A rejected passport or visa application often comes down to one small thing: the photo’s size. Every country’s authority publishes exact dimensions, background and head-position rules — and online application portals add their own file-size limits on top. Here are the 2026 numbers for the most requested countries, and how to make any photo comply in a couple of minutes.

Passport photo sizes by country

Country / document	Size in mm	Size in inches	Pixels at 300 DPI
USA (passport)	51 × 51 mm	2 × 2 in	600 × 600
UK (passport)	35 × 45 mm	1.4 × 1.8 in	413 × 531
India (passport, most official uses)	35 × 45 mm	1.4 × 1.8 in	413 × 531
Schengen visa (EU)	35 × 45 mm	1.4 × 1.8 in	413 × 531
Canada (passport)	50 × 70 mm	2 × 2.75 in	591 × 827
Australia (passport)	35 × 45 mm	1.4 × 1.8 in	413 × 531
China (visa)	33 × 48 mm	1.3 × 1.9 in	390 × 567
Japan (visa)	35 × 45 mm	1.4 × 1.8 in	413 × 531

Always confirm with the official authority before submitting — requirements occasionally change, and some visa types differ from the country’s passport standard.

Rules that get photos rejected

Size is only half of it. These are the requirements shared by almost every authority:

• Plain white or light background — no shadows, no patterns, no other people.
• Head height 70–80% of the photo (for the US: head between 1 and 1⅜ inches from chin to crown).
• Neutral expression, eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
• No glasses (required by the US since 2016; many other authorities recommend removing them).
• Taken within the last 6 months, in color, printed on glossy photo paper if submitted physically.
• No retouching that alters your facial features.

Digital upload requirements

Online applications add file constraints on top of dimensions:

• US digital uploads: between 600 × 600 and 1200 × 1200 pixels, JPEG.
• Indian portals (passport, exams, jobs): usually a JPEG between 20 KB and 300 KB.
• Schengen and UK online visas: JPEG or JPG under 1 MB for most systems.

So a compliant digital photo usually needs both the right pixel dimensions and the right file size.

How to resize a photo to passport requirements free

1. Open the Passport Photo Resize tool.
2. Upload any photo of yourself taken against a plain background.
3. Pick your country’s preset (2×2 in for the US, 35×45 mm for UK/India/EU, and so on) or enter custom dimensions.
4. Crop so your head sits centered at the right height — the tool shows the guides.
5. Set the DPI (300 for print) and download.
6. If your portal has a size cap, run the file through Compress Image to Size and enter the exact KB limit.

The whole thing happens in your browser — your photo is never uploaded anywhere, which is exactly what you want with an ID document.

FAQ

What size is a US passport photo? 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), with the head between 1 and 1⅜ inches tall. Digital versions must be 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 pixels in JPEG format.

Is the Indian passport photo size the same as the UK? Yes — both use 35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm). Most Schengen countries, Australia and Japan use the same size, while the US and Canada are the notable exceptions.

How many KB should a passport photo be for online upload? It depends on the portal: Indian government and exam portals commonly ask for 20–300 KB, while US digital passport uploads are pixel-limited (600×600 minimum) rather than size-limited. When in doubt, compress to the middle of the allowed range with Compress Image to Size.

Can I take a passport photo with my phone? Yes, if you follow the rules: plain white background, daylight, no filters, head at the correct height. Then crop it to the official size with a tool like Passport Photo Resize before printing or uploading.