Free Passport Photo Checker and Validator

The checker finds your face and measures it against the rules for the document you pick. Each of the nine checks maps to a rule officials actually look at, and each fail comes with a short explanation of how to fix it.

The table shows the U.S. passport rules. When you choose another document, such as a Schengen visa, the numbers change to match it.

Most online photo checkers upload your picture to a server first. Ours does the opposite: the checking code loads in your browser, and the analysis happens on your phone or computer.

That matters for a photo of your face, and even more for immigration paperwork. Nothing is sent to us while you check, so you can test as many shots as you like without sharing them. Your photo only leaves your device if you decide to order an edited version, and then it is processed securely and deleted automatically after 90 days, or sooner from My photos. Photos are never sold.

The face rules are almost the same across U.S. documents, so the checker covers the hard part for each one. A few document-specific rules are about the file or the print, and those you can confirm in a minute yourself.

DV lottery photo check

The checker covers face size, eye line, background and expression. Then confirm the file is a JPEG of exactly 600 x 600 pixels and 240 KB or less in your file properties. A photo that breaks the rules can disqualify a DV entry, so check before you submit. See the DV lottery photo guide.

Green card photo check

The checker covers the face and background. For the print, measure the head with a ruler (1 to 1 3/8 inches), make sure the two photos are identical, and use thin glossy paper. See the green card photo guide.

DS-160 visa photo check

Check the face here, then confirm the file is a square JPEG between 600 and 1200 pixels and no more than 240 KB, with no glasses. See the US visa photo guide.

U.S. passport photo check

Check the face here, and make sure the photo was taken in the last 6 months, with no glasses.

A checker is good at measuring. It cannot know everything an official knows, so be honest with yourself about these points.

• When the photo was taken. U.S. passport and visa photos must be under 6 months old; ATF allows 1 year; the UK allows 1 month.
• Exceptions that need paperwork. Glasses for a medical reason or a head covering worn for religious reasons need a signed statement in some cases. The checker cannot see your paperwork.
• Print size and paper. If you print, measure a photo with a ruler and use the right paper. A sheet printed with crop-to-fit turned on can come out the wrong size.
• Whether a photo was retouched. Filters and beauty modes are not allowed. Use an unedited original.
• Likeness. The photo must look like you today, for example after a big change in hair or beard.
• The final decision. Even a photo that passes every check can be questioned. Acceptance is always up to the issuing agency.

For the full list of reasons photos get rejected, see our rejection guide.

Most fails have a quick fix at home. Some problems need a new photo, and some we can fix for you in the paid edit.

The paid edit fixes the lighting, replaces the background with plain white, and sizes and crops the photo to the official rules. It cannot open closed eyes, straighten a turned head, sharpen a blurry shot or remove glasses, and we never retouch faces. Those need a retake.

The Digital photo costs $16.95, and Photo + print sheet costs $18.95 with a 4x6 sheet for printing. Each order includes up to 5 photo checks and 3 free redos per person, a 14-day money-back guarantee with no questions asked, and a full refund if the agency rejects the photo.