Canadian Passport Photo Requirements
Canada's passport photo rules as published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, from the 50 × 70 mm print size to the stamp on the back, with a tool that crops your photo to that size.
Passport Photo
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Quality is lowered until the photo is at or just under this size; tiny files are padded up to the spec's minimum.
300 DPI is the print standard for passport photos; a 35×45 mm photo is then 413×531 px.
Place several copies on a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo print or an A4 page, ready for a photo kiosk or home printer.
How many photos on the sheet. A 4×6 in print fits 6 photos of 2×2 in or 6 of 35×45 mm; an A4 sheet fits more.
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50 × 70 mm
The print size of a Canadian passport photo, with the face 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown.
From IRCC's passport photo page. Canada's photo is noticeably larger than the 35 × 45 mm prints used by the UK and India.
| Authority | What the photo must meet | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship CanadaCanada |
| SourceChecked |
| Requirements as published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on the date shown. | ||
Size, face and background
Every rule on this page comes from IRCC's passport photo page. The print is 50 mm wide and 70 mm high, about 2 × 2¾ inches, and the face, measured from the chin to the crown of the head, must be between 31 and 36 mm tall. The background is plain white or light-colored, with no shadows on it or on your face, and the photo must have been taken no more than six months before you apply.
Your expression must be neutral: eyes open, mouth closed, no smile or frown, looking straight at the camera. Glasses are allowed if your eyes are clearly visible and the lenses show no glare, but sunglasses and tinted lenses are not, even prescription ones. The photo must also be unaltered, and IRCC names filters, AI tools and changed backgrounds as reasons for refusal.
That last rule is why this page keeps your original background instead of replacing it. Shoot against a plain light wall and leave the background as it is.
Professional printing and the stamp on the back
Canada is stricter about the print itself than most countries. IRCC requires photos professionally printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper; home prints and heavyweight paper are not accepted. You also need two identical photos, and one of them carries information on the back.
What goes on the back depends on the application. The rules below summarize IRCC's page; check the official wording for your own case before you submit.
Photographer's stamp
The photographer writes or stamps the studio name, complete address and the date the photo was taken on the back of one photo. A photo you take yourself has no studio to stamp it.
Guarantor's declaration
Your guarantor writes "I certify this to be a true likeness of" followed by your name, and signs below. For a child's application, the child's name is used.
Adult renewals
IRCC states that the photographer and guarantor details are not required for adult renewals, which is when a self-taken, professionally printed photo is most practical.
Children and newborns
Same size and background rules. Hands must not appear, newborns may show a range of expressions, and a car seat may be used with a white blanket behind the head.
What this tool does, and what it cannot do
The tool crops your photo to 50 × 70 mm, shows the 31 to 36 mm face band so you can place the head correctly, and saves a print-ready file at 300 dpi. You can also lay several copies on one 4 × 6 in sheet under Advanced settings, which many photo labs print as a standard order. Take that file to a professional print counter rather than a home printer.
It cannot provide the photographer's stamp. If your application needs one, have the photo taken at a studio. And it does not make the file for an online renewal, which IRCC wants straight from the original camera file at 1,200 × 1,800 pixels or more; the online renewal page will guide you through that upload. For a child's photo, the baby passport photo page covers the practical side, and the Passport Photo Maker page lists other countries.
How Canada compares
A photo made for another country will not work in Canada, and the reverse is just as true. A US passport photo is a 2 × 2 inch square, described on the US requirements page, while the UK and India use 35 × 45 mm prints. Canadian visa photos follow different rules again and have their own entry in the tool's document list.
If you only need to scale an existing photo to an exact pixel size for some other form, the Resize Image tool is quicker; for anything passport-related, the head position matters as much as the outer size.
How to prepare a Canadian passport photo
Add a recent photo
Upload a sharp, front-facing photo taken in the last six months against a plain white or light-colored wall.
Fit the face to the guide
Canada passport — 50×70 mm is selected. Place the crop so the face, chin to crown, sits within the 31 to 36 mm band.
Download for printing
Save the photo and have it printed professionally on photo paper. The background is kept as photographed, because Canada does not accept edited backgrounds.
Canadian passport photo questions
What size is a Canadian passport photo?
50 mm wide by 70 mm high (2 × 2¾ inches), with the face measuring 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, according to IRCC. That is larger than the 35 × 45 mm prints used in the UK and India.
Can I print Canadian passport photos at home?
No. IRCC requires photos professionally printed on plain, high-quality photo paper, and home prints are refused. Take the file to a photo lab or store.
What has to be written on the back of the photo?
On one of the two photos, the photographer writes or stamps the studio's name and full address and the date the photo was taken, and your guarantor certifies it as a true likeness and signs. IRCC says this is not needed for adult renewals.
Are glasses allowed in a Canadian passport photo?
Yes, if your eyes are clearly visible and the lenses show no glare. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not accepted, even with a prescription, according to IRCC.
What photo does the online renewal need?
A JPEG in 3:2 portrait proportions, at least 1,200 × 1,800 pixels and no more than 3,000 × 4,500, between 200 KB and 5 MB, saved from the original camera file. The print-size file made here is smaller than that minimum, so do not upload it for an online renewal.
Can I smile in my Canadian passport photo?
No. IRCC asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed and eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
Photo rules for other countries
US passport photo
US passport photo
The State Department's passport photo rules in one place, with a 2 × 2 in photo tool.
Baby passport photo
Baby passport photo
Take a newborn's passport photo at home and crop it to the official size.
Australia visa photo
Australia visa photo
The 45 × 35 mm photo Home Affairs asks for with visa applications, and how to make it.
Passport size photo maker
Passport size photo maker
Make 35 × 45 mm passport size photos and print eight on one A4 sheet.
Indian passport photo
Indian passport photo
India's 4.5 × 3.5 cm passport photo rules and the 630 × 810 px upload size, with sources.
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