Canadian passport photo, 50 x 70 mm

What to ask the photographer for

For a paper application, in person or by mail, you need 2 identical, unaltered photos, 50 mm wide and 70 mm high, with the face 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown. On the back of one, the photographer must write or stamp the date the photo was taken and the studio’s name and complete address. For a new passport, your guarantor also writes “I certify this to be a true likeness of” followed by your name, and signs it; adult renewals need no guarantor.

Canada suggests asking for both a digital copy and a printed copy, so you can try renewing online and still apply on paper if online renewal is not an option. When you upload the digital photo, you also enter the studio or photographer’s name and address and the date the photo was taken.

What counts as an altered photo

Canada rejects any photo that has been edited or changed by any means, and names photo editing software, filters and AI tools. Its list includes:

That is why a white background has to come from the studio’s backdrop, not from an app, and why the check on this page reads the file without touching it.

Glasses, head coverings and clothing

Glasses are accepted if your eyes are clearly visible and there is no glare on the lenses, but sunglasses and tinted glasses are not, even prescription tinted lenses. Hair can be up or down, as long as it is off your face so the edges of the face show. Hats and head coverings are accepted only if worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons, with the full face visible and no shadows.

Avoid light-coloured clothing: Canada warns that it can blend into the background and get the photo rejected. If you use a wheelchair, the photo is taken against a plain white background, with a plain white covering over the headrest.

Reading the file check

The check compares the file with Canada’s digital specifications: a .jpg or .jpeg file with a 3:2 shape taken in portrait, at least 1200 x 1800 and at most 3000 x 4500 pixels, and between 200 KB and 5 MB. A KB can mean 1,000 or 1,024 bytes, so near the limits we use the stricter reading: at least 204,800 bytes and at most 5,000,000.

For the head, tap the top of the head and then the bottom of the chin. On a keyboard, focus the photo, move the line with the arrow keys (hold Shift for bigger steps) and press Enter at the top of the head, then at the chin. The check reports the distance as a share of the photo height, which Canada wants between 45% and 50%. If anything shows Fix, ask the studio for a new file rather than editing this one.

Official sources

We read each page on 13 October 2026. Rules change, so open the official page before you apply.

• Canada.ca: Passport photo requirements (page dated 23 September 2026)