CEAC file size limits: 2 MB per document, 240 KB per photo

The caps, per upload type

Documents: CEAC's official tips page states each individual file must be no larger than 2 MB, in .jpg, .jpeg, or .pdf format, with zipped files not accepted. A multi-page document belongs in one file; the same page advises compressing a file that comes out too large and splitting it only if compression is not enough.

Photos: the State Department's digital image requirements page caps the visa photo at 240 KB, as a square JPEG between 600 x 600 and 1200 x 1200 pixels. It also notes the compression ratio should be 20:1 or less, which in practice means resize toward 600 x 600 first and compress gently, instead of crushing a 4000-pixel phone photo straight down to 240 KB and arriving blurry.

How to get under the limit without wrecking the file

For a document scan, rescan at a moderate resolution rather than maximum: the tips page only asks that all information is easily seen and read. For a photo, do the resize before the compression. The free compressor below runs in your browser and shows you the resulting file size before you upload anything to CEAC; your photo never leaves your device.

Under the cap and still rejected?

A file comfortably inside the limits that CEAC still refuses, especially with the Invalid Image Detected message, is usually the portal's own acknowledged upload problem, not your file. The State Department's official workaround (save as PDF, save it again so it is flattened, re-upload) is walked through step by step at /guides/ceac-invalid-image-detected.

Frequently asked questions