x 45 mm, choose Free and type the width and height.

Digital photos for online renewal

US online renewal and several other online services accept a digital file instead of a paper print, with strict technical limits.

US digital photo: JPEG, square, at least 600 x 600 and no more than 1200 x 1200 pixels
US file size must fall between 54 KB and 10 MB
UK online applications accept a digital photo at least 600 pixels wide and 750 tall
Do not upload a scan of a printed photo if the service asks for a digital original

After cropping, open Resize Image and pick the Passport 2x2 in (600 px) preset to land exactly on 600 x 600.

Printing two passport photos on one 4x6

Most applications need two identical prints. A 4x6 at 300 PPI is 1200 x 1800 pixels, so two 600 x 600 squares fit side by side with room left over.

Place both squares on a white 1200 x 1800 canvas in any editor, then order a standard 4x6
Choose matte or glossy photo paper; plain printer paper is not accepted
Ask the kiosk not to scale or fit the image, or the 2 x 2 dimensions will be wrong
Measure the printed head with a ruler before cutting

A single 4x6 costs about 30 to 50 cents at most drugstore labs and gives you two usable copies.

The phone scanning guide helps if you also need clean digital copies of the supporting documents.

Step-by-step

1Take the photo against a plain white or light wall, facing the camera, with even light and no glasses.

Start with a photo taken against a plain, light wall.

2Open Crop Image, choose the Passport 2x2in preset for US photos or Free with 700 x 900 pixels for 35 x 45 mm.

Passport 2×2in preset selected, a square box for US passport photos — Pick Passport 2×2in for US photos; use Free with 700 × 900 for 35 × 45 mm.

3Position the box so the head fills the required share and the eyes sit on the right line, then download as JPG.

Passport square set to W 900 and moved so the head fills about two thirds of the frame with space above the hair — Size and move the square so the head fills the required share of the frame.

4Resize to 600 x 600 for a US digital upload, or place two copies on a 4x6 for printing.

Readout showing 900 × 900 px with Format set to JPG before Crop & download — Save as JPG, the format passport sites and print kiosks accept.

Common mistakes to avoid

⚠️Cropping so tightly that the top of the hair or the chin touches the edge.

⚠️Leaving the head at 40 percent of the frame, well under the US minimum of 50 percent.

⚠️Printing with fit to page switched on, which shrinks a 2 x 2 photo to an unusable size.

⚠️Brightening, smoothing or swapping the background, which counts as prohibited editing. Double-check the date too: US rules require a photo taken within the last six months.

Pro tips

✓Have someone else take the shot from about 4 feet away at eye level; selfies distort the nose. Stand them far enough back that shoulders fit comfortably in the frame.

✓Face a window for soft, even light and turn off the flash to avoid shadows behind the head. Stand about 2 feet in front of the wall so your own shadow falls behind you, out of view.

✓Shoot several frames and crop the one with the most neutral expression. Blinks and half-smiles are easy to miss on a phone screen, so zoom in to check.

✓Keep the uncropped original in case an agency asks for a retake with different margins. Some consulates want a wider border, and starting over from a cropped file will not work.

✓Check the State Department photo tool or your country's guide once before you print. A five-minute check against the official guide beats a six-week delay from a rejected application.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a US passport photo in pixels?

For a digital upload, a square between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels. For print, 2 x 2 inches, which is 600 x 600 pixels at 300 PPI. Placed on a 1200 x 1800 canvas and printed as a 4x6 without scaling, a 600 x 600 square comes out at exactly 2 x 2 inches.

How big should my head be in a 2x2 photo?

Between 1 and 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of hair, which is 50 to 69 percent of the frame height. The eyes should also sit between 1 1/8 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the photo.

Is 35x45 mm the same as 2x2 inches?

No. 35 x 45 mm is a taller rectangle used by the UK, Schengen states and much of Europe. A 2 x 2 inch photo is square. Using the wrong format is one of the more common reasons overseas visa applications get sent back.

Can I crop my own passport photo?

Yes. Cropping and resizing are allowed. Retouching, filters and background replacement are not, so keep edits to the crop. If in doubt, leave a little more room above the hair rather than less; clipped hair is a frequent rejection reason.

Is my photo uploaded when I crop it here?

No. Crop Image runs in your browser, so your ID photo stays on your device. Your photo is not stored, shared or sent to a government agency by the tool.

📌 Bottom line

US photos are 2 x 2 inches with a head of 1 to 1 3/8 inches; the UK and Schengen use 35 x 45 mm. Crop against those numbers, resize to 600 x 600 for digital renewal, and print two copies on a 4x6 without scaling.

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