I've spent an unreasonable amount of time researching passport photo requirements. Not because I travel a lot (I don't), but because passport and visa photo tools are some of the most-used pages on imagemochi, and getting the specs wrong means someone's application gets rejected.
Here's every requirement I've verified, organized by country. I update this whenever official specs change.
The Big Three: US, EU/Schengen, UK
| Country | Size | Pixels (at 300 DPI) | File Size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2 × 2 inches | 600 × 600 | Under 240KB | White or off-white |
| EU / Schengen | 35 × 45mm | 413 × 531 | Varies by country | Light gray or white |
| United Kingdom | 35 × 45mm | 413 × 531 | Under 10MB, min 50KB | Light gray or cream |
Asia-Pacific
| Country | Size | Pixels (at 300 DPI) | File Size Limit | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2 × 2 inches | 600 × 600 | 20KB - 300KB | White |
| China | 33 × 48mm | 390 × 567 | 40KB - 120KB | White |
| Japan | 35 × 45mm | 413 × 531 | Under 2MB | White or light gray |
| South Korea | 35 × 45mm | 413 × 531 | Under 200KB | White |
| Australia | 35 × 45mm | 413 × 531 | Under 15MB | White or light gray |
China is the trickiest. That 40KB-120KB range means you need to be precise with compression. Too much and they reject for low quality. Too little and you're over the limit. I've found JPEG quality 72-76 consistently lands in that range for a 390x567 image.
Americas
| Country | Size | Pixels (at 300 DPI) | File Size Limit | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 50 × 70mm | 591 × 827 | Varies | White or light gray |
| Brazil | 50 × 70mm | 591 × 827 | Under 5MB | White |
| Mexico | 35 × 45mm | 413 × 531 | Under 1MB | White |
Common Mistakes That Get Photos Rejected
Based on user emails and support questions, the top rejection reasons are:
- Wrong background color — Especially if you take the photo against an off-white wall that reads as gray or yellowish in the image
- File too large or too small — China's 40-120KB range catches a lot of people
- Wrong DPI metadata — Some portals check the EXIF DPI tag even if the pixel dimensions are correct
- Wrong file format — HEIC from iPhones is rejected by most government portals
- Head not centered or wrong face-to-frame ratio — Most countries want your face to take up 70-80% of the frame height
Format your passport photo
Pick your country, drop your photo, get the right dimensions and file size. All in your browser.
Try Passport Photo ToolTips From Processing Thousands of Passport Photos
Take the photo against a plain white wall with good, even lighting. Natural daylight from a window works better than overhead fluorescent lights, which cast shadows under your chin and nose.
Use your phone's rear camera, not the selfie camera. The rear camera has much better lens quality and lower distortion. Have someone else take the photo, or prop your phone up and use the timer.
Crop and resize to the exact required dimensions before adjusting file size. Getting the framing right first means you won't accidentally cut off the top of your head when compressing.