Passport & Visa Photo Size Converter Table — Every Spec Side by Side
Every major passport and visa photo spec in one table — print mm, head band, background, pixel window, file limit — plus the look-alike sizes that aren't interchangeable.
Sixteen document specs, one table. Print size in millimetres, the head-height band, background, the pixel window where a portal fixes one, and the file limit — every row cited to its issuing authority in the spec lookup. Below the table: the math for converting mm to pixels, and the pairs of sizes that look interchangeable but aren’t.
The master table — print specs
| Document | Print size | Head (crown→chin) | Background | Photo age | Glasses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICAO 9303 (reference) | 35×45 mm | 70–80% (~32–36 mm) | plain light | ≤6 months | discouraged |
| US passport / visa | 2×2 in (51×51 mm) | 25–35 mm (50–69%) | white / off-white | ≤6 months | banned |
| UK passport | 45×35 mm (=35×45 mm) | 29–34 mm (64–76%) | light grey / cream | <1 month (online) | allowed, no glare |
| Schengen visa | 35×45 mm | 32–36 mm (70–80%) | plain light | ≤6 months | discouraged |
| China visa (paper) | 33×48 mm | 28–33 mm (58–69%) | white | ≤6 months | centre-specific |
| India passport (print) | 4.5×3.5 cm (35×45 mm) | face 80–85% | white | recent | no dark lenses |
| Japan passport | 35×45 mm | 34 mm ±2 mm | plain light | ≤6 months | allowed |
| Australia passport | 35×45 mm (accepts 35–40 × 45–50) | 32–36 mm (71–80%) | plain light | ≤6 months | banned (medical exception) |
| New Zealand passport | 35×45 mm | 32–36 mm | plain light | ≤6 months | allowed |
| Canada passport | 50×70 mm | 31–36 mm (44–51%) | white | ≤6 months | allowed, eyes visible |
| Germany passport / ID | 35×45 mm | 32–36 mm (70–80%) | plain light | ≤6 months | discouraged |
| France passport / ID | 35×45 mm | 32–36 mm (70–80%) | plain light | ≤6 months | discouraged |
| Brazil passport | 5×7 cm under-5s · 2×2 in consular | verify at post | white | ≤6 months | allowed |
The digital windows
Print specs are measured with a ruler; uploads are measured in pixels and bytes. Where a portal publishes its own window, that’s the target — a 300-dpi conversion can’t stand in for it.
| Document | Pixel window | File limit |
|---|---|---|
| US passport / visa (online, DS-160) | 600–1200 px square | ≤240 KB JPEG |
| US DV lottery | exactly 600×600 px | ≤240 KB JPEG |
| UK passport (online) | ≥600×750 px | 50 KB – 10 MB JPEG |
| Schengen visa | varies by consulate / portal | varies — JPEG safe |
| China visa (COVA portal) | 354–420 × 472–560 px; some forms cap at 354×472 | ~40–120 KB JPEG |
| India passport — missions abroad | 630×810 px | ≤250 KB (Bern notice) |
| India e-Visa | ≥350×350 px, square | 10 KB – 1 MB JPEG |
| New Zealand passport (online) | 900–4500 × 1200–6000 px | 250 KB – 5 MB JPEG |
| France (online filings) | e-photo code from approved booth/photographer | n/a — code, not file |
Sizes that look interchangeable — and aren’t
35×45 mm vs 45×35 mm — same photo. Notation only. The EU writes width first; GOV.UK writes height first. The trap is assuming they differ — or producing a landscape print.
35×45 mm vs 33×48 mm — not the same. China’s paper photo is narrower and taller (≈1:1.45 vs 7:9). Trimming a 35×45 print to 33×48 removes face it needs; a 33×48 won’t fill a 35×45 frame either.
35×45 mm vs 50×70 mm — not the same. Canada’s photo is nearly a third taller, with a much smaller head share (44–51%). A Schengen crop zooms the face far too large for Canada.
Same paper, different crop. Inside the shared 35×45 mm family the head bands diverge: Schengen/Germany/France 32–36 mm, UK 29–34 mm, Japan 34 mm ±2, India face 80–85%. The paper matches; the framing doesn’t — which is why photos get rejected even at the “right” size.
Print vs portal. China’s pair is the cautionary case: 33×48 mm on paper but a ≈3:4-shaped window online — different shapes enforced at two different steps. India’s splits by channel too: 35×45 mm print, 630×810 px ICAO upload, square e-Visa.
mm → px at print resolution
For lab prints the conversion is px = mm ÷ 25.4 × dpi:
| Print size | @200 dpi | @300 dpi | @600 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35×45 mm | 276×354 px | 413×531 px | 827×1063 px |
| 2×2 in (51×51 mm) | 402×402 px | 602×602 px | 1205×1205 px |
| 33×48 mm | 260×378 px | 390×567 px | 780×1134 px |
| 50×70 mm | 394×551 px | 591×827 px | 1181×1654 px |
| 5×7 cm | 394×551 px | 591×827 px | 1181×1654 px |
Convert your own
Enter a millimetre size to get the pixels at your print dpi, or a pixel count from a form to see how large it prints. For the portal-first reading — which specs fix pixels directly — passport photo size in pixels has both tables, and how to read a spec sheet decodes the vocabulary.
Sources
Related: passport photo size in pixels · how to read a spec sheet · Schengen visa photo size · UK passport photo size · passport size photo — 3.5×4.5 cm in every unit.
Frequently asked questions
Is 35×45 mm the same as 45×35 mm?
Yes — the same portrait rectangle, written two ways. The EU and most of the world write width first (35×45); GOV.UK writes height first (45 high × 35 wide). What you must never produce is the landscape version — the 45 side always runs top to bottom.
Can one 35×45 mm photo work for Schengen, Japan and India?
The paper size, yes; the crop inside, not necessarily. Schengen and Japan want the head at 32–36 mm and 34 mm ±2 mm; India's ICAO guideline wants the face at 80–85% of the photo; Australia accepts a whole size window (35–40 × 45–50 mm). Print size matching does not mean the framing rules match.
What is the difference between a pixel spec and a dpi conversion?
A pixel spec is a rule the portal checks at upload — like the UK's ≥600×750 px or the DV lottery's exactly 600×600 px. A dpi conversion is print math (px = mm ÷ 25.4 × dpi) that only matters when pixels meet paper. The two answer different questions and neither substitutes for the other.
Which country's passport photo is the odd one out?
Three real outliers: the US is the only major spec with a square photo (2×2 in); Canada is the only one with a 50×70 mm print and a 44–51% head band; China pairs a 33×48 mm paper photo with a separate 3:4-shaped upload window — three specs that share nothing with the ICAO family.
Why does the table list a head band and a percentage?
They are the same measurement expressed two ways — the crown-to-chin distance, in mm on the print and as a share of photo height. On the 35×45 mm family the ICAO band of 70–80% is the same thing as 32–36 mm. Countries that print on a different size — Canada at 70 mm high — publish a band sized to their own frame.