Passport Photo Rules by Country (2026)
The ICAO Standard (Why Most Countries Look Similar)
Most modern passport photo requirements derive from ICAO Document 9303, the International Civil Aviation Organization's standard for machine-readable travel documents. ICAO 9303 specifies biometric requirements: the photo must be a frontal portrait, the face must be in the center, eyes must be open and visible, expression must be neutral, and the photo must support facial-recognition matching at automated border gates. This is why a US 2x2-inch photo and a UK 35x45mm photo have so much in common despite different dimensions: both follow ICAO 9303 framing, just on different aspect ratios. What ICAO mandates: front-facing pose, both eyes open and looking at camera, neutral expression with mouth closed, even facial illumination, plain uniform background, no shadows on face or background, no head coverings (unless religious or medical), no glasses that obscure eyes (most countries now require glasses removed entirely). What varies: dimensions (US is square, EU is portrait), background color (white in US, light gray in UK/Schengen), how strictly the rules are enforced, and recency requirements (6 months in most places, 12 in Canada). A photo that meets ICAO 9303 will usually meet any country's requirements, given correct dimensions. Frame for ICAO first, then crop and re-background for the specific country.
United States Passport Photo
The US Department of State publishes detailed passport photo requirements at travel.state.gov. Dimensions: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). Head height from chin to top of hair: 1 to 1-3/8 inches (25-35mm). Eyes positioned between 1-1/8 and 1-3/8 inches (28-35mm) from the bottom edge of the photo. Background: plain white or off-white. No patterns, no colored backgrounds, no shadows, no other people or objects visible. Expression: neutral expression with mouth closed. A natural smile with both lips closed is acceptable. No exaggerated smile, no frown, no squinting. Glasses: prohibited since November 2016. The only exception is for documented medical reasons (with a signed statement from a doctor). For practical purposes: remove glasses for the photo. Clothing: normal street clothes. No uniforms (military, hospital scrubs, etc.). Religious head coverings are permitted if worn daily. Glare-reducing hats are not allowed. Recency: taken within the last 6 months and must represent your current appearance. Digital submission (online passport renewal): JPEG, 600x600 to 1200x1200 pixels, 54KB to 10MB. Square aspect. Print: 300 DPI, exact 2x2-inch dimensions on photo paper.
United Kingdom Passport Photo
HM Passport Office (UK) publishes its photo requirements at gov.uk. Dimensions: 35 x 45 mm. Image of the face from chin to crown: 29-34mm. Background: plain light gray or cream. NOT pure white — pure white interferes with the security features in modern UK passports. No patterns, no shadows. Expression: strictly neutral with mouth closed. The UK enforces "no smiling" more strictly than the US. Children under 6 have some leniency. Glasses: as of 2016, glasses are not allowed in UK passport photos. The only exception is documented medical necessity. For practical purposes, remove them. Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons. The face must be fully visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. Recency: taken within the last month if applying online; within the last 6 months for renewal. The photo must look like you today. Digital submission (online application): JPEG or PNG, 600x750 pixels minimum, 50KB to 10MB. 35x45mm aspect ratio. Print: photo paper, exact 35x45mm dimensions.
Schengen / EU Passport and Visa Photos
Schengen Area countries (most of the EU plus a few non-EU like Switzerland and Norway) use largely uniform ICAO-aligned photo standards. Dimensions: 35 x 45 mm is the universal standard. Image of the face from chin to crown: 32-36mm. Background: light, uniform, plain. Most Schengen countries accept white, very light gray, or very light blue. Germany specifically requires a uniform light gray (off-white is rejected by German consulates). France accepts white or light gray. Expression: neutral with mouth closed. Both eyes open and looking directly at the camera. Some countries (Germany, France) enforce more strictly than others. Biometric compliance: the face must be centered, looking straight ahead, with even lighting on both sides. Faces tilted or rotated are commonly rejected. The photo must support facial recognition at automated border gates. Glasses: discouraged across the EU; required to be removed in most Schengen passport applications since 2018. National variations exist; verify with the specific country's consulate. Head coverings: only for religious or medical reasons; the face from chin to forehead must be fully visible. Recency: taken within the last 6 months (some countries say 3 months). Schengen visa photos: same 35x45mm spec applies. Submit per the specific country's consulate guidelines.
