US Passport Photo Compressor — Free, No Upload
Compress passport photos under 240KB for US passport applications — JPEG output, 100% browser-based and private.
Drop image here or click to upload
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC — max 20MB
You can also paste an image (Ctrl+V)
US Passport Photo File Size Requirements
Yes — the US State Department has strict digital photo requirements. For online passport applications and renewals, your photo must be a JPEG file under 240KB, at least 600×600 pixels, and no larger than 1200×1200 pixels. The head must fill 70–80% of the frame, and the background must be plain white or off-white. A photo that exceeds 240KB will be rejected by the government portal with no option to resubmit the same file.
US Passport Photo Requirements — Quick Reference
- 📁 File format: JPEG only (not PNG, WebP, or HEIC)
- 📏 File size: Under 240KB
- 🖼️ Dimensions: Minimum 600×600px, maximum 1200×1200px
- 👤 Head size: Must fill 70–80% of frame
- 🟦 Background: Plain white or off-white only
- ✅ Recommended quality: 75–80 (output typically 20–80KB — well under the 240KB limit)
Because the US government portal only accepts JPEG, this tool automatically outputs your compressed photo as JPEG — even if you upload a PNG or HEIC file from your iPhone. No format conversion step is needed before compressing.
How to Compress a Passport Photo — Step by Step
- 1
Upload your passport photo
Click the upload area, drag and drop your photo, or paste from clipboard (Ctrl+V). Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC. Your photo is never sent to any server — all processing happens locally in your browser.
- 2
Keep quality at 80
The default quality of 80 produces a passport photo that is visually indistinguishable from the original at government review sizes. A 600×600px JPEG at quality 80 is typically 20–60KB — far under the 240KB limit. Only lower the quality if your original photo is very large (over 2000px wide).
- 3
Check the output size, then download
The result shows the exact compressed file size in KB before you download. Confirm the size is under 240KB, then click Download. The JPEG file saves directly to your device — ready to upload to the State Department or USPS portal.
Passport Photo Requirements by Application Type
| Application | Max file size | Dimensions | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Passport (State Dept) | 240KB | 600×600 – 1200×1200px | JPEG only |
| US Passport Renewal (DS-82) | 240KB | 600×600 – 1200×1200px | JPEG only |
| US Visa Application | 240KB | 600×600 – 1200×1200px | JPEG only |
| Global Entry / Trusted Traveler | 5MB | 600×600px min | JPEG, PNG |
| TSA PreCheck enrollment | N/A | In-person only | N/A |
| Passport Card (DS-11) | 240KB | 600×600 – 1200×1200px | JPEG only |
Always verify requirements directly with the official portal before submitting. See the US State Department official passport photo requirements for the most current specifications.
Why Your Passport Photo Upload Was Rejected
Government portals reject passport photos for several reasons. File size is the most common — a smartphone JPEG from an iPhone 14 can be 4–8MB, which is 17–33× the 240KB limit. But format and dimensions also cause rejections:
File over 240KB
The most common rejection reason. A JPEG photo taken on a smartphone is typically 2–8MB. Even a photo taken specifically for a passport application can be 500KB–2MB depending on camera settings. Compress to under 240KB before uploading.
Wrong format (PNG, WebP, HEIC)
US government portals only accept JPEG. iPhones save in HEIC by default, and many editing tools export in PNG or WebP. This tool converts any supported format to JPEG automatically during compression — you get a JPEG output regardless of the input format.
Dimensions below 600×600px or above 1200×1200px
Photos taken with a front-facing selfie camera at low resolution, or heavily cropped photos, can fall below 600×600px. Conversely, photos exported from a DSLR or high-resolution editing software may exceed 1200×1200px. Use the Resize Image tool to set exact dimensions, then compress here.
Head fills less than 70% of the frame
This is a composition issue, not a file size issue. Government photo checkers use AI to evaluate head position and size. If rejected for this reason, retake or crop the photo so the head (chin to top of head) fills 70–80% of the vertical frame before compressing.
Compress Passport Photo on iPhone — HEIC to JPEG
iPhones save photos in HEIC format by default — a highly efficient format that the US passport portal does not accept. Most iPhone passport photos are 2–5MB in HEIC format at 4032×3024px. Two problems: wrong format and wrong file size.
This tool solves both in one step. Upload your iPhone passport photo (HEIC or JPG), compress at quality 80, and download a JPEG file under 240KB. No separate conversion app needed. The HEIC → JPEG conversion happens automatically in your browser — your photo is never sent to any server.
iPhone 12–15 (HEIC)
Default: HEIC, 4032×3024px, 2–5MB. After compressing at quality 80: JPEG, ~40–120KB — well under 240KB. No need to change iPhone camera settings.
iPhone (Portrait mode)
Portrait mode photos are typically 3–7MB. The depth map is stripped during compression — the output is a standard flat JPEG with no depth data, which is correct for government submissions.
Privacy — Your Passport Photo Never Leaves Your Device
Passport photos are identity documents. Uploading them to an unknown server is a significant privacy risk — the server operator could store, index, or misuse your biometric photo. This tool processes your photo entirely within your browser using JavaScript. No data is transmitted to any server, logged, or stored. Close the browser tab and the photo data is permanently gone from memory.
For sensitive identity documents, always use a browser-based tool that processes files locally. Our Privacy Policy confirms that we collect no image data of any kind.
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