Passport Photo Requirements by Country

Passport photo sizes by country (quick answer)

Passport photo size varies by country, but almost every requirement maps to one of three formats: 35 × 45 mm (used by around 50 countries including the UK, the whole EU and Schengen area, Australia and most of Asia-Pacific), 2 × 2 inches / 51 × 51 mm (the United States and India), and 50 × 70 mm (Canada only). The extremes are 26 × 32 mm in Spain and 50 × 70 mm in Canada.

Format	Pixels @ 300 DPI	Head height	Typical background
35 × 45 mm	413 × 531 px	29–36 mm	White, off-white or light grey
2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm)	600 × 600 px	25–35 mm	Plain white
50 × 70 mm	591 × 827 px	31–36 mm	Plain white
40 × 60 mm	472 × 709 px	Varies	White or light grey
40 × 50 mm	472 × 591 px	32–36 mm	Plain white
33 × 48 mm	390 × 567 px	28–33 mm	Plain white

Size alone does not decide acceptance. Head height, background shade, expression and file size are checked separately — see the passport photo rules library for each standard, or passport size photo dimensions for the full worldwide reference.

Find your country by photo size

If you already know the dimensions your application asks for, start here. Countries sharing a format share most of their framing rules too.

Photo size	Countries using it	Size guide
35 × 45 mm	Around 50 countries, including United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea	35x45 photo size
2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm)	United States, India, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania	2x2 photo size · in pixels
50 × 70 mm	Canada, Brazil	50x70 photo size
40 × 60 mm	UAE, Thailand, Greece, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam, Cambodia	All dimensions
40 × 50 mm	Hong Kong, Colombia, Estonia	All dimensions
Unique national sizes	China 33×48 · Spain 26×32 · Turkey 50×60 · Malaysia 35×50 · Finland 36×47 · Qatar 38×48 · Mexico 45×35 · Argentina 40×40 · Chile 45×45 · Kenya 50×50 · Laos 30×40 · Brunei 40×52 · Bangladesh 45×55	In pixels

Passport photo sizes in pixels

Every physical size converts to a fixed pixel count at 300 DPI, which is what online portals actually validate.

Passport photo size chart in pixels showing 413x531 for 35x45 mm, 600x600 for 2x2 inch and 591x827 for 50x70 mm at 300 DPI — Pixel dimensions at 300 DPI for the most requested passport photo standards. Full conversions are listed in passport photo size in pixels, and DPI, sharpness and compression standards in passport photo resolution rules.

Browse requirements by country

Select a country to see its exact photo size, background color, and head-size rules, then build a compliant photo for that destination.

Australia

Australian passport photos must be 35x45 mm on a pale grey or cream background, with a neutral expression.

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Canada

Canadian passport photos require a unique 50x70 mm size on a plain white or light-colored background.

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India

Indian passport photos must measure 2x2 inches (51x51 mm) against a plain white background.

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United Kingdom

UK passport photos use the standard 35x45 mm format with a light grey or cream background.

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United States

US passport photos must be exactly 2x2 inches (51x51 mm) on a pure white background.

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Argentina

Argentina passport photos are 40x40 mm with a plain white or light blue background.

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Armenia

Armenian passport photos use the 35x45 mm biometric format on a plain light background.

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Austria

Austrian passport photos must meet the Schengen 35x45 mm standard on a light grey background.

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Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani passport photos follow the 35x45 mm standard on a plain light background.

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Belgium

Belgium requires a 35x45 mm biometric photo with a light, untextured background.

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Brazil

Brazilian passport photos generally require a 50x70 mm size on a plain white background.

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Chile

Chilean passport photos use a 45x45 mm format with a plain white background.

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China

China passport photos must be 33x48 mm with a plain white background and a neutral expression.

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Colombia

Colombian passport photos typically measure 40x50 mm against a plain white background.

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Cyprus

Cypriot passport photos follow the Schengen 35x45 mm standard on a light grey background.

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Denmark

Danish biometric photos use the 35x45 mm specification with a light grey or white background.

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Estonia

Estonian passport photos use a 40x50 mm format on a plain light background.

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European Union

Most EU member states share a 35x45 mm format with a light grey or off-white background.

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Finland

Finnish passport photos measure 36x47 mm on a plain, light-colored background.

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France

French passport and ID photos use the 35x45 mm Schengen size with a light grey background.

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Georgia

Georgian passport photos use the 35x45 mm biometric format on a plain light background.

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Germany

German biometric passport photos follow the 35x45 mm EU standard with a light background.

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Greece

Greek passport photos are slightly larger, requiring a 40x60 mm format on a white background.

