Passport & Visa Photo Specs by Country
Look up official document photo requirements — print size, pixels, head height, file limits, background — every spec cited to its issuing authority.
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How to use this reference
Pick a country, then a document type — the card shows the published spec: print size in millimetres, digital pixel window, head-height band, file limits, background, photo age and glasses rule. Below the card, the source line names the issuing authority and the date we last checked it. The index underneath jumps to any of the sixteen specs in the dataset; the filter narrows it by country, document or number.
The specs that produce the most rejections are the ones where channels differ — India’s passport (photographed at the PSK in India from age 4, a 4.5 × 3.5 cm print for under-4s and paper forms, a 630×810 px upload at missions abroad) versus India’s e-visa (square), or China’s 33×48 mm paper print versus its wider COVA pixel window. Those cards carry an explicit note about which rule is enforced where.
Converting between mm and pixels
Spec sheets mix units: paper sizes in mm, upload windows in pixels, print resolution in dpi. The converter translates between them — the rule is px = mm ÷ 25.4 × dpi, so a 35×45 mm photo at a lab-standard 300 dpi is 413×531 px.
For all sixteen specs side by side — print millimetres, head bands, pixel windows and file limits — see the photo size converter table.
The specs most people look up
- US passport & visa — the 2×2 in spec, the DS-160’s 600–1200 px / ≤240 KB upload, and the DV lottery’s exact 600×600 px.
- India passport & e-visa — photo taken at the PSK from age 4, the 4.5 × 3.5 cm print for under-4s and paper forms, the 630×810 px ICAO upload at missions abroad, and the separate square e-visa spec (10 KB–1 MB).
- UK passport — 45×35 mm, ≥600×750 px online, 50 KB–10 MB, and the softer glasses/background rules.
- Schengen visa — the harmonized 35×45 mm ICAO photo and how consulate upload rules diverge.
- China visa — 33×48 mm paper vs the COVA 3:4 pixel window; 354×472 px is the conservative upload size for current centre limits.
- Canada passport — the 50×70 mm outlier with its smaller 44–51% head band.
For the standard underneath most of these, read ICAO Doc 9303 explained. If a portal rejected your photo, why photos get rejected maps each rejection to the spec field that triggers it, and the spec change log tracks requirements that moved. New to the units? How to read a spec sheet decodes them. And the three questions people actually ask — can you wear glasses, how old can the photo be, and what the size is in pixels — each has a dedicated guide.
US Passport & Visa Photo Specs
The 2×2 in spec, the DS-160's 600–1200 px / ≤240 KB upload, and the DV lottery's exact 600×600 px.
Open →India Passport Photo Size — 3.5×4.5 cm and 630×810 px
Where you apply decides the photo: capture at the PSK, the 4.5×3.5 cm print, the 630×810 px ICAO upload at missions abroad, and the square e-visa.
Open →UK Passport Photo Size & Specs
45×35 mm print, ≥600×750 px digital, 50 KB–10 MB — online vs paper rules and the rejections HMPO sees most.
Open →Schengen Visa Photo Requirements
The harmonized 35×45 mm ICAO photo — and how consulate upload rules diverge in practice.
Open →China Visa Photo Requirements
33×48 mm paper vs the COVA 3:4 pixel window — the spec pair that trips up applicants.
Open →Canada Passport Photo Specs (50×70 mm)
The 50×70 mm outlier — a taller frame with a smaller head band than the ICAO family.
Open →How to Read a Document Photo Spec Sheet
mm vs px vs dpi, head-height bands, file floors — the vocabulary of a spec sheet, decoded.
Open →ICAO 9303 — the Passport Photo Standard
The 35×45 mm / 70–80% portrait that most national specs derive from — and where they override it.
Open →Why Document Photos Get Rejected
Each common rejection mapped to the spec field that triggers it — and the judgement calls no spec covers.
Open →Spec Change Log — Requirements That Moved
Requirements that actually moved — Indian missions' 2025 ICAO switch, COVA's pixel window, UK file floors — dated and sourced.
Open →Can You Wear Glasses in a Passport Photo?
Who bans glasses outright, who allows them glare-free, and how the medical exemptions work — the 2016/2018 bans older guides still get wrong.
Open →How Old Can a Passport Photo Be?
Six months is the default — but the UK wants one month online, and a stale photo can pass the upload and still fail the interview.
Open →Passport Photo Size in Pixels
Two tables that answer "how many pixels" — portals that fix exact dimensions, and every print spec converted at 300/600 dpi.
Open →Passport Photo for Online Renewal
The renewal portal's photo is its own spec: 54 KB–10 MB, HEIC allowed, and the app crops for you.
Open →Passport Size Photo Size in cm, mm, Inches and Pixels
3.5 × 4.5 cm in mm, inches and pixels, the dpi behind every pixel figure, and the exam notices that set their own limits.
Open →Stamp Size Photo Size in cm, mm and Inches
No national standard: the Election Commission's 2 × 2.5 cm in every unit, and how to make one from a passport size photo.
