Passport & Visa Photo Guides
Plain-English explanations of photo requirements, sizing rules, and common rejection reasons.
How to Take a Passport or Visa Photo at Home (Step by Step)
Lighting, camera distance, pose, background, and hair — the five things that actually determine whether a photo passes, explained one at a time.
Physical vs. Digital Photo Size (mm vs. Pixels)
Why printed passport photos are measured in millimeters while digital uploads are measured in pixels — and how head-size rules convert between the two.
Why Photo Size Rules Have Minimums (and Rarely a Real Maximum)
The plain-English reasoning behind pixel-size and file-size minimums and maximums — what's a real risk, what almost never causes a rejection, and why.
Country & Document Requirements
US Passport & Visa Photo Requirements
2×2 in (51×51 mm) print, 600×600 px digital, head 50–69% of frame height, white or off-white background.
China Visa Photo Requirements
33×48 mm print, 390×567 px digital, head 58–69% of frame height, white background required.
Schengen Visa Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 71–80% of frame height. Covers all 27 Schengen countries.
Canada Visa Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, head 69–80% of frame height, plain white or light-coloured background required.
UK Passport Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, head 64–76% of frame height, cream or light grey background.
Japan Passport Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 71–80% of frame height, plain white background required.
India Passport Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 56–78% of frame height, white background required.
Australia Passport Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 71–80% of frame height, plain white background required.
Vietnam Visa Photo Requirements
40×60 mm print, 472×709 px digital, head approximately 67% of frame height, plain white background.
Thailand Visa Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 71–80% of frame height, plain white background required.
Indonesia Visa Photo Requirements
40×60 mm print, 472×709 px digital, head 70–80% of frame height, plain light-colored background.
Russia Visa Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 71–80% of frame height, plain white background required.
Egypt Visa Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 71–80% of frame height, plain white background required.
Bangladesh Visa Photo Requirements
35×45 mm print, 413×531 px digital, head 71–80% of frame height, plain white background required.
Saudi Arabia eVisa Photo Requirements
200×200 px digital, head 70–80% of frame height, plain white background. Digital-only, no print size.
More Countries (Same 35×45 mm Convention)
These 98 destinations share the same verified size, head-ratio, and background rule as the featured guides above — same underlying spec, different country name.
US Consulate 2×2in Variant
These 46 destinations adopt the US's 2×2 in (51×51 mm) photo standard for applications processed through their US-based consulate, instead of their own country's standard size used elsewhere — the same photo standard applicants from the US already use for their own passport.