Pick your country in the passport photo maker, line your face up with the guides and download a single photo or a printable sheet. It runs in your browser, so the photo isn’t uploaded.
Make a passport size photoPassport photo size by country
The most common passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm), used by the UK, India, Germany and the other Schengen countries, and many others. The US is the main exception at 2 × 2 inches, and Canada uses a larger 50 × 70 mm. These sizes come from each government’s own photo rules, checked in October 2026:
| Country | Photo size (width × height) | Head or face height |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | 1 to 1⅜ in (25 to 35 mm), chin to top of head |
| United Kingdom | 35 × 45 mm | 29 to 34 mm, chin to crown |
| India | 35 × 45 mm | Face 80 to 85% of the photo |
| Germany | 35 × 45 mm | Face 32 to 36 mm, chin to hairline |
| Australia | 35 to 40 × 45 to 50 mm | Face 32 to 36 mm, chin to crown |
| Canada | 50 × 70 mm | 31 to 36 mm, chin to crown |
| Malaysia | 35 × 50 mm | Photos for counter applications are taken at the office |
Rules change, and a photo that’s slightly off can delay an application. Check your own government’s page before you print, and use the visa rules, not the passport rules, when applying for a visa. The visa photo size guide covers those.
Passport size photo in cm, mm and inches
| Size | In cm | In inches |
|---|---|---|
| 35 × 45 mm | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 1.38 × 1.77 in |
| 2 × 2 in (US) | 5.08 × 5.08 cm | 2 × 2 in |
| 35 × 50 mm | 3.5 × 5 cm | 1.38 × 1.97 in |
| 50 × 70 mm (Canada) | 5 × 7 cm | 1.97 × 2.76 in |
Sizes are written width first, so 35 × 45 mm is 35 mm wide and 45 mm tall. Some forms write it the other way round, as 4.5 × 3.5 cm; the photo is always taller than it is wide, except the square US one.
Passport size photo in pixels
A printed size only becomes a pixel size once you choose a resolution. Photo printing normally uses 300 pixels per inch (ppi); use 600 for extra sharpness. The pixels are the size in inches times the ppi:
| Printed size | At 300 ppi | At 600 ppi |
|---|---|---|
| 35 × 45 mm | 413 × 531 px | 827 × 1063 px |
| 2 × 2 in | 600 × 600 px | 1200 × 1200 px |
| 35 × 50 mm | 413 × 591 px | 827 × 1181 px |
| 50 × 70 mm | 591 × 827 px | 1181 × 1654 px |
More pixels than this doesn’t hurt a print, but fewer makes it soft. The guide to image size in cm and pixels shows the conversion for any size.
Digital photo uploads
Online applications set their own pixel and file size limits, which are separate from the print size:
| Application | Digital photo rule |
|---|---|
| UK passport online | At least 600 px wide and 750 px tall, 50 KB to 10 MB |
| India passport (Passport Seva ICAO guidelines) | 630 × 810 px, colour, white background |
| US passport online renewal | JPG, PNG or HEIF, 54 KB to 10 MB |
| US visa (DS-160) | Square, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, JPEG, 240 KB or less |
If a file is too large in KB, compress it without changing the pixel size. The image compressor takes a KB target.
Head size and background
The size of the photo is only half the rule. The head has to fill a set part of it, measured from the chin to the top of the head (not the top of the hair):
- Too small usually means the photo was taken from too far away, or a full-length picture was cropped down.
- Too large usually means the camera was too close, which also distorts the face.
Backgrounds differ more than people expect:
| Country | Background |
|---|---|
| United States | Plain white or off-white |
| United Kingdom | Plain cream or light grey |
| India | White |
| Canada | Plain white or light-coloured |
| Germany | Plain, light, single colour |
| Malaysia | White |
The guide to taking a passport photo at home covers lighting, pose and the reasons photos get rejected.
How recent the photo must be, and other rules
A photo can be the right size and still be refused. The US and UK rules, from the same official pages, show how much the details differ:
| US passport | UK passport | |
|---|---|---|
| How recent | Taken in the last 6 months | Taken in the last month |
| Glasses | Not allowed without a doctor’s statement | Avoid unless needed; no sunglasses or tinted lenses |
| Printing | Colour, matte or glossy photo paper | Colour, plain white photo paper, no border |
Most countries also ask for a neutral expression, eyes open, the face straight to the camera and no filters or edits. Check the full list for your country before you print a batch.
Stamp size photos and passport size photos for forms
In India, job, exam and college forms often ask for a “passport size” photo without giving a size. 35 × 45 mm is the safe reading, because that is the Indian passport size.
“Stamp size” has no official standard. It means a photo smaller than passport size, and the right size is whatever the form says. If the form has a printed box, measure it and make the photo exactly that size. For an online form, the notice usually gives a size in pixels and a KB limit instead; follow those numbers rather than any print size.
Making a passport size photo at the right size
- Take the photo. Stand a little way in front of a plain, light wall, face a window and keep the camera at eye level.
- Choose the size. In the passport photo maker, choose your country, or enter the width and height the form asks for.
- Line up your face. Drag and zoom until your chin and the top of your head sit between the guide lines.
- Download. Save a single photo for an online form, or a sheet to print at a photo shop.
A standard 4 × 6 inch print (10 × 15 cm) holds eight 35 × 45 mm photos or six 2 × 2 inch ones. Print it at 100% scale, without “fit to page”, so the photos come out at the exact size. If you need the file smaller in pixels too, use resize image.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: U.S. Passport Photos. 2 × 2 in, head 1 to 1⅜ in, white or off-white background
- U.S. Department of State: Digital Image Requirements (visas). 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px, 240 KB or less
- GOV.UK: Printed passport photos. 35 × 45 mm, head 29 to 34 mm, cream or light grey
- GOV.UK: Digital passport photos. At least 600 × 750 px, 50 KB to 10 MB
- Passport Seva: Guidelines for ICAO compliant photographs. 630 × 810 px, face 80 to 85%, white background
- Government of Canada: Passport photo requirements. 50 × 70 mm, head 31 to 36 mm
- Australian Passport Office: Photo requirements. 35 to 40 × 45 to 50 mm, face 32 to 36 mm
- German Consulate General Hong Kong: Biometric passport photos (PDF). 35 × 45 mm, face 32 to 36 mm from chin to hairline, plain light background
- Immigration Department of Malaysia: Malaysian international passport. 35 × 50 mm, white background