How to get a US visa photo under 240 KB
The DS-160 and DV lottery both cap photos at 240 KB. Here is how to hit the limit and keep the photo sharp.
A photo from a modern phone is usually 2 to 8 MB. The visa upload limit is 240 KB, so you must shrink it. The good news: a 600 x 600 px photo at good JPEG quality is usually well under the limit.
Step by step
- Crop to a square with your head 50% to 69% of the height.
- Resize to 600 x 600 px. This is the minimum allowed, and the smallest file that still meets the rules. Do not go lower.
- Save as JPEG (not PNG or HEIC). Start at quality 85 to 90.
- Check the file size. If it is over 240 KB, lower the quality in small steps (for example 80, then 75) until it fits.
Do not compress too much
The State Department asks for a compression ratio of 20:1 or less. A 600 x 600 color image is about 1.08 MB uncompressed, so 20:1 means a file of at least about 54 KB. Heavily compressed photos with blocky artifacts can be rejected. A plain white background compresses very well, so a clean photo is usually 40 to 120 KB at high quality.
Common mistakes
- Sending a screenshot or messaging-app copy (low quality, wrong size).
- Saving as PNG or HEIC.
- Using a photo with a busy or dark background, which makes the file larger and gets rejected anyway.
Skip the manual work
The free US visa photo maker crops to the correct head size, can replace the background with white, and exports a 600 x 600 JPEG that is automatically kept under 240 KB and above the minimum. For passports (limit 54 KB to 10 MB) use the US passport photo maker. Sources: U.S. Department of State: visa photos and passport photos. Always confirm on the official site before you submit.