Canada Passport photo requirements
Canada passport photo: 50 × 70 mm (591 × 827 px), head 31–36 mm crown to chin. Check yours free, then print 4 on a 4×6 sheet.
Check my passport photo — freeThe specification
- Photo size
- 50 × 70 mm (591 × 827 px)
- Head height
- 31–36 mm crown to chin
- Head height in the frame
- 44–51%
- Resolution
- 300 DPI
- Digital size
- 591 × 827 px
- Background
- #FFFFFF, #F7F7F5
- Glasses
- Permitted, no glare
- Head covering
- Religious only, face fully visible
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Printing
- 4 photos per 4×6 in sheet (2 × 2, portrait)
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Last checked 2026-08-17.
- Canada uses an unusual 50x70 mm format — larger than the ICAO 35x45 mm standard.
- The photographer must print the studio name and the date taken on the reverse.
- Head height is measured crown to chin at 31–36 mm.
Why Canada passport photos get rejected
- 1
Head the wrong size. Canada requires 31–36 mm crown to chin. This is the single most common reason a photo is sent back, and it is almost impossible to judge by eye.
- 2
Wrong dimensions. The photo must be exactly 50 × 70 mm (591 × 827 px). Cropping to roughly the right shape in a phone gallery app does not produce an exact size.
- 3
Glare on glasses. Frames must not cover the eyes and there must be no reflection from the lenses. Tinted lenses are never accepted.
- 4
Shadow on the face or background. Uneven side lighting throws one half of the face into shadow, and a shadow cast on the wall behind counts as a non-plain background.
- 5
Smiling or an open mouth. The expression must be neutral with the mouth closed and both eyes open and clearly visible.
- 6
Too low resolution. An enlarged photo looks soft in print. The face has to occupy enough of the original image to reach 300 DPI at 50 × 70 mm.
How to get it right in three steps
- Step 1
Take or choose a photo
Stand about 1.5 m from a plain wall, facing a window so the light is even on both sides of your face. Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression. A normal phone photo is fine.
- Step 2
Check it for free
Upload it and see every measurement against the Canada requirement — head height 31–36 mm crown to chin, size 50 × 70 mm (591 × 827 px), focus, glare, lighting and background. If anything fails, you will be told exactly what to change.
- Step 3
Download and print
Get the 591 × 827 px file at 300 DPI for online applications, plus a 4 × 6 inch sheet you can print at any photo kiosk for about $0.35.
Printing at a photo kiosk
Your download includes a 4 × 6 inch sheet with 4 copies arranged 2 across and 2 down, with cut guides in the margin.
Any drugstore, supermarket or online photo service prints a standard 4 × 6 for roughly $0.35. The same photos taken in store typically cost $17–22.
Choose “actual size”, not “fit to page”
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Canada passport photo?
50 × 70 mm (591 × 827 px). At 300 DPI that is exactly 591 × 827 pixels, which is what an online application form expects.
How big does my head need to be in the photo?
31–36 mm crown to chin, measured from the crown — the top of your head including hair — down to the bottom of your chin. In the finished 70 mm photo that is between 44% and 51% of the total height.
What background colour is required?
A plain, uniform background. Canada accepts #FFFFFF, #F7F7F5. #FFFFFF is the safest choice. Your head must be clearly distinguishable from it, so if you have very light hair, choose the darker option.
Can I wear glasses?
Yes, provided the frames do not cover your eyes and there is no glare or reflection on the lenses. Tinted or photochromic lenses are not accepted. If in doubt, take them off.
Can I take the photo on my phone?
Yes. Face a window for even light, stand about an arm and a half away from a plain wall, and have someone take the photo with the rear camera — it is sharper than the selfie camera and gives more resolution to work with. This tool corrects framing, levelling and the background automatically.
Can I print these at a pharmacy or supermarket?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to do it. You get 4 copies arranged on a single 4 × 6 inch sheet with cut guides. Any drugstore or supermarket photo kiosk prints a 4 × 6 for around $0.35, against $17–22 for photos taken in store. Choose "actual size" and not "fit to page", or the print will be rescaled and no longer compliant.
Is my photo stored anywhere?
No. The analysis runs entirely in your browser, and the final render happens in memory on our server and is discarded immediately. Nothing is written to disk, kept in a database, or used to train anything. We keep no copy of your face.
What if my photo is rejected?
We refund you in full. We check size, head height, eye position, tilt, framing, resolution, focus, glare, lighting and background against the published Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requirements. If your photo is rejected for any of those, reply to your receipt and we will refund it. We cannot judge how recently a photo was taken or what you were wearing, so we do not claim to.
How much does it cost?
Nothing at the moment. PassReady is free while we are in beta, and that includes the full-resolution file, the printable sheet and the compliance certificate. We will introduce a price later, and we will say so clearly before we do.
Other Canada documents
Check your photo against these rules — free
Every measurement, before you pay anything.