Passport photo rejected for head size: too small or too large

On a US passport photo, your head must measure between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, and your eyes must sit 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the 2 x 2 inch photo. In practice that means your head fills 50 to 69 percent of the photo's height, which is more than feels natural. If your head size is the only problem, a correct crop of the original photo can fix it without editing a single pixel.

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What the rule actually looks like

Most rejected photos fail on the small side: people frame themselves like a normal portrait, waist-up with air above the head, and the head ends up under an inch tall once printed at 2 x 2. A compliant photo looks almost uncomfortably tight, with your head taking up well over half the frame and only a little space above your hair.

The eye-line rule works with the head-height rule: your eyes need to sit 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches up from the bottom edge, which puts them slightly above the center of the photo.

How to shoot it right

Have someone hold the camera at your eye level, about 4 feet away, and fill the frame with your head and the top of your shoulders. Shooting from 4 feet instead of arm's length keeps your face proportions natural (close selfies distort the nose and forehead). Don't try to nail the exact ratio in camera: capture a bit of margin on all sides and get the size right in the crop.

A crop is a fix, editing is not

Head size is the one rejection reason you can often fix without retaking anything. Cropping selects which part of your original photo is used; it doesn't alter the pixels, so it doesn't fall under the 2026 rule against edited photos. If your photo has good light, a plain white background, and a neutral face but the framing is off, recropping it to put your head at 1 to 1 3/8 inches and your eyes at 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom is enough. That measurement and crop is exactly what this tool does.

Frequently asked questions

What is the correct head size for a US passport photo?

Between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, on a 2 x 2 inch photo, with the eyes 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom edge.

Why was my passport photo rejected for head size?

Usually the head is too small: a normal portrait framing leaves too much space around you, so once printed at 2 x 2 inches the head measures under 1 inch. Fill the frame with your head and shoulders, or recrop the original.

Can I fix head size without retaking the photo?

Often yes. If the rest of the photo is compliant, cropping the original so the head measures 1 to 1 3/8 inches doesn't alter the image pixels and is not considered editing. If your head is cut off or too small to crop, retake.

How far away should the camera be for a passport photo?

About 4 feet, at your eye level. That distance keeps facial proportions natural; arm's-length selfies distort the face and can fail comparison checks.