Learn the official Canada passport photo requirements, including Canadian passport photo size, dimensions, background, head positioning, and printed-photo specifications. Use this guide to understand exactly what your Canadian passport photo must meet before submission. One honest heads-up: unlike US and UK passport photos, a Canadian one cannot be made by an online tool — the reasons are below.
SIZE: 50 × 70 MM · WHITE BACKGROUND · NO SMILE
The specification
These are the rules your photo is measured against, transcribed from the Official Canadian passport photo requirements (canada.ca) — verifiable at the source, linked under the table:
| Photo size | 50 × 70 mm (2 × 2¾ in), portrait |
|---|---|
| Head height | Chin to crown 31–36 mm — about 45–50% of the photo height |
| Background | Plain white |
| Expression | Neutral — no smile, mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight at the camera |
| Glasses | No sunglasses or tinted glasses (including tinted prescription lenses); plain glasses only if your eyes are clearly visible with no glare |
| Prints (paper application) | Two identical photos on plain photographic paper — home printing is not accepted |
| Digital (online renewal) | .jpeg / .jpg, 3:2 portrait, 1200 × 1800 to 3000 × 4500 px, 200 KB – 5 MB |
| Recency | Taken no more than 6 months before you apply |
Why we don't offer a Canadian passport photo maker
Our maker turns a selfie into a compliant photo by replacing the background and cropping to spec. For US and UK passports that's fine — both let you take your own photo. Canada is different, in three ways that no software can get around:
So there's nothing for us to sell here that would actually pass. Visit a commercial passport-photo studio (most pharmacies and print shops offer this), and for an online renewal follow the official canada.ca upload guidance linked above.
What we can make
Both let you take your own photo, so our maker produces a compliant file (with a print-ready sheet as an optional add-on) in about a minute — free compliance check, pay only if it passes:
Questions
50 x 70 mm (2 x 2 and 3/4 inches), in portrait orientation. That is larger and taller than both the US 2 x 2 inch square and the 35 x 45 mm frame used by the UK and Schengen states.
No. IRCC does not accept a selfie or any self-produced photo for a Canadian passport, even for the online renewal upload. The photo has to be taken in person at a commercial photographer or photo studio.
The official rules require an original, unaltered photo and state plainly that altering includes using photo editing software, filters and AI tools. Replacing a selfie background is exactly what that prohibits.
31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, which is roughly 45 to 50% of the photo height.
No. The expression must be neutral with your mouth closed, eyes open, and looking straight at the camera.
The photographer must write or stamp the studio name, address and the date the photo was taken. New adult and child applications also need a guarantor to certify the likeness and sign.
A .jpeg or .jpg file in 3:2 portrait, between 1200 x 1800 and 3000 x 4500 pixels, sized 200 KB to 5 MB. The photo still has to have been taken by a commercial photographer.
No. The paper application needs two identical photos on plain photographic paper, and home printing is not accepted.