Compress Photo for US Visa

The DS-160 online visa application requires a photo exactly 600×600 pixels, maximum 240 KB, in JPEG format. This tool compresses and resizes to the official US Department of State specification.

US Visa Photo Requirements (DS-160 Form)

Requirement	Value
Dimensions	600×600 pixels exactly (square)
File size	Maximum 240 KB
Format	JPEG (.jpg)
Age of photo	Recent (taken within last 6 months)
Background	White or off-white
Head position	Centered, facing camera
Head size	Head should occupy 50–80% of frame
Accessories	No sunglasses, no heavy makeup, religious headcovering allowed
Expression	Natural, neutral. Smile is acceptable.
Eye position	Eyes must be at a specific height on the photo (centered vertically, roughly)

Quick Example: Before & After

Before: Professional headshot = 3000×2400 px, white background, 2 MB
Action: Crop to square (centered on face), reduce to 600×600 px, quality 80%
After: 210 KB, meets DS-160 spec
Result: Upload succeeds on DS-160 form

Step-by-Step Guide

Take a recent photo. The photo must be taken within the last 6 months. It should have a white or off-white background. If possible, use studio lighting or outdoor natural light (avoid harsh shadows).
Upload to this tool. Drag and drop or click to select.
Set width to 600 pixels. Enter 600 in the width field. The tool will set height to 600 px as well (square format). If your photo is not square, the tool will crop from the center.
Reduce quality to 80%. This keeps excellent facial detail while staying under the 240 KB limit. At 80%, the file should be around 180–220 KB.
Use JPEG format. DS-160 requires JPEG only. Do not use PNG.
Download and check file size. Right-click the file and check properties. It must be under 240 KB. If it exceeds 240 KB, reduce quality to 75% and recompress.
Upload to DS-160 form. Go to the DS-160 online form (located at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/), fill in your application, and upload the compressed photo when prompted.

Pro Tips

Centered head is critical. The DS-160 form scans your photo for facial recognition. If your head is off-center or tilted, the system may reject it. Use the tool's preview to confirm your face is centered.
No filters or retouching. The photo must be unaltered (except for basic rotation or crop). Heavy makeup, filters, or Photoshop adjustments can cause rejection.
Print a copy. Print one copy of the DS-160 and bring it with your passport to your visa interview. The interviewer will compare your face to the photo.
Quality 80% is the sweet spot. Lower than 75% may show compression artifacts. Higher than 85% risks exceeding 240 KB and triggering a "file too large" error on the DS-160 form.
Glasses are allowed. If you always wear glasses, wear them in the photo. Your visa must match how you look at the interview.

When to Use This Tool

Compress for US visa application when:

Filling the DS-160 online visa application (tourist visa, work visa, student visa)
Applying for a diversity visa lottery
Renewing or updating your visa photo

Sharing the photo? Strip its location and camera data too: Photo Scrubber