Passport Photo Sizes by Country: US, UK, EU, India and More

Why passport photo sizes differ by country

There is no single global passport photo size. Most countries follow one of two families: the square 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) format used by the United States and several others, or the 35 x 45 mm portrait format used across the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia and much of the world. A photo cropped for one family is rarely valid for the other.

Sizes also come with their own rules for head height, background color, and how recent the photo must be. Always confirm the exact specification for the specific document and issuing authority before printing — the figures below are common standards, not a substitute for official guidance.

Passport photo size reference

Common passport and visa photo dimensions by country:

• United States: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), square. Head 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25–35 mm).
• United Kingdom: 35 x 45 mm, portrait. Used for printed photos; head roughly 29–34 mm.
• EU / Schengen visa: 35 x 45 mm, portrait. Follows ICAO guidance; head roughly 32–36 mm.
• Australia: 35 x 45 mm, portrait. Head roughly 32–36 mm.
• Canada: 50 x 70 mm (5 x 7 cm). Face height 31–36 mm from chin to crown.
• China: 33 x 48 mm for many passport and visa uses. Confirm the current portal requirement.
• India: 35 x 45 mm or 51 x 51 mm depending on the document and portal. Verify with Passport Seva.
• Japan: 35 x 45 mm, portrait. Head around 34 mm.

The two most common formats explained

The US 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) format is square. The head must sit within a specific range — 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to crown — so a correctly sized square crop can still fail if the head is too large or too small inside it.

The 35 x 45 mm format is a vertical rectangle, taller than it is wide. Because the shape is different, you cannot simply reuse a US square crop for a UK or Schengen application. The face also sits slightly differently within the frame, so re-crop from the original photo rather than stretching an existing one.

Head size and positioning rules vary too

Dimensions are only half the requirement. Most countries also specify how much of the frame the head should occupy, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. Getting the outer size right but the head size wrong is one of the most common reasons a technically square or correctly sized photo is rejected.

When you crop, look at the whole head, chin, shoulders and top margin rather than just centering the eyes. The subject should face the camera directly with a neutral expression, and the crop should not feel cramped at the top or sides.

Background and composition rules

Most countries require a plain white or off-white background with no shadows, patterns or objects. Some accept a light gray or light blue background — check the specific requirement. Across nearly all countries the expectations are the same: even lighting, no harsh shadows on the face or behind the head, eyes open, mouth closed, and no glasses for most modern requirements.

Appearance-changing edits — skin smoothing, reshaping, AI background replacement — are risky for any country because passport photos are identity documents. If the lighting or background is wrong, retake the photo rather than editing it.

Pixels and DPI for any size

Whatever the physical size, a sharp print needs enough pixels to reach 300 DPI at that size. To convert millimeters to pixels at 300 DPI, divide the millimeter value by 25.4 (to get inches) and multiply by 300.

Worked examples at 300 DPI: • 2 x 2 inch (US): 600 x 600 pixels • 35 x 45 mm (UK/EU): about 413 x 531 pixels • 50 x 70 mm (Canada): about 591 x 827 pixels • 33 x 48 mm (China): about 390 x 567 pixels

Most modern phone photos have far more pixels than any of these once cropped — the real task is selecting the correct head region and exporting at the exact output dimensions, not finding enough resolution.

How to create the right size with PhotoTools

The PhotoTools passport photo tool includes presets for common sizes such as US 2 x 2 inch, 35 x 45 mm and 33 x 48 mm, plus a custom option where you enter any width and height in millimeters. It arranges copies on a 6 x 4 inch sheet at 300 DPI so you can print several at once.

Everything runs in your browser, so your photo is not uploaded to a server — useful for an identity document. Choose the size for your country, position the crop without altering the face or background, download the sheet, and print at actual size with scaling disabled.

FAQ