Passport photo requirements vary by country, but most follow the same pattern: a specific physical size, white or off-white background, and the face occupying 70–80% of the frame. This guide covers the exact pixel dimensions you need for online applications and how to resize your photo to meet the requirements.

Passport Photo Size by Country

United States: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm) — at 300 DPI: 600×600 pixels
United Kingdom: 35×45 mm — at 300 DPI: 413×531 pixels
European Union / Schengen: 35×45 mm — at 300 DPI: 413×531 pixels
Canada: 50×70 mm — at 300 DPI: 591×827 pixels
Australia: 35×45 mm — at 300 DPI: 413×531 pixels
India: 35×45 mm — at 300 DPI: 413×531 pixels
Japan: 35×45 mm — at 300 DPI: 413×531 pixels
China: 33×48 mm — at 300 DPI: 390×567 pixels
South Korea: 35×45 mm — at 300 DPI: 413×531 pixels

Universal Requirements (All Countries)

Background: plain white or off-white, no shadows
Face size: head occupies 70–80% of the frame height
Expression: neutral, mouth closed
Eyes: open, looking directly at camera
Glasses: not permitted in most countries since 2016 (US, UK, EU, Canada)
Head covering: not permitted except for religious reasons
Format: JPEG (.jpg) for online applications
File size: typically under 500 KB for online submissions

US Passport Photo Requirements in Detail

The US State Department specifies 2×2 inches (51×51 mm) for printed photos. For online applications (DS-160 visa form, passport renewal), the digital file must be:

600×600 pixels minimum (2 inches × 300 DPI)
1200×1200 pixels maximum
JPEG format
Under 240 KB for DS-160; under 10 MB for State Department uploads
Head height: 1–1.375 inches (from chin to top of head)
Eye line: 1.125–1.375 inches from bottom of photo

UK Biometric Passport Photo Requirements

UK passports use 35×45 mm (same as EU). The face must take up 29–34 mm of the 45 mm height. For online applications:

Minimum 50 KB, maximum 10 MB
JPEG format
Recommended pixel size: 413×531 px (printed at 300 DPI)
Taken within the last month

How to Resize Your Photo to Passport Size

Start with a high-resolution photo — at least 1000×1000 pixels for a US passport photo, or 600 pixels wide for EU/UK
Crop to the correct aspect ratio first: square (1:1) for US, portrait (35:45 ≈ 7:9) for most others — use the image cropper
Resize to the required pixel dimensions using the image resizer: 600×600 px for US, 413×531 px for EU/UK
If the file is over 500 KB, compress it using the image compressor at 80–85% quality
Save as JPG for submission

Common Rejection Reasons

Wrong dimensions: not matching the required pixel size or aspect ratio
Face too small or too large: head should occupy 70–80% of frame height
Background not white: even light grey or cream is often rejected
Shadows on background: ensure even lighting, stand away from the wall
Glasses visible: most countries have banned glasses since 2016
File too large: online portals often cap at 240 KB or 500 KB
Low resolution: blurry or pixelated images are rejected

Pixel Sizes at Different DPI Settings

If you know your DPI setting, here are the pixel dimensions for the most common formats:

US 2×2 inches: 300 DPI → 600×600 px | 600 DPI → 1200×1200 px
EU/UK 35×45 mm: 300 DPI → 413×531 px | 600 DPI → 827×1063 px
Canada 50×70 mm: 300 DPI → 591×827 px | 600 DPI → 1181×1654 px

For online applications, always check the specific portal's requirements — they usually specify maximum file size rather than DPI. Aim for 600×600 px (US) or 413×531 px (EU/UK/most others) at JPEG quality 80–90%.