Canadian Passport Photo Requirements 2026: Print and Online-Renewal Specs

Canadian passport photo requirements depend on how you apply. In-person and mail applications use two 50×70mm professional prints. An eligible online adult renewal uses an original portrait JPEG from the commercial photographer. This guide follows the Government of Canada page updated February 11, 2026.

Official Canada passport photo specifications

These are the current IRCC requirements for Canadian passport photos as of 2026.

Important: Canada requires both printed and digital passport photos to be taken in person by a commercial photographer. Home-taken, home-printed, scanned, cropped, or otherwise altered photos are not accepted.

Route	Current requirement
Paper quantity	2 identical, unaltered professional prints
Paper size	50mm wide × 70mm high
Paper face height	31–36mm from chin to crown
Digital format	.jpeg or .jpg, saved from the original camera file
Digital dimensions	1200×1800 minimum; 3000×4500 maximum
Digital aspect ratio	2:3 portrait
Digital file size	200 KB–5 MB
Digital face height	45–50% of image height, chin to crown
Both routes	Commercial photographer, no more than 6 months old, unaltered
Background	Plain white or light-coloured with clear contrast

Why 50×70 mm matters

A US 51×51mm (2×2-inch) print is not the Canadian 50×70mm format. For paper applications, the face must measure 31–36mm from the bottom of the chin to the crown. Do not resize or crop a US photo into the Canadian format: Canada requires an original, unaltered photo from a commercial photographer.

For comparison:

• Canada: 50 × 70 mm (unique)
• United States: 51 × 51 mm (2 × 2 inches)
• United Kingdom: 35 × 45 mm
• Australia: 35–40 × 45–50 mm

Do not assume any other country's photo format will work for a Canadian passport.

IRCC expression and appearance rules

The Government of Canada lists these appearance and image-quality rules:

• Expression — neutral only. Mouth closed. No smiling, no raised eyebrows, no squinting. Your face should be relaxed.
• Eyes — both eyes fully open, looking directly into the camera lens. No looking off to the side.
• Glasses — clear glasses are accepted if the eyes are visible and there is no glare. Sunglasses and tinted eyeglasses are not accepted.
• Head coverings — accepted when worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons, provided the full face is visible and the covering creates no facial shadow.
• Hair — may be down or up, but it must be off the face so the edges of the face are visible.
• Lighting — even illumination across the entire face. No shadows on the face, neck, or background. No hot spots or flash reflections.
• Background — plain white or light-coloured. IRCC accepts a plain white or light-coloured background with no patterns, no shadows, and no other objects or people visible.
• Clothing — avoid white clothing because it can blend into the background.

Clothing: IRCC explicitly states: avoid white clothing. It blends into the white background and will cause your photo to be rejected. Wear a dark solid colour — navy, black, or dark grey work best.

Photographer and guarantor details on printed photos

For a paper application, the photographer must clearly write or stamp the date the photo was taken plus the studio name and complete address on the back of one photo. For a new adult passport, the guarantor must write the certification wording shown on Canada.ca and sign below it. An adult passport renewal does not require a guarantor. Child applications use the child-specific guarantor instructions.

Online renewal uses a digital file instead of signed paper photos. During upload, you provide the photographer or studio name, address, and the date the photo was taken. Follow the current online application prompts rather than adding writing or a signature to the image.

Printed vs. digital photo requirements

Most Canadian passport applications still require two identical printed photos. The prints must be:

• Exactly 50 × 70 mm.
• Printed on high-quality photo paper (not regular printer paper).
• Sharp, in focus, and with accurate colour reproduction.
• One photo signed on the back by the guarantor (as described above).

For digital submissions (where available through IRCC's online portal), the photo must be:

• A .jpeg or .jpg with a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio.
• At least 1200×1800 and no larger than 3000×4500 pixels.
• Between 200 KB and 5 MB, with chin-to-crown height at 45–50% of the image.
• Saved directly from the original camera file—not scanned, cropped, filtered, retouched, background-replaced, corrected, or changed with AI.