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Hong Kong

Hong Kong passport and ID photos must be 40x50 mm with a plain white background.

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Indonesia

Indonesian passports generally require a 40x60 mm photo, traditionally with a red background depending on birth year.

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Ireland

Irish passport photos use a 35x45 mm frame and accept white, light grey, or cream backgrounds.

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Italy

Italian passport photos use the 35x45 mm Schengen size on a plain light background.

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Japan

Japanese passport photos strictly follow a 35x45 mm size on a solid light color, often pale blue.

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Latvia

Latvian passport photos follow the Schengen 35x45 mm standard on a light grey background.

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Lithuania

Lithuanian passport photos use the Schengen 35x45 mm format on a plain light background.

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Malaysia

Malaysian passport photos must measure 35x50 mm against a plain white background, with no smiling.

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Malta

Maltese passport photos follow the Schengen 35x45 mm standard on a light grey background.

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Mexico

Mexican passport photos require a 45x35 mm (width x height) dimension on a white background.

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Mongolia

Mongolian passport photos use the 35x45 mm biometric format on a plain light background.

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Netherlands

Dutch passport and ID photos follow the 35x45 mm EU format with a light grey background.

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New Zealand

New Zealand passport photos use a 35x45 mm frame with a light grey or cream background (no pure white).

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Norway

Norwegian passports use the standard 35x45 mm biometric sizing on a plain white or light grey background.

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Oman

Oman requires passport photos to be 40x60 mm, typically on a blue background.

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Peru

Peruvian passport photos must measure 40x50 mm against a plain white background without shadows.

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Philippines

Philippine passport photos require a 35x45 mm dimension, often with a royal blue background.

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Poland

Polish biometric passports require a 35x45 mm photo on a solid white or light grey background.

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Portugal

Portuguese passport photos use a 35x45 mm size with a plain light background.

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Qatar

Qatar requires a 38x48 mm passport photo with a light grey or white background.

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Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian passport photos measure 40x60 mm (or 2x2 inches) on a plain white background.

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Singapore

Singapore passport photos are 35x45 mm on a plain white background, with strict head-proportion rules.

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South Africa

South African passport photos must be 35x45 mm on a plain white or light grey background.

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South Korea

South Korean passports use the 35x45 mm format with a pure white background and neutral expression.

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Spain

Spain uses a smaller 26x32 mm format with a white background for passports and DNI cards.

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Sweden

Swedish passport photos follow the 35x45 mm biometric sizing on a light background.

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Switzerland

Swiss passports require a 35x45 mm photo on a neutral, uniform grey background.

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Taiwan

Taiwanese passport photos must be 35x45 mm on a plain white background.

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Thailand

Thai passport photos require a 40x60 mm or 2x2 inch size on a solid white background.

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Turkey

Turkish biometric passports require a 50x60 mm photo with a pure white background.

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UAE

UAE passport photos require a 40x60 mm size with a plain white or light grey background.

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Uzbekistan

Uzbek passport photos use the 35x45 mm biometric format on a plain light background.

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Vietnam

Vietnamese passport photos require a 40x60 mm dimension on a solid white background.

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Algeria

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Algerian passport applications.

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Bangladesh

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Bangladesh passport applications.

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Brunei

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Brunei passport applications.

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Bulgaria

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Bulgarian passport applications.

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Cambodia

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Cambodian passport applications.

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Croatia

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Croatian passport applications.

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Czech Republic

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Czech Republic passport applications.

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Egypt

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Egyptian passport applications.

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Ethiopia

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Ethiopian passport applications.

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Ghana

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Ghanaian passport applications.

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Hungary

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Hungarian passport applications.

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Iceland

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Icelandic passport applications.

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Kazakhstan

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Kazakhstan passport applications.

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Kenya

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Kenyan passport applications.

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Laos

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Laos passport applications.

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Luxembourg

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Luxembourg passport applications.

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Morocco

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Moroccan passport applications.

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Myanmar

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Myanmar passport applications.

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Nepal

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Nepalese passport applications.

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Nigeria

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Nigerian passport applications.

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Pakistan

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Pakistani passport applications.

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Romania

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Romanian passport applications.

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Serbia

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Serbian passport applications.

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Slovakia

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Slovakian passport applications.

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Slovenia

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Slovenian passport applications.

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Sri Lanka

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Sri Lankan passport applications.

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Tanzania

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Tanzanian passport applications.

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Tunisia

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Tunisian passport applications.

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Ukraine

Find the exact photo size, background color, and biometric requirements for Ukrainian passport applications.

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Found your country?

