Guides to official photo rules.
Short, sourced answers to the questions people ask before an upload, and after one fails. Each guide links to the official pages it relies on.
Fix a rejected upload
- Why Your US Visa Photo Was Rejected (DS-160) and How to Fix It
The DS-160 photo rules a file can break without looking wrong: square JPEG, 600 to 1200 px, 240 kB or less, and the 20:1 compression rule. What each one means and how to fix it.
Rules explained
- The 20:1 Compression Rule for US Visa Photos, Explained
The State Department says a visa photo's compression ratio should be 20:1 or less. What that means in bytes, a table of minimum file sizes, and why a photo can be too small.
Sizes and comparisons
- Passport and Visa Photo Sizes by Country (With Official Sources)
Print sizes, head sizes and digital file limits for US, UK, Canadian, Australian, Indian, Chinese and Schengen passport and visa photos, each from the official page with the date checked.