Passport Photo Size Requirements by Country
Every country's passport office specifies photo dimensions down to the millimeter, and a photo that's even slightly off can mean a rejected application and a delay. Here's a reference for the most commonly needed sizes.
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Reference sizes
| Country / Region | Size | Pixels at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| United States (passport & visa) | 2 × 2 in | 600 × 600 px |
| India (passport) | 2 × 2 in | 600 × 600 px |
| United Kingdom | 35 × 45 mm | 413 × 531 px |
| Schengen area visa | 35 × 45 mm | 413 × 531 px |
| Australia | 35 × 45 mm | 413 × 531 px |
| Canada (passport) | 50 × 70 mm | 591 × 827 px |
| China (visa) | 33 × 48 mm | 390 × 567 px |
These reflect commonly published requirements as of 2026 — always cross-check against your specific passport office's current published specification before a real application, since requirements are occasionally revised.
Why exact dimensions matter more than they seem
Passport photo requirements aren't just about overall photo size — they specify head size as a proportion of the frame (commonly a range like 50–69% of the photo's height, depending on the country), eye position within a defined vertical band, and centering tolerances. A photo cropped to the wrong overall dimensions almost always also gets the head-size proportion wrong, since that proportion is calculated against the specific frame size the office expects. This is why "close enough" so often isn't — a photo processed for the wrong country's dimensions, then just resized to the right pixel count, typically has an incorrect head-to-frame ratio even though the file dimensions now look correct.
Beyond size: what else gets checked
Size is necessary but not sufficient for acceptance. Passport offices also evaluate:
- Background — almost universally required to be plain white or light gray, with no shadows, patterns, or other people visible.
- Lighting — even, front-facing light with no harsh shadows across the face or cast onto the background.
- Expression — neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open and clearly visible (most countries prohibit smiling for passport photos specifically, unlike casual portraits).
- Recency — most passport offices require a photo taken within the last 6 months, to ensure it reflects current appearance.
Getting the size and framing right handles the geometric part of the requirement; the rest depends on the actual photo shoot conditions.
Privacy: what happens to your photo
Cropping, the alignment guide, and the print sheet all run on the Canvas API in your browser — your photo is never uploaded, which matters specifically for a photo intended for an identity document.
Make a passport photo now with keptlocal's free Passport Photo Maker — no upload, no signup.
Frequently asked questions
Why do passport photo sizes differ by country at all?
Is getting the exact size really important, or just roughly close?
Does the photo need to be printed, or can I submit it digitally?
What else besides size do passport offices check?
Can I use a photo taken at a photo booth or self-taken at home?
Crop to the exact size for your country, with a face-alignment guide — free, in your browser.
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