Passport and visa photos must meet strict size requirements, and a photo that is a few millimetres off can be rejected. Below are the most common standards with their dimensions in millimetres, inches and pixels, plus tips for taking a photo at home.
Always double-check: requirements can change. Before submitting, confirm the current rules on the official website of the passport office, embassy or visa centre.
Common passport photo sizes
| Country / document | Size (mm) | Size (in) | Pixels at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (passport, visa) | 51 × 51 | 2 × 2 | 600 × 600 |
| United Kingdom | 35 × 45 | 1.38 × 1.77 | 413 × 531 |
| Schengen visa / EU countries | 35 × 45 | 1.38 × 1.77 | 413 × 531 |
| India (passport) | 35 × 45 | 1.38 × 1.77 | 413 × 531 |
| Australia | 35 × 45 | 1.38 × 1.77 | 413 × 531 |
| Uzbekistan and most CIS countries | 35 × 45 | 1.38 × 1.77 | 413 × 531 |
| Canada | 50 × 70 | 1.97 × 2.76 | 591 × 827 |
| China (visa) | 33 × 48 | 1.30 × 1.89 | 390 × 567 |
| Malaysia | 35 × 50 | 1.38 × 1.97 | 413 × 591 |
How to convert millimetres to pixels
Pixels depend on the print resolution (DPI — dots per inch). The formula is:
pixels = millimetres ÷ 25.4 × DPI
For example, 35 mm at 300 DPI is 35 ÷ 25.4 × 300 ≈ 413 pixels. Photo labs usually print at 300 DPI; some online systems require 600 DPI, which doubles the pixel count.
General photo rules (most countries)
- Recent photo, taken within the last 6 months.
- Plain white, off-white or light-grey background.
- Face looking straight at the camera, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open.
- Head size typically 70–80% of the photo height (for example, 32–36 mm in a 45 mm photo).
- No shadows on the face or background, no red-eye, no filters or retouching.
- No glasses in most countries (including the USA and UK), no hats except for religious reasons.
Taking a passport photo at home
- Stand about 50 cm in front of a plain light wall to avoid shadows.
- Face a window for soft, even daylight.
- Ask someone to hold the phone at eye level, 1–1.5 m away, and use the standard (1×) lens.
- Upload the photo to our passport photo resizer, choose your country and adjust the crop.
- Print it at a photo kiosk on 10×15 cm paper, or upload it online. If the form has a size limit, use compress to 50KB.