Canadian passport photo prices: Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, London Drugs
What Canadian stores charge for passport photos, taken from their own websites, why a Canadian passport photo has to come from a store or studio, and how to check it for free before you apply.
Prices compared
| Retailer | Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart Photo Centre | Canadian passport photos (2), taken in store | From $18.57 | Same starting price for citizenship, PR card and international passport photos. Digital ID photos from $23.97. Order online, then an associate takes the photo in store. |
| Shoppers Drug Mart | Two passport photos in one sitting | Not published online — varies by store | No appointment needed. A digital photo on a USB key is available instead of prints. Shoppers publishes no price. |
| London Drugs | Passport photos at the Photolab | Not published online — varies by store | We could not open the London Drugs passport photo page to check a price; ask your store. |
| Costco | Passport photos | No longer offered | Costco Canada closed its photo departments; its page says passport photos are no longer available. |
What you get for the price
- Prints: a Canadian passport application on paper needs two identical 50 x 70 mm photos. The stores above give you two photos per sitting or order.
- Studio details: on the back of one photo, the store writes or stamps its name, address and the date the photo was taken. That is part of the service, and a photo without it is refused.
- Digital photo: needed only for an online renewal. Shoppers Drug Mart sells it on a USB key instead of prints; Walmart sells digital ID photos separately.
- Other documents: the same stores take citizenship and PR card photos, which have the same 50 x 70 mm size, often for the same price.
Which option to choose
- Price: Walmart is the only store here that publishes a price online; ask the others before your visit.
- Paper application or online renewal: decide before you go, so you ask for prints, a digital file, or both.
- Babies and young children: Shoppers Drug Mart says photos of babies and toddlers are at each store’s discretion, so call ahead.
Or make it free
Canadian passport, citizenship and PR card photos cannot be made at home, so the store’s fee is unavoidable. You can still avoid paying twice:
- Practice at home with your phone: try your glasses, hair and clothing against a plain wall, and look for glare and shadows before the appointment.
- Check the store’s photo for free. Upload the digital file, or a phone photo of the print, to the Canadian passport photo checker (or the PR card and citizenship checkers). It measures the head size and checks the background and lighting without changing a pixel, so you can ask for a retake while you are still in the store.
- Photos for other countries are a different story. Many foreign passports and visas, such as a US visa or a Schengen visa, accept photos taken at home. Make them with our free tools, then print our print sheet as one standard 4 x 6 inch print at a photo counter, as the table below shows.
What one photo print costs
| Retailer | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart Photo Centre | Same-day prints (4x6 in to 8x12 in), produced in store | From $0.26 |
Frequently asked questions
How much are passport photos at Shoppers Drug Mart?
Shoppers Drug Mart does not publish a passport photo price on its website, so ask your store. Its page says you get two copies of a photo in one sitting, with no appointment, and that you can buy a digital photo on a USB key instead, in which case no paper photos are included.
How much does Walmart charge for passport photos in Canada?
Walmart Photo Centre lists Canadian passport photos, two per order, from $18.57. Citizenship, PR card and international passport photos start at the same price, and digital ID photos from $23.97. You order online, then an associate takes the photo at your local Photo Centre while you wait.
Does Costco Canada take passport photos?
No. Costco Canada closed its photo departments, and its own information page says the passport photo service is no longer available. Costco still sells photo prints online, but those cannot be used for a Canadian passport, which needs photos taken by a commercial photographer.
Can I take my own Canadian passport photo at home?
No. The Government of Canada asks for passport, citizenship and PR card photos taken by a commercial photographer or photo studio and professionally printed. Photos taken or printed at home are not accepted. You can still practice your pose at home and check the studio's photo with our free checker.
Why is my photo refused if it looks fine?
Common reasons are a head that is too large or too small, shadows on the face or background, glare on glasses, a missing studio name, address or date on the back, or a photo that is more than six months old. Our free Canadian photo checker measures the studio's photo against the rules before you send it.
What do I need for an online passport renewal?
A digital file from a commercial photographer, sent to you from the camera's original file, not a scan of a print. When you book, ask whether the store gives digital files; Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart both list a digital option.
Sources
Prices last checked:
Shop names are used only to compare prices. passportvisapic.com is not affiliated with any retailer, and prices can differ in your local store.