Guides
Passport Photo Size Requirements by Country (2026)
Passport and visa photo sizes by country: 35×45 mm, 2×2 in, Canada's 50×70 mm, head height, background, glasses, and when a home photo is accepted.
Most passport and ID photos are 35 × 45 mm, with the head measuring about 32–36 mm from chin to crown: that covers Italy, the UK (29–34 mm), Germany, France, Japan and Schengen visas. The main exceptions are the US (2 × 2 inches, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches), Canada (50 × 70 mm) and the Chinese visa (33 × 48 mm). Whether you can take and print the photo at home depends on the country: the US, the UK and Italy allow it, Germany, France and Canada don't.
You can crop a photo to any of these sizes, with head-height guides and a printable 10×15 cm sheet, in our free passport photo tool. It runs in your browser and doesn't upload the image.
Passport and visa photo sizes by country
Checked on the official pages linked below in October 2026. Rules change, so open the official page before you print.
| Document | Photo size | Head, chin to crown | Background | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US passport and visa | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | 1–1 3/8 in (25–35 mm) | White or off-white | travel.state.gov |
| UK passport (printed) | 35 × 45 mm | 29–34 mm | Plain cream or light grey | gov.uk |
| Italy passport | 35 × 45 mm | Face 70–80% of the photo | White | Polizia di Stato |
| Italy ID card (CIE) | 35 × 45 mm | Face 70–80%; eyes 23–31 mm from the bottom | Plain and light; white allowed | Ministry of the Interior |
| Schengen visa | 35 × 45 mm | ICAO standard; 32–36 mm is the usual target | Plain and light | Example: Czech MFA |
| Germany passport and ID | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm (age 10+) | Plain, preferably light grey | BMI photo template (PDF) |
| France passport and ID | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm, not counting hair | Light blue or light grey; white not allowed | service-public.fr |
| Canada passport | 50 × 70 mm | 31–36 mm | White or light-coloured | canada.ca |
| Australia passport | 35–40 × 45–50 mm | 32–36 mm | White or light grey | passports.gov.au |
| China visa | 33 × 48 mm | 28–33 mm (head width 15–22 mm) | White | Chinese Consulate, Los Angeles |
| India visa (online form) | Square | 25–35 mm | Plain light or white | indianvisaonline.gov.in |
| Japan passport | 35 × 45 mm | 32–36 mm, 2–6 mm of space above the head | White recommended; pale blue accepted | MOFA Japan |
A few details the table can't hold:
- "Crown" isn't measured the same way everywhere. France measures to the top of the skull, not the hair, and the ICAO technical report defines the crown as the top of the head ignoring hair. The US visa page measures to the top of the hair. If you have a lot of hair, aim for the middle of the range.
- Japanese visas follow the embassy you apply to: the MOFA application form has a space of about 45 × 35 mm, while some embassies, such as the one in India, ask for 45 × 45 mm.
- Indian passports: applicants abroad upload a 630 × 810 pixel photo on a white background.
How to take a compliant photo at home
- Stand in front of a plain wall in the color your document needs (see the table). Stand about half a metre to a metre away from it, so your shadow doesn't land on it.
- Light your face evenly. Face a window in daylight, or put two lamps at equal distance either side of the camera. Turn off the flash: Italy and Japan list flash glare and red eye as reasons to reject a photo.
- Have someone else take it, at eye level, from about 1.5 metres, with the main (back) camera. A selfie at arm's length distorts the face, and Japan's MOFA rejects mirrored images, which some front-camera apps produce.
- Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open, hair away from the eyes. No hat, unless you wear one for religious or medical reasons where the country allows it.
- Leave room around your head and shoulders. You'll crop later, so don't fill the frame.
- Don't edit your face. The US forbids changes made with software, filters or AI, Canada rejects any alteration, and Italy's CIE rules say the photo can't be retouched. Cropping and resizing are fine. Smoothing skin, replacing the background or rotating to straighten your head are not.
Glasses, country by country:
- US: take them off. They're only accepted for medical reasons, with a signed doctor's note.
- UK and Australia: only if you can't remove them; for Australia that means a medical reason.
- Italy, France, Canada, China: allowed if the lenses are clear, there's no glare, and the frame doesn't cover the eyes. Italy and China also rule out heavy frames.
- Japan: a photo without glasses is recommended.
How to crop to the exact size
Open the photo in the passport photo tool and pick your document. The tool shows the exact frame in millimetres and guide lines for chin, crown and eyes. Move and scale the photo until your chin sits on the chin line and the top of your head falls inside the allowed band.
Aim for 300 pixels per inch: a 35 × 45 mm photo is then about 413 × 531 pixels, a 2 × 2 inch photo 600 × 600 (the US visa upload minimum). If a form caps the file size (240 kB for the US visa, 300 kB for India's), lower the JPEG quality, not the dimensions.