Select it in the Passport Photo Maker and the crop ratio, head-height band and background are applied for you automatically.

Create Passport Photo

The world's most common passport photo sizes

Nearly every country's requirement maps to one of three physical formats.

35 x 45 mm

The global default

Used by the UK, all EU and Schengen countries, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and most of Asia-Pacific. Background is typically light grey, white, or off-white depending on the country. Equals 413 × 531 pixels at 300 DPI — see the 35x45 photo size guide.

2 x 2 in

The square format (51 x 51 mm)

The United States uses this size for passports, visas, and Global Entry on a pure white background. India, Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania follow the same square spec. Equals 600 × 600 pixels at 300 DPI — see the 2x2 photo size guide.

50 x 70 mm

The large-format outlier

Used by Canada for passport, citizenship, and Permanent Resident card photos, and by Brazil — the largest print size of any major passport program. Equals 591 × 827 pixels at 300 DPI — see the 50x70 photo size guide.

How ClonyPDF creates your photo

Four steps from upload to a print-ready, compliant photo.

Upload Photo

Add a selfie or existing photo in JPG or PNG. No professional camera needed.

AI Background Removal

Our AI detects your subject and swaps in a compliant background automatically.

Automatic Compliance Check

The tool checks size, head position, and background against your selected country's rules. See the crop guide for how framing is applied.

Download Ready Photo

Get a print-ready file plus a digital copy sized for online applications.

What decides whether a photo is accepted

Six checks run against every submission, and each is measured independently of the others.

Dimensions

Printed size ranges from 26x32 mm in Spain to 50x70 mm in Canada. The wrong crop fails before a reviewer sees it. Start from the size cross-reference above.

Head height

Measured chin to crown in millimetres, with bands from 25–35 mm in the US to 32–36 mm across the EU. A correctly sized photo still fails if the head is outside the band — see head size rules and face size requirements.

Background

Required shades range from pure white to light grey or cream, and some systems reject a background that is close but not exact. See background colour rules.

Lighting and shadow

Shadow falling behind the head or under the chin is one of the most common causes of refusal, even when every dimension is correct. See shadow rules.

Face and hair visibility

The eyes must be open and unobstructed, hair must not cross the face outline, and some countries require visible ears. See eyes requirements, hair rules and ears visibility.

Resolution and file size

Digital uploads need a minimum pixel count and often a maximum file size in KB — India allows just 10–20 KB while the UK allows up to 10 MB. See resolution rules.

Passport photos for babies, infants and children

The size and head-height band are identical for children in nearly every country. Only the expression and eye rules are relaxed, and only by some authorities.

Same size, same head height

There is no smaller format for infants. A newborn photo is measured against the same dimensions and the same chin-to-crown band as an adult photo in the same country.

Eyes and expression, where relaxed

UK HMPO waives both the open-eyes and neutral-expression rules for children under one year old. Schengen states, Australia and Japan expect open eyes at any age where achievable. See eyes requirements.

Child alone in the frame

No supporting hands, arms, car seat, toy or dummy may appear, and no other person may be visible. Support the child from behind a plain sheet and photograph from directly above.

No shadow behind the head

Soft, indirect daylight from the side of the room. Overhead light from one angle creates the background shadow that fails the check — see shadow rules.

Head coverings

Hats and decorative headwear are refused for children as for adults. Religious coverings are accepted where the full face stays visible. See head covering rules.

Full technique guide

Positioning, lighting and timing for newborns and toddlers is covered step by step in the baby passport photo at home guide.

Printing your photo

Many applications still require a physical print. Yield per sheet depends entirely on the format your country uses.

Photo size	Copies per 4 × 6 in sheet	Copies per A4 sheet
35 × 45 mm	6	Around 20
2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm)	6	Around 12
50 × 70 mm	4	Around 8
33 × 48 mm	8	Around 30

Print at 300 DPI on glossy or matte photo paper, never plain copier paper, and disable printer auto-enhance and fit-to-page scaling. Full settings and cutting technique are in the print passport photo at home guide, and sheet layout in the print sheet guide.

Rules that apply across every country

Dimensions change by destination; these standards are broadly consistent. Read the rule before you shoot rather than after a rejection.

