N-400 Citizenship Photo (2 x 2 inches)
- Size2 x 2 inches
- BackgroundPlain white to off-white
- Head height50–69% of the photo
- GlassesNot allowed
- Add your photo
- We check it
- Download & print
Add a photo for your N-400 Citizenship
For the best result
- Plain wallCleaner edges around hair
- Face the lightA window or lamp, no side shadow
- Neutral faceEyes open, look at the lens
- No glassesHats and headphones off too
- Arm's lengthHead and shoulders in frame
Your photo stays on your device. It is processed here in your browser — we don't upload it, and we can't see it.
About this photo
Form N-400 is the application for U.S. citizenship, and its photo rule surprises people: if you live in the United States you do not send photos at all - USCIS photographs you at your biometrics appointment. Printed 2 x 2 photos are required only if you are applying from outside the United States, which covers certain military members, their spouses, and spouses of U.S. citizens working abroad for a qualifying employer. In that case you send two identical colour photos with the application.
Form N-400 Naturalization (U.S. Citizenship) Photo photo requirements
| Who needs printed photos | Only applicants residing outside the United States (military naturalization categories and spouses of U.S. citizens employed abroad by a qualifying employer) |
|---|---|
| How many | Two identical colour photographs, taken recently |
| Photo size | Exactly 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), square |
| Head height | 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25-35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair |
| Eye height | 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches (28-35 mm) from the bottom edge of the photo |
| Background | White to off-white, plain and evenly lit |
| Pose | Full face, frontal view, both eyes open, neutral expression |
| Print quality | Colour, thin photo paper with a glossy finish, unmounted and unretouched |
| Head covering | Head must be bare unless you wear headwear required by your religious denomination |
| Labelling | Lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back with a pencil or felt pen |
| If you live in the US | No photos with the application. USCIS collects a new photograph at your Application Support Center appointment - photo reuse is never permitted for N-400 |
Mistakes that get this photo rejected
- The most common mistake is sending photos you do not need. The N-400 instructions put photographs under the heading "Photograph Requirements for Applicants Residing Outside the United States" - domestic applicants have never been asked for them and should not include them.
- Photo reuse is never permitted for Form N-400. Even if USCIS took your photograph within the last three years for another filing, you will be scheduled for a new biometrics appointment; the December 2025 policy names N-400 explicitly.
- If you do not attend your biometric services appointment, USCIS may deny the application. The appointment notice arrives as Form I-797C - watch your mail and your USCIS online account, and file a change of address promptly if you move.
- "Unmounted and unretouched" is literal. No beauty filters, no skin smoothing, no digitally replaced background, and no photo pasted onto card stock.
- The photo for the certificate of naturalization comes from USCIS, so an overseas applicant's mailed photos are supporting evidence, not the certificate image - but a badly composed photo can still trigger a Request for Evidence and add months.
Printing it for about 40¢
The 4×6 sheet this tool gives you holds several copies of your photo at exactly 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Order it as an ordinary 4×6 photo print — about 19¢ at Walmart, 39¢ at Walgreens or 42¢ at CVS — then cut them out. That is the same print the store charges $7.64 to $16.99 for at the counter.
The one thing that goes wrong: letting the store’s website or kiosk crop, zoom or “fit” your image. That changes the photo’s physical size and is the most common reason a printed photo is rejected. Always choose the option that prints the whole sheet at actual size.
Common questions
Do I need photos with my N-400 citizenship application?
Only if you reside outside the United States. The N-400 instructions require two identical colour passport-style photos from applicants applying from abroad - typically current or former members of the U.S. armed forces, their spouses, and spouses of U.S. citizens working abroad for a qualifying employer. Applicants living in the United States send none.
If I live in the US, where does my citizenship photo come from?
From USCIS. You will be scheduled for a biometric services appointment at an Application Support Center, where staff take your fingerprints, signature and photograph. Since 12 December 2025 USCIS has stated it will not use or reuse self-submitted photographs at all.
USCIS photographed me last year for my green card. Can they reuse it?
No. Form N-400 is one of four forms - along with N-600, I-90 and I-485 - where photo reuse is never allowed. USCIS requires the collection of new biometrics, including a new photograph, so expect a fresh appointment.
What size is the N-400 photo?
2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) square, in colour, on a white to off-white background. Your head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of your hair, and your eyes must sit 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches up from the bottom edge.
Can I print N-400 photos at CVS or Walgreens?
Yes, if you are filing from abroad and need prints. Generate the free 4 x 6 sheet, upload it to the CVS or Walgreens photo site and collect one glossy 4 x 6 print holding six 2 x 2 photos, usually under a dollar. Glossy is specified in the instructions.
How much does an N-400 photo cost?
Making it here is free with no watermark. Printing costs roughly $0.35 to $0.50 for a single 4 x 6 drugstore print that yields six photos, versus about $17 for two photos at a drugstore passport counter. Neither is part of the N-400 filing fee.
Should I wear glasses in my naturalization photo?
Take them off. The N-400 instructions do not mention glasses, but the standard is passport-style and eyeglasses are banned across U.S. visa and passport photos. The technician at your biometrics appointment will also ask you to remove them.
Can I wear a religious head covering?
Yes. The instructions say your head must be bare unless you are wearing headwear required by your religious denomination. Your full face must remain visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and the covering must not cast shadows on your face.
Other photos you can make free
Checked August 2026 Specifications and prices on this page come from the sources below. Rules and prices change — if you spot something out of date, please tell us.
- → Form N-400 Instructions, edition 01/20/25 (official PDF, "Photograph Requirements for Applicants Residing Outside the United States")
- → USCIS Form N-400 page (edition date; checklist listing photos only for applicants residing outside the US)
- → USCIS Policy Manual 1 USCIS-PM C.2 - Biometrics Collection (no photo reuse for N-400)
- → USCIS Policy Alert PA-2025-29, Photograph Reuse for Identity Documents (official PDF)
- → USCIS - Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment