Passport Photo Size Requirements by Country (2026 Complete Guide)

There is no single global standard for passport and visa photos. Each government defines its own exact dimensions, background color, head size and expression rules, and submitting a photo that is even a few millimeters off is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected or delayed. A photo that is perfect for a US passport will usually be refused for a UK or Schengen visa, and vice versa.

This guide breaks down the two dominant photo standards, the notable exceptions, and the rules for background, head positioning, glasses and headwear that apply almost everywhere. You can then use a free passport photo maker to crop and format your picture to the exact size you need, entirely in your browser.

The two dominant passport photo standards

Most of the world's passport photo requirements fall into one of two families. Knowing which one your destination uses gets you most of the way there.

The 2x2 inch (51x51mm) square standard

The United States uses a square photo measuring 2 x 2 inches, which is 51 x 51 millimeters. For a digital submission the image must be exactly 600 x 600 pixels at minimum (up to 1200 x 1200). India also uses a 51 x 51mm square photo, and a number of countries that model their systems on the US format follow suit. Because it is square, this format is easy to identify and hard to confuse with the European style. If you are applying from the US, the US passport photo (2x2 in / 51x51mm) preset handles the crop and pixel size for you.

The 35x45mm portrait standard

The rest of the world largely uses a 35mm wide by 45mm tall portrait rectangle. This is the standard across the United Kingdom, the entire Schengen area, Australia and many others. While the outer dimensions are shared, the required head height inside the frame can differ from country to country, so you cannot always reuse the same crop. See the UK passport photo (35x45mm), Schengen (35x45mm) and Australia (35x45mm) presets for the exact head positioning each one expects.

The notable exceptions and outliers

A handful of major countries do not fit either mold, and these are the ones travelers get wrong most often:

• China uses a smaller 33 x 48mm photo with strict digital pixel requirements (typically 354 x 472 px), narrower than the European standard. Use the China (33x48mm) preset to hit it exactly.
• Canada uses a distinctive 50 x 70mm photo, taller than almost any other country, and requires the height of the face (chin to crown) to measure between 31mm and 36mm. The Canada (50x70mm) preset accounts for this unusual aspect ratio.
• India uses a 51 x 51mm square like the US, but with its own background and print conventions. The India (51x51mm) preset covers it.

Passport photo sizes by country at a glance

Here is a quick comparison of the physical photo dimensions required by ten commonly requested countries. Always confirm the current figure with the issuing authority before you print.

• United States: 51 x 51mm (2 x 2 in), square, 600 x 600 px minimum
• India: 51 x 51mm (2 x 2 in), square
• United Kingdom: 35 x 45mm portrait
• Schengen area (EU): 35 x 45mm portrait
• Australia: 35 x 45mm portrait
• Germany: 35 x 45mm portrait
• France: 35 x 45mm portrait
• China: 33 x 48mm portrait
• Canada: 50 x 70mm portrait
• Japan: 35 x 45mm portrait

Background color rules

Background is the second most common cause of rejection after size. The safest and most widely accepted color is a plain, uniform, light background with no shadows, patterns, textures or objects behind you.

• Plain white: required by the US, India, China and most Asian countries.
• Light grey or off-white: preferred by the UK, Schengen countries and Australia, which often reject pure bright white as being too stark.
• No shadows: the wall behind you must be evenly lit, with no gradient or shadow cast by your head or shoulders.

Head size, positioning and expression

Governments do not just care about the photo's outer size. They specify how much of the frame your head must fill and where it sits. As a rough rule, your head should occupy about 70 to 80 percent of the frame's height, with the actual measurement from chin to crown usually falling between 32mm and 36mm.

• Head height: for the US, the head (chin to crown) must measure 25 to 35mm (roughly 50 to 69 percent of the image); for the UK and Schengen it must be 29 to 34mm; for Canada it is 31 to 36mm.
• Centered and level: your face must be centered horizontally and looking straight at the camera, with your head not tilted or turned.
• Full face visible: both edges of your face and both eyes must be clearly visible and in focus.
• Eye position: your eyes should generally sit in the upper third to upper half of the photo.

Expression and eyes

Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed. A natural smile is now tolerated by some countries but neutral is the universally safe choice. Both eyes must be open and clearly visible, and you must look directly into the camera.

Glasses, headwear and other rules

The rules around what you can wear on your face and head have tightened over the past decade, so it is worth checking these carefully.

• Glasses: most countries, including the US, UK and Schengen states, now prohibit glasses entirely in passport photos. If you must wear them for medical reasons, the frames must not cover your eyes and there must be no glare.
• Headwear: hats and head coverings are not permitted unless worn daily for religious or medical reasons, and even then your full face from chin to forehead must be visible.
• Hair: your hair must not cover your eyes or obscure the outline of your face.
• Uniforms and camouflage: avoid uniforms and clothing that resembles them; wear normal everyday clothes.

How to make a passport photo free in your browser

You do not need a photo studio or an appointment. You can take a photo on any phone against a plain wall in good, even light, then crop it to the correct size online. Because a passport photo is a sensitive identity document, privacy matters: a good tool processes the image entirely in your browser so your face is never uploaded to a server.

1. Take a well-lit, front-facing photo against a plain light wall, with no shadow behind you.
2. Open the free passport photo maker and choose your destination country's preset.
3. Align your head within the on-screen guide so the chin-to-crown height matches the required range.
4. Let the tool crop and resize to the exact millimeter and pixel dimensions for that country.
5. Download the digital file for online applications, or a printable sheet for physical submission.

Everything runs locally in your browser, so there is no upload, no account and no cost, which keeps your ID photo private.

Important disclaimer: always verify official requirements

The sizes and rules in this guide reflect widely published requirements as of 2026, but governments update their specifications regularly and individual consulates can impose additional conditions. Before you submit or print, always confirm the current, exact requirements on the official website of the issuing government or embassy for your specific document. This article is general guidance and not an official standard.

Once you know your target country's dimensions, the fastest way to get a compliant photo is to use a free, in-browser passport photo maker with the correct country preset, so the size, head placement and background all meet spec before you spend money on printing.