Canada Passport Photo Online
Prepare a Canadian passport photo from a picture you already have — 50 x 70 mm with a 31-36mm head height if printed, or a 1200x1800 to 3000x4500px digital JPG (200KB-5MB) with your head framed at 45-50% of the image height if uploaded online. The photo must be an original, unaltered image.
Official requirements
Verified — last checked 2026-08-11
These figures were directly confirmed against the official source below.
Digital photo requirements
| Minimum pixel size | 1200 × 1800 px (max 3000 × 4500 px) |
|---|---|
| Head height | 45%–50% of total image height |
| File size | 200KB to 5MB |
| Format | jpg |
Printed photo requirements
| Photo size | 50 × 70 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height (chin to crown) | 31–36 mm |
| Paper / printing | Two prints are typically required for in-person/mail applications; IRCC guidance has historically required a commercial photographer to stamp the back with studio name, address, and date — confirm current requirement on canada.ca. The photo must be an original, unaltered image. |
Other requirements
| Background | Plain white or light-coloured background |
|---|---|
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, facing the camera directly. |
| Glasses | Glasses are not recommended; if worn, eyes must be clearly visible with no glare, reflections, or tinted lenses. |
| Head coverings | Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, and the full face from chin to forehead must be visible. |
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — Canada.ca: Passport photos, last verified 2026-08-11.
Common mistakes
- Wearing white clothing that blends into the background
- Background with shadows or colour that is not plain/light
- Head height outside the printed 31-36mm range or digital 45-50% of image height
- Editing, filtering, or retouching the photo — only an original, unaltered image is accepted
- Missing photographer stamp on printed copies, if still required
How to take a good photo
- Use a plain white or light background with even, shadow-free lighting
- Avoid white clothing that could blend into the background
- Face the camera directly with a neutral expression, mouth closed
- Submit an unaltered, unedited original photo — no filters or retouching
- Confirm current IRCC guidance on photographer/print requirements before submitting
How Vekyo works for a Canada passport
Upload a recent photo, and Vekyo detects your face, then checks it against the Canada passport specification above — including its plain white or light-coloured background background requirement — before letting you crop and position it to match. Face detection, quality checks, cropping, and resizing run in your browser by default. Vekyo never changes your facial features, skin tone, or facial structure, and never generates or beautifies a face. If your background doesn't look plain and evenly lit enough for this document, you'll see a warning rather than a silent pass, and you can choose the optional background tool to replace it with a plain color — nothing is replaced unless you ask. The optional high-quality background removal option sends the cropped photo to our server for that one step.
Frequently asked questions
Related pages
Prepared according to the published requirements — not a guarantee of acceptance and not government approved. Always verify the latest requirements with the official authority before submitting your photo.