Open →Schengen Visa Photo Size — 35×45 mm, Pixels and VFS Rules
The 35×45 mm spec in mm, cm, inches and pixels — why the UK's 45×35 is the same photo, and where VFS diverges.
Open →Passport & Visa Photo Size Converter Table — Every Spec Side by Side
One master table — mm, head %, background, pixels, KB — for sixteen specs, plus the sizes that look alike but aren't.
Open →Frequently asked questions
How accurate are these specs?
Every spec row names its issuing authority (the State Department, GOV.UK, Passport Seva, COVA…) and carries a last-verified stamp — the dataset was reviewed in September 2026. Where published detail is thin or inconsistent, the card is flagged verify with authority instead of guessing a number. Rules still change between reviews, so for a live application always confirm on the linked official page.
Why do some specs list two different sizes?
Because paper and digital are separate requirements. China's visa wants a 33×48 mm paper photo; the Macau China visa application centre's guide gives a 354–420×472–560 px upload, while some current centre forms cap it at 354×472 px. India splits three ways: a 4.5 × 3.5 cm print for paper forms and children under 4, a 630×810 px upload at its missions abroad, and a square 10 KB–1 MB file for the e-visa. The cards show each channel where they differ.
What does the head-size percentage mean?
It's the crown-to-chin distance — top of the head (hair included) to the bottom of the chin — as a share of the photo's height. ICAO-style specs want 70–80%; the US wants 50–69%. Two countries can share a print size and still reject each other's framing, which is why the percentage matters more than the paper size.
Is this the same as a photo checker?
No — this is the reference layer. A checker measures your file against a spec; this site is where the spec itself lives, with sources and verification dates. If you need to validate or produce a photo, the spec card tells you the exact numbers to aim for.
Why does a spec say 'verify with authority'?
Some requirements are genuinely under-published — Brazil's head band and file rules differ between the Federal Police and consular posts — or enforced differently across posts. Rather than repeat a number we can't confirm, the card marks the gap and links the authority that owns it. That's a feature, not a missing row.
Latest articles
Passport & Visa Photo Size Converter Table — Every Spec Side by Side
One master table — mm, head %, background, pixels, KB — for sixteen specs, plus the sizes that look alike but aren't.
Schengen Visa Photo Size — 35×45 mm, Pixels and VFS Rules
The 35×45 mm spec in mm, cm, inches and pixels — why the UK's 45×35 is the same photo, and where VFS diverges.
Passport Size Photo Size in cm, mm, Inches and Pixels
3.5 × 4.5 cm in mm, inches and pixels, the dpi behind every pixel figure, and the exam notices that set their own limits.
Stamp Size Photo Size in cm, mm and Inches
No national standard: the Election Commission's 2 × 2.5 cm in every unit, and how to make one from a passport size photo.
Passport Photo for Online Renewal
The renewal portal's photo is its own spec: 54 KB–10 MB, HEIC allowed, and the app crops for you.
How Old Can a Passport Photo Be?
Six months is the default — but the UK wants one month online, and a stale photo can pass the upload and still fail the interview.
Can You Wear Glasses in a Passport Photo?
Who bans glasses outright, who allows them glare-free, and how the medical exemptions work — the 2016/2018 bans older guides still get wrong.
Passport Photo Size in Pixels
Two tables that answer "how many pixels" — portals that fix exact dimensions, and every print spec converted at 300/600 dpi.
Canada Passport Photo Specs (50×70 mm)
The 50×70 mm outlier — a taller frame with a smaller head band than the ICAO family.
China Visa Photo Requirements
33×48 mm paper vs the COVA 3:4 pixel window — the spec pair that trips up applicants.
ICAO 9303 — the Passport Photo Standard
The 35×45 mm / 70–80% portrait that most national specs derive from — and where they override it.
India Passport Photo Size — 3.5×4.5 cm and 630×810 px
Where you apply decides the photo: capture at the PSK, the 4.5×3.5 cm print, the 630×810 px ICAO upload at missions abroad, and the square e-visa.
How to Read a Document Photo Spec Sheet
mm vs px vs dpi, head-height bands, file floors — the vocabulary of a spec sheet, decoded.
Schengen Visa Photo Requirements
The harmonized 35×45 mm ICAO photo — and how consulate upload rules diverge in practice.
Spec Change Log — Requirements That Moved
Requirements that actually moved — Indian missions' 2025 ICAO switch, COVA's pixel window, UK file floors — dated and sourced.
UK Passport Photo Size & Specs
45×35 mm print, ≥600×750 px digital, 50 KB–10 MB — online vs paper rules and the rejections HMPO sees most.
US Passport & Visa Photo Specs
The 2×2 in spec, the DS-160's 600–1200 px / ≤240 KB upload, and the DV lottery's exact 600×600 px.
Why Document Photos Get Rejected
Each common rejection mapped to the spec field that triggers it — and the judgement calls no spec covers.