Background Colour White, off-white, cream and light grey requirements. Head Size Rules Chin-to-crown measurement bands by country. Face Size Requirements Head coverage and framing proportions. Eyes Requirements Eye line position, gaze and visibility. Hair Rules Fringe, styling and keeping the face outline clear. Ears Visibility When ears must be visible and when they need not be. Head Covering Rules Religious coverings, hats and uniforms. Shadow Rules Lighting setup that avoids background shadow. Glasses Rules Where eyewear is banned and the medical exception. Smile Rules Which facial expressions are accepted. Crop Guide Applying aspect ratio and head height together. Print at Home Guide Printer settings, paper choice and cutting. Resolution Rules DPI, sharpness and compression standards. Rejection Reasons The most common causes of refusal, ranked. Digital Photo Requirements Pixel, format and file size rules by portal. All Passport Photo Rules The full rules and standards library.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about passport photo size, requirements, and ClonyPDF's online passport photo maker.

Sizes by country

Do passport photo sizes differ by country?

Yes. Printed size ranges from 26x32 mm in Spain to 50x70 mm in Canada. Most countries fall between those two, and by far the most common formats are 35x45 mm and 2x2 in (51x51 mm).

Which countries use 35x45 mm photos?

35x45 mm is the most widely used passport photo size in the world, covering around 50 of the countries listed here. It includes the UK, every EU and Schengen state, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and most of Asia-Pacific. See the 35x45 photo size guide.

Which countries use the 2x2 inch square photo?

The United States and India use the 2x2 inch (51x51 mm) square format, as do Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia and Tanzania. Thailand and Saudi Arabia accept it alongside their own metric size. See the 2x2 photo size guide.

Specification detail

What background color does my country require?

Most countries require white, off-white or light grey. Several reject pure white: New Zealand and Australia require pale grey or cream, and Switzerland requires a neutral uniform grey. Check your country's page for the exact shade, or read the background colour rules.

What head size does a passport photo need?

Head height is measured from the bottom of the chin to the crown, and the band varies: 25 to 35 mm in the United States and India, 29 to 34 mm in the UK, 32 to 36 mm across the EU and Australia, 31 to 36 mm in Canada, and 28 to 33 mm in China. A correctly sized photo still fails if the head falls outside the band — see head size rules.

Can I use the same photo for visa and passport applications?

Sometimes, but not always. Many countries use different dimensions, backgrounds or file-size limits for visas versus passports. China uses the same 33x48 mm size for both but sends them through different authorities — compare the China passport photo and China visa photo pages. Browse all visa photo requirements before reusing a photo.

Why was my passport photo rejected?

The most common causes are an incorrect background shade, shadow falling behind the head, a head size outside the required band, a non-neutral expression, glasses, and a digital file below the minimum pixel dimensions or above the portal's file-size ceiling. The full ranked list is in passport photo rejection reasons.

Children & taking the photo

Do the same rules apply to babies and children?

The size, background and head-height band are identical for children in nearly every country, with no smaller format for infants. What some authorities relax is the expression and open-eyes rule: UK HMPO waives both for children under one year old. In all cases the child must be alone in the frame with no supporting hands, toy or dummy visible. See the children section and the baby passport photo guide.

Can I take my own passport photo at home?

Most countries accept self-taken digital photos provided they meet the official size, background and pose requirements. Photograph against a plain wall in even daylight, stand at least 20 inches clear of the wall to avoid shadow, and switch off portrait blur and skin smoothing before you shoot.

How do I know if my photo meets my country's requirements?

Select your country in ClonyPDF's passport photo maker and the tool checks your photo's dimensions, head position and background against that country's published specification before you download.

Standards & pricing

Do international passport photos follow one global standard?

Most ICAO-compliant biometric passports share baseline rules under ICAO Doc 9303: a full-face pose, neutral expression, even lighting and no obstruction of the eyes. Exact size, background colour and head-height band still vary by country, which is why it is worth checking your destination's specific page.

Is ClonyPDF's passport photo maker free to use?

Yes. You can upload a photo, remove the background and resize it to your country's requirements at no cost, then download a print-ready file when you're done.

Compliance basis & sources

The specifications summarised on this page and on each linked country page are compiled from publicly available guidance issued by national passport and immigration authorities, together with the international biometric travel document standard ICAO Doc 9303. Where a national requirement differs from ICAO, the national requirement applies.

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs — travel.state.gov
HM Passport Office, United Kingdom — gov.uk
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — canada.ca
Australian Passport Office — passports.gov.au
European Commission, Schengen borders and visa policy — home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
Passport Seva, Ministry of External Affairs, India — passportindia.gov.in
National Immigration Administration of China — en.nia.gov.cn
ICAO Doc 9303, Machine Readable Travel Documents — icao.int

Last reviewed: 2 August 2026
Passport photo specifications are set by each issuing authority and can change. Individual consular posts and application portals may publish additional local requirements, including different file-size limits. Always confirm the current specification with the authority handling your application before you submit.

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