Passport & Photo ID Specs
Passport, visa, and national-ID photo specifications are set by each country's issuing authority and enforced by automated scanners before a human reviewer sees the application. The pixel count, physical size in millimetres, DPI, background colour, and head-height ratio all matter — and the rejection criteria differ enough that a U.S. spec submission will fail the U.K. checker, and vice versa. This catalog covers 30+ countries with the exact spec for each, matched to the published government guideline.
A rejected photo-ID submission costs the applicant another visit to the photo studio or kiosk and pushes the document-issuance timeline back by days or weeks. The dimensions are the most common reason for rejection — pixel-correct but printed at the wrong physical size because the DPI metadata wasn't embedded. Each preset here bakes the correct DPI into the file metadata so a print kiosk opens the image at the intended physical size, not at the screen-pixel size.
How to choose the right preset
- Find your country in the grid below. Each country card shows the exact pixel size, physical millimetre size, and DPI required — pick the one that matches the document type you're applying for.
- Choose between passport and visa specs. Some countries use a different size for visa applications than for passports — check the card subtitle. The Schengen visa preset covers most EU member-state visa applications.
- If you don't see your country. Most photo-ID portals worldwide accept either the U.S. 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) or the EU 35×45 mm standard — try one of those first, or check your destination country's consulate website for the actual spec.
- Check the background requirement. Most countries require a plain white or off-white background. Indonesia (red/blue depending on birth year), Malaysia (blue), and Pakistan (blue) are notable exceptions — the country-specific section on each preset page lists the exact requirement.
- Don't compress further after running this preset. These outputs are tuned to government-accepted JPEG quality settings. Re-compressing strips detail the scanner needs to verify face geometry.
Every Photo ID & Passport preset
All 30 recipes in this category. Click any card to land in chat with the recipe pre-loaded — drop an image to run.
Common mistakes
- Submitting at the wrong physical size — pixel-correct but printed at 72 DPI instead of 300 DPI lands at 4× the intended physical dimensions.
- Background not plain enough — even a slight gradient or shadow behind the subject triggers automated rejection on most government portals.
- Saving as PNG instead of JPEG — government uploaders typically reject PNG even when the dimensions are correct.
- Glasses with glare — the U.S. and several other countries now ban glasses outright in passport photos except for documented medical reasons.
- Smiling — biometric scanners require a neutral expression with a closed mouth; smile lines around the mouth count as 'mouth open' for some scanners.
- Old source photos — most consulates require the photo to have been taken within the last 6 months. The preset can't enforce this; verify the source date manually.
Frequently asked questions
Are these specs official?
Yes. Every passport and visa preset here cites the exact published government source — the U.S. Department of State, U.K. Home Office (HMPO), Schengen Visa portal, China VFS, etc. — in the preset page's specifications table. The pixel/millimetre/DPI values come from the published guideline, not from third-party blog posts.
Will my photo pass the automated checker?
The dimensions, format, and DPI will pass. Photo content (background colour, head position, expression, glasses, lighting) is your responsibility — these are visual properties the recipe can't enforce. Each preset's page lists the country-specific content rejection criteria.
Can I print these at home?
Yes — at 300 DPI on photo paper, the print measures the documented physical size. For physical submissions where the consulate requires the photographer's name on the back of the print (Canada is a notable example), add that manually after printing.
How private is the processing?
The image processing runs entirely in your browser via canvas APIs and WebAssembly — no upload to any server. Verify in your browser's network panel: only static-asset requests, no image upload. This matters for photo-ID where the source contains your face and personal information.
Do I need to remove the background first?
If your source has a busy background, run the background-remove tool first, composite onto a white layer in any image editor, then run the photo-ID preset. The background-remove model preserves hair and fine edges so the white-background result looks natural.
What if I need a different country than the ones listed?
Most countries' photo-ID guidelines align with one of three common standards: U.S. 2×2 inch (51×51 mm), Schengen 35×45 mm, or Canadian 50×70 mm. Try the closest match and verify dimensions against your destination country's consulate guideline before submitting.
Are the multi-pose presets (sitting, standing) supported?
No — these presets are for the standard front-facing photo only. Some specialist documents (Japanese health-insurance card, Indian driving licence) require additional pose variants that aren't covered here.