Problems to check before submitting

Canada.ca publishes acceptable and unacceptable examples. Compare the photographer's result with the official page and watch for:

1. Wrong route or size — using a US 2×2 print, a scanned print for online renewal, or a digital file outside Canada's current range.
2. Incorrect face scale or position — the face and shoulders must be centred and squared to the camera.
3. Shadows, glare, flash reflection, softness, or poor contrast — lighting must be uniform and the image clear, sharp, and in focus.
4. Smiling, frowning, or an open mouth — use a neutral expression with open, visible eyes.
5. Tinted eyewear or glare on clear glasses — tinted eyeglasses are not accepted; clear glasses must not hide the eyes or reflect light.
6. Alteration — do not crop around the head, change brightness or sharpness, fix red eye, edit clothing or features, replace the background, apply filters, or use AI.
7. Missing paper-photo details — follow the photographer and guarantor instructions for the application type.
8. Old photo — it must have been taken no more than six months before submission.

How to get a Canadian passport photo

Book an in-person session with a commercial photographer or photo studio and share the official Canada.ca requirements. Tell the photographer whether you need paper photos, a digital online-renewal file, or both.

1. For paper: request two identical 50×70mm unaltered prints on professional photographic paper and confirm the required information is on the back of one photo.
2. For online renewal: request the original portrait JPEG directly from the camera at 1200×1800 to 3000×4500 pixels and 200 KB–5 MB.
3. Keep it unchanged: do not resize, crop, compress, brighten, sharpen, retouch, replace the background, or run the file through an AI editor.
4. Check before applying: compare the photo visually with the Canada.ca examples. The PhotoPass Canadian file checker can compare the digital dimensions, 2:3 aspect ratio, JPEG format, and file size without altering the original, but it cannot inspect visual compliance.

Children's passport photos

Children's photos must also be taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio. Paper photos use the same 50×70mm size and 31–36mm face-height range. Canada adds these child-specific notes:

• Pose: the child's face and shoulders must be centred and squared to the camera, with neither the child's hands nor another person's hands visible.
• Newborns: Canada allows a newborn to sit in a car seat with a white blanket behind the head and permits some range in infant facial expression.
• Quality and alteration: the same uniform-lighting, focus, background, recency, and no-editing rules apply.
• Back of one paper photo: follow Canada's photographer and child-guarantor instructions.

Choosing a photographer

Use a commercial photographer or photo studio that can follow the current Canadian passport instructions. Before paying, ask whether it can provide professional 50×70mm prints, the original digital JPEG for online renewal, or both. If you need a digital copy, confirm that it will be saved directly from the camera and not cropped, enhanced, background-replaced, or scanned from a print.

PhotoPass is not a Canadian passport-photo studio and does not prepare, crop, retouch, or print Canadian passport photos. Its free checker can compare the original digital file's dimensions, aspect ratio, JPEG format, and file size with the published rules. It cannot assess the background, pose, lighting, expression, face height, recency, photographer details, or government acceptance.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a Canadian passport photo exactly?

Paper photos are 50×70mm with a 31–36mm chin-to-crown measurement. The online-renewal JPEG is portrait 2:3, 1200×1800 to 3000×4500 pixels, 200 KB–5 MB, with the face at 45–50% of image height.

Do I need a guarantor signature on a digital photo?

A digital file is not physically signed. During upload, you provide the studio or photographer's name and address and the date taken. Follow the online application's current identity and eligibility prompts.

Can I wear glasses?

Clear glasses are accepted if the eyes are fully visible and the lenses have no glare. Sunglasses and tinted eyeglasses, including tinted prescription lenses, are not accepted.

Can I smile?

No. You must have a neutral expression with your mouth closed. Even a slight smile can cause rejection because it alters the facial measurements used by biometric systems.

Does the background have to be white?

Canada requires a plain white or light-coloured background with a clear difference between the face and background and no shadows.

How recent does my photo need to be?

No more than six months before the date you submit the application, and it must show how you look now.

Can I take my own photo with a selfie?

No. Both paper and online-renewal photos must be taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio.

Get your Canada passport photo

Have the photo taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio. For online renewal, ask for the original JPEG saved directly from the camera. You may use the PhotoPass Canadian passport file checker to compare dimensions, aspect ratio, format, and file size without altering the image; it does not inspect visual compliance or replace the required photographer.