Digital vs. Printed Passport Photos: Which Do You Need?

The Transition to Digital Applications

For decades, applying for a passport meant securing two identical printed photos and stapling them to a paper form. Today, governments around the world, including the US State Department, are rapidly transitioning to online application and renewal systems. This shift has created widespread confusion: Do you need a printed photo, a digital photo, or both? And what are the different requirements for each?

When You Need a Printed Photo

You must submit physical, printed photos if you fall into any of these categories:

• You are applying for your very first US Passport (Form DS-11).
• You are a minor under age 16.
• Your previous passport was lost, stolen, or severely damaged.
• Your previous passport was issued when you were under 16.
• Your previous passport was issued more than 15 years ago.

Physical Requirements: Printed photos must measure exactly 2x2 inches. They must be printed on high-quality photographic paper (either matte or glossy finishes are acceptable). They cannot be printed on standard inkjet paper, and they cannot have any smudges, holes, or creases.

When You Need a Digital Photo

Digital photos are required if you are using the State Department's new Online Passport Renewal (OPR) system or if you are applying for electronic visas (eVisa) to various countries.

Digital Requirements: The rules for digital files are incredibly specific to ensure they load into government databases correctly:

• Format: The file must be a JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg). PNGs or PDFs are generally rejected.
• Resolution: The image must be square, with minimum dimensions of 600 x 600 pixels and maximum dimensions of 1200 x 1200 pixels.
• File Size: The image must be between 54 kilobytes (KB) and 10 megabytes (MB). Compression ratios must be less than 20:1.
• Color: The image must be in color (24 bits per pixel) in the sRGB color space.

If you simply take a photo on your iPhone and try to upload it, it will almost certainly fail the size, dimension, or compression checks of the government portal.

The Best of Both Worlds

Why choose? When you use PhotoStudio to prepare your image, we generate everything you might need. Once you finalize your photo, you receive:
1. A High-Resolution Digital Square: A perfectly formatted 600x600 pixel JPEG that is guaranteed to pass the online digital upload requirements for US renewals and eVisas.
2. A 4x6 Printable Sheet: We take your cropped 2x2 photo and composite it six times onto a standard 4x6 inch canvas at 300 DPI. You can download this file and print it at any local pharmacy (like CVS or Walgreens) for less than 40 cents, giving you six perfect physical copies instantly.