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Canada passport photo requirements
Canada will refuse a passport photo that was not taken by a commercial photographer. Home prints are not accepted. PassOkay does not sell a Canadian passport photo. You can still line a picture up with the published sizes.
Start with a photo
Drop a photo here, or use the buttons.
JPEG or PNG. The file is read in this browser and is not uploaded.
Live view is mirrored on a front camera. The photo you keep is not.
Drag to move the crop. Arrow keys nudge. Plus and minus zoom.
Compliance check
PassOkay crops and checks. It does not replace the background, apply filters, or retouch the face.
These checks are estimates. They are not an acceptance decision, and PassOkay is not a government site. Head height is guessed from the chin and forehead, so nudge the crop if the guides miss the hair.
Checker only. Canada requires a commercial photographer and refuses home prints.
Prints are 50 mm wide by 70 mm high. The face, chin to crown, is 31 to 36 mm. The digital file for online renewal is different: a 3:2 portrait JPEG, at least 1200 × 1800 pixels, at most 3000 × 4500, between 200 KB and 5 MB, with the chin-to-crown measurement at 45 to 50 percent of the height. It still has to come from the photographer, not from a scan.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, no smile. Eyes open. Plain white or light background. Clear glasses are allowed if there is no glare. Tinted lenses are not. The photographer stamps the back of one print. A guarantor signs when the application needs one. The checker below uses the digital 45–50 percent head rule so you can see whether a studio file is in range. There is no download.
Size and file
| Size | Print: 50 × 70 mm (2 × 2¾ in). Digital online renewal: 3:2 portrait. |
|---|---|
| Pixels | Digital: at least 1200 × 1800 px, at most 3000 × 4500 px. This checker frames 1200 × 1800. |
| Head | Print: face 31–36 mm chin to crown. Digital: chin to crown 45–50% of the height. |
| Background | Plain white or light-colored |
| File | Digital JPEG 200 KB–5 MB, from the photographer’s original file. Not a home scan. |
| How recent | Taken in the last 6 months |
| Glasses | Clear glasses are allowed if the eyes are visible and there is no glare. No tinted lenses. |
How to do it
- Book a photographer. Ask for a Canadian passport photo, both a print and a digital file if you might renew online.
- Compare the file with the rules. Open it here. The frame is 1200 × 1800. The head should fall between 45 and 50 percent of the height.
- Submit their file. Do not export a cropped copy from this site. IRCC treats cropping around the head as an altered photo.
Questions
Can I take my own Canadian passport photo?
No. It has to be taken by a commercial photographer or photo studio. Home prints are refused.
What size is a Canada passport photo?
50 × 70 mm, with the face 31–36 mm from chin to crown. Online renewal files are at least 1200 × 1800 pixels, head 45–50% of the height.
Why is there no download button?
Because selling that file would invite you to submit a home-cropped photo. Canada rejects those.
Specs last checked . Checked against the IRCC Canadian passport photo page.