Passport Photo Size by Country — Complete Reference Table (2026)

Different countries use different passport photo sizes — and submitting the wrong size is one of the easiest rejections to avoid. The US uses 2×2 inches; the UK uses 35×45mm with a light grey background; Canada uses a unique 50×70mm format that no other country requires. If you're a dual citizen, an expat, or applying for a visa abroad, knowing the right size matters.

The four standard formats

Despite minor variations, most passport photos worldwide fall into one of four standard formats:

• 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) — square format. United States, India, most South Asian countries.
• 35 × 45 mm — portrait format, ICAO standard. UK, Schengen (EU), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, most of the world.
• 50 × 70 mm — Canada's unique larger format. Used only for Canadian passports.
• 33 × 48 mm — China's unique format. Used only for Chinese passports.

Full country reference (2026)

North America

• USA — 2×2 inches (51×51mm), white background, head 25–35mm, no glasses (since 2016), no AI editing (since 2026)
• Canada — 50×70mm, white/light background, head 31–36mm, no glasses, requires guarantor signature on back of print
• Mexico — 4.5×3.5cm, white background, neutral expression, no glasses

United Kingdom & Ireland

• UK — 35×45mm (or 600×750px digital), light grey or cream background (NOT white), head 29–34mm, glasses generally allowed if no glare
• Ireland — 35×45mm, light grey background, head 29–34mm, similar to UK rules

Schengen / European Union

• Germany — 35×45mm, light grey background, biometric requirements per BSI
• France — 35×45mm, light grey or light blue background (France uniquely accepts blue), no glasses
• Italy — 35×45mm, white or light background, biometric framing
• Spain — 32×26mm (passport) or 35×45mm (visa), light background
• Netherlands — 35×45mm, light grey background, strict biometric rules
• Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Greece — 35×45mm, light grey, follow ICAO 9303
• Schengen visa (any consulate) — 35×45mm, white or light grey, 70–80% face ratio

Asia-Pacific

• India — 2×2 inches (51×51mm) or 35×35mm for OCI, white background, no glasses preferred
• China — 33×48mm passport, 35×45mm visa, white background, strict ratio rules
• Japan — 35×45mm, white background, head 32–36mm, glasses allowed if no glare
• South Korea — 35×45mm, white background, taken within the last 6 months
• Singapore — 35×45mm, white background, similar to ICAO 9303 baseline
• Australia — 35×45mm, plain light background, no smiling, taken within 6 months
• New Zealand — 35×45mm, plain light background, similar to AU rules
• Philippines — 2×2 inches (white), 4.5×3.5cm for some Department of Foreign Affairs forms

Middle East

• UAE — 35×45mm, plain white background, recent photo, no glasses
• Saudi Arabia — 4×6cm, white background, applicants must follow strict modesty rules for women
• Israel — 35×45mm passport, similar to ICAO 9303
• Iran — 4×6cm, plain white, women must wear a headscarf

South America

• Brazil — 5×7cm, plain white, head proportions per ICAO 9303
• Argentina — 4×4cm, white background
• Chile, Colombia, Peru — 35×45mm or 4×4cm, white background

Special cases worth knowing

Renewing a UK passport while in the US

US drugstores (CVS, Walgreens) default to 2×2 inches with a white background — that's wrong for a UK passport, which needs 35×45mm with a light grey or cream background. Most rejections of UK renewals filed from the US come from this size/background mismatch.

OCI (Overseas Citizen of India)

OCI applications use 2×2 inches with a white background — the same as a US passport photo. The same photo can usually be used for both an OCI application and a US passport application if it was taken within the last 6 months.

Schengen visa from outside the EU

All Schengen embassies use the same 35×45mm format, but some (France, Germany) explicitly require light grey or light blue backgrounds while others (Italy, Spain) accept white. When in doubt, use light grey — it's accepted everywhere in the Schengen area.

Tools that auto-detect the right format

Online passport photo tools — including ours — let you select a country and automatically apply the correct size, background, and head proportions for that country. This eliminates the most common rejection causes (wrong size, wrong background) at the source.