Canadian Passport Photo
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes Canadian passport photo specs. Dimensions: 50 x 70 mm printed. Image of the face from chin to crown: 31-36mm. Background: plain white or light-colored. No shadows on the background or on the face. Expression: neutral with mouth closed. Canada allows a relaxed expression but explicitly prohibits smiling. Glasses: removed for all Canadian passport photos as of 2016, no medical exception. Clothing: normal street clothes. Religious head coverings permitted. Guarantor: printed photo requires the photographer to sign and stamp the back, with the date the photo was taken and their full name. Some applications also require a guarantor's signature. Recency: taken within the last 12 months (more generous than US/UK 6-month rule). Digital submission: JPEG, 420x540 to 4800x6000 pixels, 60KB to 5MB. The 50x70mm dimension is notable — Canadian passport photos are taller than US/UK photos and produce a more rectangular composition.
Indian Passport Photo
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Passport Seva (the online passport service) publish India's photo requirements. Dimensions: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). The face should cover 50-60% of the photo. Same physical dimensions as US passports. Background: plain white or very light. No shadows, no gradients, no patterns. Expression: neutral, looking straight at the camera. Mouth closed, both eyes open. Glasses: removed unless worn for medical reasons. No tinted or reflective lenses. Ears: must be visible. This is specifically checked for Indian passport biometric processing. Hair should not cover the ears. Head coverings: only for religious reasons. The face from chin to forehead must be fully visible. Recency: must represent current appearance. No specific month-count rule, but evident discrepancies result in rejection. Digital submission (Passport Seva online application): JPEG, 350x350 to 1000x1000 pixels, 10KB to 300KB. Square aspect. Indian visa photos for foreign nationals: 2x2 inches, similar requirements, white background.
Chinese Passport and Visa Photo
China's National Immigration Administration publishes the country's passport photo requirements. Dimensions: 33 x 48 mm. Face height: approximately 28-33mm. Distance from top of head to top of photo: 3-5mm. Background: pure white. China is one of the strictest countries on pure-white background — light gray or off-white is commonly rejected. Expression: neutral, mouth closed, looking straight at camera. Both eyes open. Glasses: not allowed in Chinese passport photos. Tinted lenses or reflections are explicit rejection reasons. Clothing: contrast with the background — avoid white or light tops which blend into the white background. Avoid uniforms. Ears: must be visible. Hair should not cover ears or eyebrows. Digital submission (for visa applications and renewals): JPEG, 354x472 to 420x560 pixels, 40KB to 120KB. This is unusually small — China's image processing pipeline is older than most Western countries. Chinese visa photos for foreign applicants: same 33x48mm specification, white background, similar strictness.
Japanese Passport Photo
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes passport photo specs at mofa.go.jp. Dimensions: 35 x 45 mm. Head height from chin to crown: 32-36mm. Margin above head: 4-6mm. Background: plain, light, uniform. White, light gray, or very pale blue are all accepted. No patterns. Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. Japan accepts a very faint smile but enforces neutral overall. Glasses: allowed but discouraged. No tinted lenses, no reflection on lenses, frames must not cover the eyes. The recommendation is to remove glasses. Clothing: normal clothing. Religious head coverings permitted. Recency: taken within the last 6 months. Digital submission: most Japanese applications still require printed photos rather than digital uploads. Photo booth machines ("shashin booth") are widely available and produce compliant photos for ~700-1000 yen.
Australia and New Zealand Passport Photos
Australia: passport photos published by the Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au). Dimensions: 35-40mm wide, 45-50mm tall (a range, more flexible than UK or Schengen). Most photographers default to 35x45mm. Background: plain light gray or light color. Not pure white. Not strongly colored. Expression: neutral with mouth closed. Australia allows a relaxed neutral but not smiling. Glasses: not allowed unless medically necessary. Clothing: normal. Religious head coverings permitted. Recency: taken within the last 6 months. Digital submission: not currently supported for most Australian passport applications — printed photos are submitted with the application. New Zealand: NZ Passports (passports.govt.nz) follows similar requirements to Australia with a few differences. NZ accepts digital online passport submissions where the photo is taken in a guided online tool — the photo can be a phone selfie if it meets the spec. Background: plain light gray or pale color. Glasses removed since 2017. Recency: 6 months.
