Passport Photo Requirements by Country — Quick reference
Verified guidance (common official requirements) — last checked: 2025-12-20. Always confirm the final rules on the official portal/consulate before submission.
What's on this page
This guide gives commonly required printed & digital passport/visa photo sizes, background and typical file-size guidance for major countries. It is a quick reference — it does not replace the issuing authority's official instructions.
Verified country reference
| Country / Region | Common Print Size | Common Digital / Pixel Guidance | Background | Typical File Size Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 4.5 × 3.5 cm (45 × 35 mm) or per form box | Common: 630 × 810 px (ICAO guidance also used) | Plain white / off-white | Digital uploads often ≤100 KB for certain portals — follow portal instructions. |
| United States (passport/visa) | 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) | Minimum 600 × 600 px (square); often 600–1200 px | Plain white or off-white | Passport uploads: between ~54 KB and 10 MB (Dept. of State notes different limits for online renewals / visa uploads) — check portal. |
| United Kingdom | 45 × 35 mm (height × width) | Image face height guidance: 29–34 mm (chin to crown) | Plain cream or light grey / light background | Digital/printed photos must be high quality; file size guidance varies by online form. |
| Canada | 50 × 70 mm (2 × 2¾ inch) | Face height (chin to crown): 31–36 mm; digital ranges for uploads vary (up to 2000×2800 px for some services) | Plain white or light background | File size limits for digital uploads commonly ≤4 MB (see official guidance). |
| Australia | 35–40 mm wide × 45–50 mm high (common print guidance) | Face height: 32–36 mm (chin to crown) | Plain white / light background | Photos must be high quality prints; digital portals may have separate pixel/file rules. |
| Schengen / France (visa) | 35 × 45 mm | Digital uploads usually follow 600 DPI / ~800×1062 px guidance for prints | White or light plain background (some embassies may prefer light grey) | File size guidance varies by consulate / TLS/TLS provider — check local embassy site. |
| Japan | 35 × 45 mm (common passport/visa guidance) | Face height typically 32–36 mm; print/DPI guidance varies | Plain white background | Check embassy / consulate for exact digital upload size limits. |
| South Africa | 35 × 45 mm (commonly used immigration/passport size) | Face proportion guidance: ~70–80% of frame | Plain white background | Local passport/visa offices provide final digital size requirements. |
Note: the table above lists commonly required sizes and typical digital guidance verified from official sources. Individual portals (passport vs visa vs online renewals) can have slightly different pixel and upload limits — always confirm before you submit.
Common rules (applies to most authorities)
- Face must be fully visible, neutral expression, eyes open and looking at camera.
- Head centred; no heavy retouching or filters.
- Even lighting; no shadows on face or background.
- Plain, solid light background (white / off-white / light grey depending on authority).
- Follow exact pixel & file-size rules of the receiving portal — sizes above are reference only.
Use our tool
Use Passport Size Photo Maker to crop to official ratios, remove background and compress to the exact KB target required by a portal. We recommend verifying the portal's required pixel & KB values first, then using the tool.
Sources (official / embassy pages) — last checked 2025-12-20
- India — Passport Seva / MEA guidance (Passport portal and ICAO photo guidance).
- USA — U.S. Department of State / travel.state.gov (passport & visa photo requirements).
- United Kingdom — GOV.UK passport photo requirements.
- Canada — Government of Canada passport photo specifications.
- Australia — Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au) photo guidelines.
- Schengen (example: France) — France Diplomatie / visa photo standard (35×45 mm).
- Japan — Embassy / consulate photo specification (35×45 mm typical).
- South Africa — Department of Home Affairs / embassy guidance (35×45 mm common).
Exact source links are provided in the editor / CMS reference for audits (we keep live links there). If you want, I can also embed direct source links on the page (admin-only section) so editors can quickly open the official pages.
Last verified on 2025-12-20 — official portals can change rules; always follow the issuing authority's live instructions.