Canadian passport photo requirements
Canadian passport photos must come from a commercial photographer, so this page tells you exactly what to ask for and checks the studio's photo or online file against the rules before you apply.
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Canadian passport photo requirements
| Print size | 50 x 70 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height (chin to top of head) | 31–36 mm |
| Background | Plain white or light-colored, in clear contrast to your face, with no shadows |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open |
| Glasses | Allowed if there is no glare and your eyes are fully visible |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons |
| How recent | Taken no more than 6 months before you apply |
| Who takes the photo | A commercial photographer or photo studio, unaltered; photos taken or printed at home are not accepted |
| Digital photo | Online renewal only: JPEG file from the photographer, portrait 3:2, 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px, 200 KB to 5 MB, head 45–50% of the photo height, not scanned |
- Taken by a commercial photographer or photo studio and professionally printed on plain, high-quality photo paper; photos printed at home or on heavyweight paper are not accepted
- Original and unaltered: no editing software, filters or AI tools, no changes to color, brightness, contrast or sharpness, no cropping around the head and shoulders, no background changes, no red-eye removal
- Paper applications: 2 identical photos; on the back of one, the photographer writes or stamps the studio name, complete address and the date taken
- New adult and child passports: your guarantor writes 'I certify this to be a true likeness of (name)' on the back of one photo and signs it; renewals need no guarantor
- Color or black and white; face and shoulders centered and squared to the camera; hair off the face so its edges show
- Online renewal: a digital file saved directly from the camera's original, shared by the photographer (file-sharing service, USB drive or email), with the studio's name, address and the date
- Wheelchair users: a white blanket over the headrest behind the head
Official source: Government of Canada (IRCC) — Passport photo requirements
Why you need a photographer for a Canadian passport
Canada does not accept a passport photo you take yourself. Both printed photos and digital photos must be taken by a commercial photographer or photo studio, prints must be professionally printed on plain, high-quality photo paper, and the photo must be original and unaltered. Cropping it, brightening it or replacing its background turns it into an altered photo, which is refused.
So here is what an at-home photo can and cannot do for a Canadian passport:
- It cannot be submitted, printed at home or at a photo counter, even if every measurement is right. It has no studio name, address and date, and it was not taken by a commercial photographer.
- It can help you prepare: try your pose, glasses, hair and clothes at home, and see what glare or shadows look like before the appointment.
- The checker above can check the studio’s photo, as it is, without changing a pixel, so you find a problem while the studio can still retake it.
Paper application or online renewal
- New passports, child passports and renewals by mail or in person need 2 identical printed photos, 50 x 70 mm, in color or black and white.
- Online renewals need one digital photo from the commercial photographer: a JPEG in portrait orientation with a 3:2 shape, between 1200 x 1800 and 3000 x 4500 pixels, from 200 KB to 5 MB, with your head from chin to crown filling 45 to 50% of the height. It must be saved directly from the camera’s original file, and it must not be a scan of a printed photo.
Ask the studio for both the prints and the digital file. If the online renewal turns out not to be open to you, you can still apply on paper without a second appointment.
The back of the photo and your guarantor
On the back of one of the two prints, the photographer writes or stamps the name and complete address of the studio and the date the photo was taken. For an online renewal, the studio gives you the same details with the digital file.
For a new adult or child passport, your guarantor writes “I certify this to be a true likeness of” followed by your name on the back of the same photo, and signs it. Renewals do not need a guarantor.
How to get the photo right at the studio
- Book a studio that knows the Canadian format. Say it is for a Canadian passport (50 x 70 mm), not a US or generic 2 x 2 in photo, and ask for the digital file if you renew online.
- Wear clothes that contrast with a white wall and keep your hair off your face, so the edges of your face show.
- Clean your glasses or take them off. Tinted lenses are refused, and so is glare.
- Take off hats unless you wear a head covering daily for religious or medical reasons; your full face must stay visible with no shadows.
