Canada — Passport Photo

Use the crop preset alongside the specification table and the issuing authority’s instructions. Print and online applications can differ; the final photo must meet the requirements for your application.

Canada passport photo specifications

Printed size

50 × 70 mm · 591 × 827 px

Head height (chin to crown)

31 – 36 mm

Background

Background: plain white

Photo age limit

Taken within 6 months

Glasses

Allowed if eyes are clearly visible

Prints to submit

2 identical prints

Rules specific to Canada

• 50×70mm (2 × 2¾ inches), with the face measuring 31–36mm from chin to crown.
• The measurement runs to the crown of the head, not the top of the hair. Voluminous hair does not count.
• Plain white or light-coloured background with a clear boundary between face and background.
• Two identical prints, uncut and unaltered.
• A commercial photographer or studio must write or stamp the studio name, address and the date taken on the back of one photo. A photo you produce at home will not be accepted for a paper application.
• Taken within the last 6 months.
• They must be taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio and professionally printed on quality photographic paper.
• Ordinary glasses are allowed as long as your eyes are clearly visible with no glare on the lenses. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not.
• Hats and head coverings worn daily for religious or medical reasons are accepted, provided your full face is clearly visible with no shadows on it.
• If your wheelchair has a headrest, cover it with plain white so the edges of your face stay distinct from the background.
• Newborns get some latitude — the guidance openly says it knows a neutral expression is hard to get from a newborn.

Why passport photos get rejected

• Check framing, lighting and the current application instructions. A correctly sized crop alone does not guarantee acceptance.

Other countries