The US visa DS-160 requires a square 2×2 inch (600×600 px) photo under 240 KB — different from Indian and Schengen formats. Here are the complete DS-160 photo size and KB limit requirements for Indian applicants in 2026, and how to resize your photo to 600×600 px free.
| Print size | 2×2 inches (51×51 mm) |
| Digital dimensions | 600×600 px minimum (up to 1200×1200 px) |
| File size | Under 240 KB |
| Format | JPEG only |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Face coverage | Face 50–69% of total frame height (chin to crown) |
| Expression | Neutral, both eyes open and looking at camera |
| Glasses | Not permitted (since November 2016) |
| Head tilt | No tilt — face directly forward |
| Photo age | Taken within 6 months of application |
The US visa (DS-160) requires a 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) square photo. When uploading digitally to the DS-160 form, the file must be JPEG format, at least 600×600 pixels, and under 240 KB. The face must occupy 50–69% of the total frame height from chin to the top of the head.
The US uses a square 2×2 inch format based on its own ICAO implementation. India, the EU, and most other countries use the ICAO standard 35×45 mm (roughly 3:4 ratio). The face coverage rules are also slightly different: the US measures chin-to-crown at 50–69% of total height, while India requires the head to occupy 70–80% of the frame.
Open PhotoFit, click Resize, enter 600 for both width and height (making it square). Upload your portrait photo — PhotoFit will crop it to a square while keeping your face centred. Then verify the face occupies roughly 50–69% of the frame height, and compress to under 240 KB if needed.
Plain white or off-white is acceptable. The US Department of State specifies "white or off-white" background. However, it must be completely plain — no patterns, shadows, textures, or any other colour. A pure white background is the safest choice.
No. A standard Indian passport photo is 35×45 mm which is not square. The US visa requires a 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) square. You will need to re-crop your photo to a square format and resize to at least 600×600 px. The lighting, background, and expression requirements are similar, so the same underlying photo can usually be cropped and used.