Israeli passport photo in the US: 2 × 2 inches, not 5 × 5 cm

What are the Israeli passport photo requirements in the US?

Use this checklist before you print. It brings together the Atlanta consulate's general instruction for a full front view and its specific US photo guidelines.

Prepare two photos. You need two recent passport photos, not a single print.

Use a photo taken within the last 3 months. Check the date of the original photo if you plan to reuse an image.

Choose a finished size of 2 × 2 inches. This is the page's explicit US requirement. Ask for that size when arranging your prints.

Use a white background. Review the background in the image you intend to print, alongside the size and framing.

Show a full front view of your face. Your facial features must be fully visible. Check the actual photo rather than relying on how you remember posing.

Tuck your hair behind your ears. Keep your eyebrows visible too. The US guidelines specifically include eyebrows in the requirement for visible facial features.

Remove your glasses. The instruction is no glasses, even if your eyes and other features appear visible through them.

Check image quality and focus. The photos must be good quality and in focus. The consulate states that low-quality photos will not be accepted.

Review these requirements together before printing.

If you are using an existing image, start with its date and what it shows. Those checks help you decide whether it is suitable to prepare for printing at all. Then check the crop and requested print size.

The official guidance is the Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta's page titled "Issuance of travel documents (passport) for citizens and residents of Israel," on Israel's official consular website. That page is the basis for the requirements here.

Which size instruction applies to your application?

This guide covers Israeli citizens getting or renewing a passport through an Israeli consulate in the United States. It does not describe passport procedures inside Israel.

The Atlanta page gives a general instruction for two recent photographs measuring 5 × 5 cm, with a white background and a full front view of the face. It then states the US requirement separately. For the application covered here, use that explicit US size when preparing and ordering your photos.

Give the printer the US dimensions stated by the consulate. If you are selecting a crop yourself, use the same dimensions for the image you prepare for printing.

Outside the United States, check the page for the Israeli mission handling your application. Other Israeli missions may ask for 5 × 5 cm. Do not carry the US instruction over to an application elsewhere without checking.

Keep the scope of the guidance in mind when looking up submission rules, too. The adult attendance rule below concerns renewals.

Do you need an appointment, and what should you mail?

Check your submission arrangements before deciding whether to book an appointment or send documents. The Atlanta page distinguishes a minor's passport application from an adult renewal.

For a minor, schedule an appointment in advance. A minor's passport requires an in-person appointment at the consulate with the parents.

For an adult renewal, check the exceptions. Adults aged 18 or older are generally not required to appear in person to renew. The page lists exceptions, including a citizen over 28 who has not visited Israel in the past 10 years.

For a mailed application, send original documents and keep photocopies. Do not replace the originals with copies when following that mailing instruction.

Three points are worth a final check because each can change how you prepare the application.

An adult renewal is not automatically exempt from attendance. If the example involving age and time since visiting Israel applies to you, check the consulate's instructions before relying on the general renewal rule.

A minor still needs the scheduled appointment. The appointment must be in person at the consulate with the parents.

Keeping copies does not mean mailing copies. Separate the original documents you will send from the photocopies you will retain.

Common questions

Can you use 5 × 5 cm photos for an application in the US? Use 2 × 2 inches, the Atlanta page's explicit US requirement. Check the relevant mission's page if you are applying outside the United States.

Can you wear glasses if your face is clearly visible? No. The guidelines say no glasses, and all facial features, including eyebrows, must be fully visible.

Does cropping a photo to the right size guarantee acceptance? No. The photo must also meet the requirements for recency, background, facial visibility and quality; low-quality photos will not be accepted.

Can you prepare the crop in your browser? pixtidy checks a photo in your browser without uploading it and crops it to 2 × 2 inches for printing. Use it alongside the checklist, not as a promise of consular acceptance.

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