Other Countries (Quick Reference)
Brazil: 5x7 cm color photo, white background, neutral expression, taken within 6 months. Mexico: 4.5x3.5 cm, white background, no glasses, neutral expression, recent. Germany: 35x45mm specifically (within Schengen specs), light gray background required, very strict biometric enforcement. Glasses removed. France: 35x45mm Schengen, white or light gray background, neutral. Russia: 35x45mm, plain background, no glasses, neutral expression, taken within last 6 months. Saudi Arabia: 6x4 cm or 4x6 cm, white background, neutral, recent. South Africa: 35x45mm, plain background, neutral, eyes visible. South Korea: 35x45mm, white background, eyes visible, ears visible (similar to India), neutral expression. Thailand: 4x6 cm, light background, neutral, recent. Vietnam: 4x6 cm, white background, neutral, no glasses. UAE/Dubai: 4.3x5.5 cm, white background, neutral, no glasses. Singapore: 35x45mm, white background, neutral expression, no glasses. The full list is at the website of each country's passport office or embassy. Where you cannot find specifics, defaulting to 35x45mm portrait, light background, neutral expression, no glasses, and a recent capture covers most edge cases.
Taking a Compliant Photo at Home
Taking passport photos at home is allowed in most countries and saves $10-20 per photo at a passport-photo store. Location: stand 4-6 feet in front of a plain wall — white wall if you need a US/India photo, any plain wall if you'll use AI to swap the background. Even, soft light from a north-facing window or two side lamps at 45 degrees. Camera: phone rear camera, 2x or 3x telephoto lens. Avoid the front-facing camera (lower resolution and the wide-angle distorts facial proportions). Prop the phone at eye level on a stack of books or a tripod. Framing: head and shoulders. Face fills the upper 60-70% of the frame. Eyes positioned on the upper third. Comfortable margin all around. Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight at the lens. Take 20-30 frames and pick the most natural-looking neutral. Post-processing with AI: upload to an AI photo editor. Prompt: "Crop to [country] passport spec: [dimensions]. Replace background with [color]. Even out the facial lighting. Keep my face, expression, hair, and clothing identical." Most AI editors handle the resize, background replacement, and crop in one pass. Print at home or order: photo paper at 300 DPI, exact dimensions. Most drugstores will print photo-quality images for $0.50-1 per print.
Stand 4-6 feet from a plain wall
Even side lighting, no overhead shadows.
Phone rear camera at eye level
2x or 3x telephoto. Tripod or prop. Timer at 5-10 seconds.
Take 20-30 frames, pick the most natural neutral
Mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight at camera.
AI edit: crop, background, lighting
Specify country dimensions and background color in the prompt.
Print at 300 DPI on photo paper
Drugstore or home printer with photo paper.
Why Passport Photos Get Rejected
The top rejection reasons across all countries: Background not uniform or wrong color. Pure white where light gray is required, off-white where pure white is required, shadows on the background, patterns visible. Face too small or too large in the frame. The country's specified face-height range (chin to crown) wasn't met. Non-neutral expression. Smiling with teeth, open mouth, frowning, squinting. Some countries are stricter than others; UK and EU enforce strictly, US is moderate, India and most of Asia accept relaxed-neutral. Glasses visible. Most countries now require glasses removed. Photos with glasses are auto-rejected by biometric processing. Hair covering ears or face. Many countries (India, China, South Korea, others) require ears visible. Hair partly covering face is a common rejection. Shadows on face. From overhead lighting, side window light too strong on one side. Fix with even lighting at capture or AI relighting in post. Head tilted or rotated. Face must be straight to camera. Even slight tilt gets rejected by biometric matching. Not recent enough. "Looks too different from you today." Common when reusing an old photo. Digital file wrong size. Some countries have narrow file-size windows (China 40-120KB, India 10-300KB). Both too large and too small get rejected. Photo edited in a way that alters the face. Skin smoothing, jaw narrowing, eye enlargement. AI-edited faces are increasingly detected by biometric pre-screening systems. Use AI for background and lighting only; do not alter the face.
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