How to print several copies on a 10×15 cm sheet
A 4 × 6 inch print (101.6 × 152.4 mm) is sold in Europe as 10×15 cm, the cheapest print at any photo kiosk. One sheet holds:
| Photo size | Copies per 10×15 sheet |
|---|---|
| 35 × 45 mm | 8 (4 columns × 2 rows) |
| 33 × 48 mm (China visa) | 8 (4 × 2) |
| 2 × 2 in (US) | 6 edge to edge (2 with cutting margins) |
| 45 × 45 mm | 6 (3 × 2) |
| 50 × 70 mm (Canada) | 4 edge to edge (2 with cutting margins) |
- Export the sheet as a 10×15 cm (4 × 6 in) JPEG at 300 dpi, which is 1800 × 1200 pixels.
- Print it at a photo lab or kiosk as a standard 10×15 print, or at home on photo paper with scaling set to 100% or Actual size. "Fit to page" or borderless printing slightly enlarges the image and breaks the measurements.
- Measure one photo with a ruler before you cut. If 45 mm comes out as 46, fix the print scaling rather than trimming the photo.
- Cut along the guides with a craft knife and a metal ruler.
The US accepts matte or glossy photo paper. Italy asks for high-quality paper. Japan rejects prints with visible dots or ink bleed, and Australia rejects inkjet prints altogether. If in doubt, a lab print from your file is cheap and meets most rules.
When a home photo is not accepted
- Germany: since 1 May 2025, passport and ID applications accept only digital photos, taken at the office or sent by a registered photographer through a secure cloud service. Printed photos are no longer used.
- France: the photo must be taken by an approved professional or in a booth with an approved system.
- Canada: a commercial photographer must take and print it, and stamp the back. Home-printed photos aren't accepted. Online renewals need the photographer's original file.
- Australia: photos must be dye-sublimation prints on glossy paper of at least 200 gsm, not inkjet, and the passport office advises against online photo services and apps.
- UK online applications: you can take the photo with your own phone or camera during the application. A digital photo code is needed only if a booth or shop takes it.
- Italy: the Questura takes one printed 35 × 45 mm photo for the passport. For the CIE, the Comune takes a printed photo, unless you uploaded a digital one when booking through Agenda CIE. Neither page requires a professional photographer.
- India: passports applied for in India are photographed at the Passport Seva Kendra, so you don't bring one.
Keep the photo files private
A passport photo, a passport scan and the file you upload to a visa portal are all identity data. Don't leave them in your camera roll or a shared album, and remove location data from the file before you send it anywhere. The EXIF remover does this in the browser. Our guide on how to store ID documents safely on your phone and the ID documents scenario cover the rest.
sigil. keeps these files in an encrypted vault on your phone, protected by a 256-bit key that only your sign unlocks, and strips location metadata on import. Photos taken with its private camera never reach the Camera Roll. Everything stays on the phone: there's no cloud backup yet.
Bottom line
Use 35 × 45 mm with a 32–36 mm head unless your country says otherwise (US 2 × 2 inches, Canada 50 × 70 mm, China visa 33 × 48 mm). Shoot against a plain wall in even light, don't edit your face, print a 10×15 sheet at 100% scale and measure before cutting. In Germany, France and Canada, go to a professional or the office instead.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: passport photos and visa photo requirements
- GOV.UK: photo requirements and digital photos
- Polizia di Stato: passport issuance and photo guidelines (PDF)
- Ministero dell'Interno: CIE photo requirements
- BMI / Bundesdruckerei: photo template, July 2025 (PDF)
- Service-public.fr: identity photo
- Government of Canada: passport photos
- Australian Passport Office: passport photos
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: passport photo standard
- Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles: visa photo requirements
- Indian Visa Online: instructions
- ICAO: Technical Report on Portrait Quality, v1.0 (PDF)
Frequently asked questions
What size is a passport photo?
In most countries, including the UK, Italy, Germany, France, Japan and the Schengen area, it is 35 × 45 mm. The US uses 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), Canada 50 × 70 mm, and the Chinese visa 33 × 48 mm.
Can I take my own passport photo at home?
It depends on the country. The US, the UK and Italy accept a photo taken by a friend or family member if it meets the rules. Germany, France and Canada require a professional, an approved booth or the office itself, and Australia rejects inkjet prints.
Can I wear glasses in a passport photo?
Not for US passports and visas, except for documented medical reasons, and only if you have to for the UK and Australia. Italy, France, Canada and China allow clear lenses with no glare and frames that don't cover the eyes.
How many passport photos fit on a 10×15 cm (4×6 in) print?
Eight 35 × 45 mm photos fit in a 4 × 2 grid with room to cut. Six 2 × 2 inch photos fit only edge to edge, which needs borderless printing at exactly 100%; with cutting margins only two fit.
What background color should a passport photo have?
White or off-white for the US, China and Italian passports; cream or light grey for the UK; light grey preferred in Germany. France does not allow a white background and asks for light blue or light grey.