Canada passport photo size
A Canadian passport photo is 50 mm wide by 70 mm high, a different shape from the 35 by 45 mm most countries use.
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A Canadian passport photo is 50 mm wide by 70 mm high, larger and a different shape from the 45 by 35 mm most countries use. Canada only accepts one taken and printed by a commercial photographer, unedited, so use this tool to check a photo's size, not to make the one you submit.
What the authority specifies
- Photo size
- 70 mm by 50 mm
- Pixels at 300 DPI
- 591 x 827
- Background
- plain white or light-coloured
- File size
- No limit published
- Source
- www.canada.ca
- Read at the source on
Each size on this page was read at the issuing authority's own website, not copied from another converter or from a search result.
The page it came from and the date it was read are printed above, so you can check the same source in one click.
Why this size?
Canada is the odd one out among the common passport sizes, so a photo cut for a British or Indian application is the wrong shape here.
This tool shows what 50 by 70 mm looks like on your own photo, so you know what to expect from the photographer and can check the print you get back.
Where the pixel figure comes from
Passport offices publish millimetres, not pixels, because the photograph is printed. Turning millimetres into pixels needs a resolution, and most authorities do not name one.
This one does not, so the pixel figure above is 300 DPI, the resolution print shops work to. The millimetre measurement is the requirement; the pixel figure is our arithmetic on top of it.
The file you download records that resolution in its header, so a print dialog set to actual size uses it instead of guessing at 72 or 96 DPI and printing the photo several times too large.
That matters if you are uploading rather than printing.
An online form usually states its own pixel size or file size limit, and where an authority publishes one this page uses that instead of converting anything.
Check before you submit
Requirements change, and the only version that counts is the one on the authority's own page on the day you apply.
Every size here links to the page it came from and shows the date it was read. If that date looks old, spend a minute at the source before you print anything.
What happens to your photo?
Your selected photo is processed in your browser, without an image upload to a server. The page may download code and codecs needed for editing.
Save your result before closing the tab; unsaved edits are kept in memory rather than in an online account.
Common questions
What size is a Canadian passport photo?
The Government of Canada states 50 mm wide by 70 mm high, which it also gives as 2 inches wide by 2 and three quarter inches high.
The height of your face must measure between 31 mm and 36 mm from chin to the crown of your head.
Does a Canadian passport photo have to be in colour?
No, and this is unusual. The Government of Canada states that photos may be in colour or in black and white, where most other countries require colour.
The background must be plain white or light-coloured either way.
Can I make my own Canadian passport photo?
No. The Government of Canada asks for a photo taken in person by a commercial photographer, professionally printed, and says it does not accept photos printed at home or edited in any way.
The photographer stamps the back of the prints.
What file does an online renewal need?
A digital photo from the photographer, 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 pixels in a 3:2 portrait shape, and 200 KB to 5 MB. It must be saved straight from the camera, so do not resize or crop it here.
Why is it a different shape from other passport photos?
Because 50 by 70 mm is a taller rectangle than the 45 by 35 mm used by the United Kingdom, India and much of Europe.
Cropping a photo made for one to fit the other removes part of the head, which is why the face height is specified separately.
Can I wear glasses in a Canadian passport photo?
Yes, if the lenses are not tinted and there is no glare or reflection on them. The Government of Canada's photo examples reject both.
Can I smile in a Canadian passport photo?
No. The Government of Canada's examples accept a neutral expression with the mouth closed, and reject smiling or an open mouth.
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