Passport photo sizes compared: 32 countries, 48 documents
Across the 32 passport specifications in our database, 19 countries use the 35 × 45 mm format — making it the closest thing to a world standard — while the United States, India and Saudi Arabia use the square 2 × 2 inch format instead. 25 of 32 countries require a white background. All figures below are compiled from official government sources and were last verified on 2026-07-13.
19/32
countries use 35 × 45 mm — the de-facto world standard
25/32
require a plain white background
50×70
mm — the largest format (Canada passport)
24×30
mm — the smallest (Japan driver's license)
Size formats by adoption
| Format | Passports using it | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 35 × 45 mm | United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, Poland, Ireland, New Zealand | 59% |
| 51 × 51 mm | United States, India, Saudi Arabia | 9% |
| 40 × 60 mm | United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Vietnam | 9% |
| 50 × 70 mm | Canada, Brazil | 6% |
| 33 × 48 mm | China | 3% |
| 30 × 40 mm | Spain | 3% |
| 35 × 50 mm | Malaysia | 3% |
| 40 × 50 mm | Bangladesh | 3% |
| 50 × 60 mm | Turkey | 3% |
Required background colors
| White | 25 of 32 passports | United States, Canada, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Poland |
| Light gray | 7 of 32 passports | United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand |
Notable outliers and strict rules
- France rejects white backgrounds — one of the few countries where the near-universal white is explicitly not accepted; light grey or light blue is required.
- The narrowest head-height tolerance is Canada's — just 44–51% of the photo height, leaving roughly 5 mm of leeway.
- Glasses are banned outrightin the United States (since 2016), Australia and China's visa photos — and discouraged nearly everywhere else. Details in our country-by-country glasses guide.
- Singapore has the shortest recency rule: photos must be taken within 3 months, versus the 6-month standard almost everywhere else — and its digital submission must be exactly 400 × 514 pixels.
- Germany abolished paper photos entirely in May 2025 — passport photos must now reach the office through a certified digital channel. Our explainer covers the QR-code flow.
- 7 documents use a perfectly square format, including the US passport and visa (2 × 2 in), India's passport and Japan's visa (45 × 45 mm).
- New Zealand demands the highest resolution: at least 900 × 1200 px for digital submissions — more than four times the pixel count most countries accept.
Full comparison table
All 48 documents. Click any row to make a compliant photo for it. Machine-readable version: JSON API (CC BY 4.0).
| Document | Size (mm) | Digital (px) | Background | Head height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States — Passport | 51 × 51 | 600 × 600 @ 300 | White | 50–69% |
| United Kingdom — Passport | 35 × 45 | 827 × 1063 @ 600 | Light gray | 64–76% |
| Canada — Passport | 50 × 70 | 591 × 827 @ 300 | White | 44–51% |
| Australia — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | Light gray | 71–80% |
| India — Passport | 51 × 51 | 600 × 600 @ 300 | White | 60–70% |
| China — Passport | 33 × 48 | 377 × 548 @ 290 | White | 58–69% |
| Japan — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 71–80% |
| South Korea — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 71–80% |
| Germany — Passport | 35 × 45 | 827 × 1063 @ 600 | Light gray | 71–80% |
| France — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | Light gray | 71–80% |
| Spain — Passport (Pasaporte) | 30 × 40 | 354 × 472 @ 300 | White | 65–78% |
| Italy — Passport (Passaporto) | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 70–80% |
| Netherlands — Passport (Paspoort) | 35 × 45 | 827 × 1063 @ 600 | Light gray | 58–67% |
| Brazil — Passport (Passaporte) | 50 × 70 | 591 × 827 @ 300 | White | 45–55% |
| Mexico — Passport (Pasaporte) | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 65–78% |
| Russia — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 64–76% |
| United Arab Emirates — Passport | 40 × 60 | 472 × 709 @ 300 | White | 55–70% |
| Saudi Arabia — Passport | 51 × 51 | 600 × 600 @ 300 | White | 50–69% |
| Singapore — Passport | 35 × 45 | 400 × 514 @ 290 | White | 56–78% |
| Malaysia — Passport | 35 × 50 | 413 × 591 @ 300 | White | 50–60% |
| Philippines — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 70–80% |
| Indonesia — Passport (Paspor) | 40 × 60 | 472 × 709 @ 300 | White | 55–70% |
| Vietnam — Passport | 40 × 60 | 472 × 709 @ 300 | White | 55–70% |
| Thailand — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 65–75% |
| Pakistan — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 60–75% |
| Bangladesh — Passport | 40 × 50 | 472 × 591 @ 300 | White | 55–70% |
| Nigeria — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 60–75% |
| South Africa — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 60–75% |
| Turkey — Passport (Pasaport) | 50 × 60 | 591 × 709 @ 300 | White | 50–65% |
| Poland — Passport (Paszport) | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 70–80% |
| Ireland — Passport | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | Light gray | 58–67% |
| New Zealand — Passport | 35 × 45 | 992 × 1276 @ 720 | Light gray | 71–80% |
| United States — Visa (DS-160) | 51 × 51 | 600 × 600 @ 300 | White | 50–69% |
| United States — Green Card / USCIS | 51 × 51 | 600 × 600 @ 300 | White | 50–69% |
| Schengen Area — Schengen Visa | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | Light gray | 71–80% |
| United Kingdom — Visa / BRP | 35 × 45 | 827 × 1063 @ 600 | Light gray | 64–76% |
| China — Visa | 33 × 48 | 377 × 548 @ 290 | White | 58–69% |
| India — Visa / e-Visa & OCI | 51 × 51 | 600 × 600 @ 300 | White | 55–72% |
| Japan — Visa | 45 × 45 | 531 × 531 @ 300 | White | 55–72% |
| Canada — Visitor Visa / Study Permit | 35 × 45 | 482 × 620 @ 350 | White | 69–80% |
| Australia — Visa | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | Light gray | 71–80% |
| Japan — Résumé (履歴書) | 30 × 40 | 354 × 472 @ 300 | White | 60–75% |
| Japan — Driver's License | 24 × 30 | 283 × 354 @ 300 | White | 55–72% |
| China — ID Card (身份证) | 26 × 32 | 358 × 441 @ 350 | White | 60–75% |
| South Korea — Résumé (이력서) | 30 × 40 | 354 × 472 @ 300 | White | 60–75% |
| Germany — Job Application (Bewerbungsfoto) | 45 × 60 | 531 × 709 @ 300 | Light gray | 50–70% |
| International — Student Card (ISIC) | 35 × 45 | 413 × 531 @ 300 | White | 60–75% |
| India — PAN Card | 25 × 35 | 295 × 413 @ 300 | White | 55–75% |
Sources: each figure links back to the issuing authority in our requirements database. Free to cite with attribution and a link. Last verified 2026-07-13.