- Keep a neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight at the camera with your face and shoulders centered and square.
- Check the result before you leave. Look for the studio details on the back, then photograph one print flat in good light or upload the digital file to the checker above.
What the checker measures for a Canadian passport
For the digital file it checks the pixel size, the 200 KB to 5 MB file size, the JPEG format, the 3:2 portrait shape and the head height against 45–50% of the photo height. For every photo it checks that one face is centered and straight, that your eyes are open and your mouth closed, that the background is plain white or light, and that the lighting is even, the exposure right and the photo sharp. It asks you to confirm glasses and head coverings, which a photo cannot show reliably.
The checker never changes your photo. When something fails, the fix is a new photo or file from the studio, not an edit.
Common reasons Canadian passport photos are refused
- Shadows on the face, around the ears or on the background, and flash glare.
- Too little contrast between your face and the background.
- Photos taken or printed at home, or printed on heavyweight paper.
- Altered photos: brightened, sharpened, cropped, background replaced, red eye removed.
- Smiling or an open mouth, or a face that is tilted or not square to the camera.
- Tinted glasses, glare on the lenses, or hair over the eyes or face edges.
- Missing details on the back: no studio name, address or date, or no guarantor signature on a new passport application.
- Scanned prints uploaded for an online renewal.
Where to get it and what it costs
Pharmacies, photo studios and some big-box stores in Canada offer passport photos. Prices vary by store; our Canadian passport photo price comparison lists the published prices. Whichever you choose, check the photo here before you mail your application.
Babies and children
Children’s photos follow the same rules and also need 2 identical photos. Your hands or your child’s hands must not show. A newborn may sit in a car seat with a white blanket over the seat behind the head, with no shadows on the face, shoulders, around the ears or on the background. Canada accepts that newborns may have a range of facial expressions. Our baby passport photo guide has more tips for the appointment.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Canadian passport photo?
A printed Canadian passport photo is 50 mm wide and 70 mm high (2 x 2¾ inches), with the face measuring 31 to 36 mm from the chin to the crown of the head. The digital photo for an online renewal is a portrait JPEG of 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 pixels in which the head fills 45 to 50% of the height.
Can I take my Canadian passport photo at home?
No. The Government of Canada asks for photos taken by a commercial photographer or photo studio and professionally printed on photo paper. Photos taken or printed at home, and photos on heavyweight paper, are not accepted. That is why this site does not make Canadian passport photos, and instead checks the one the studio gives you.
What goes on the back of a Canadian passport photo?
On the back of one of the two photos, the photographer writes or stamps the studio's name and complete address and the date the photo was taken. For a new passport, your guarantor also writes "I certify this to be a true likeness of" followed by your name, and signs. Renewals do not need a guarantor.
Do I need a digital photo to renew my passport online?
Yes. An online renewal needs a digital file from the commercial photographer, saved from the camera's original file and sent to you by a file-sharing service, USB drive or email. It must not be a scan of a printed photo. Ask the studio for both prints and the digital file, in case you end up applying by mail.
Can I wear glasses in my Canadian passport photo?
Yes, if the lenses are not tinted, your eyes are clearly visible and there is no glare on the lenses. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are not accepted. If the studio cannot avoid glare, it is safer to take the photo without them.
Can I smile in a Canadian passport photo?
No. The expression must be neutral, with your mouth closed, your eyes open and clearly visible, and no smile or frown. Newborns are the exception, as they may have a range of expressions.
How old can the photo be?
The photo must have been taken no more than 6 months before you submit your application, and must look like you do now. The studio's date on the back or with the digital file shows when it was taken.
Can the studio edit or crop my passport photo?
No. Canada does not accept altered photos. That includes changes to color, brightness, contrast or sharpness, cropping around the head and shoulders, removing red eye, smoothing skin and replacing or cleaning the background. The photo has to be right when it is taken.
Sources
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passportvisapic.com is not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority makes the final decision on every photo.