ZumaTools

Canada Passport Photo (50 × 70 mm)

Canada's format is 50 × 70 mm — taller than almost anywhere else, which changes how the face should sit in the frame.

Updated · Published by Novpix LLC

Drop a photo here

or click to browse — a straight-on head-and-shoulders shot works best

Your photo is processed on your device and never uploaded.

Canada passport photo rules. 50 × 70 mm (2 × 2¾ in). Face from the bottom of the chin to the crown must measure 31–36 mm on a 70 mm tall photo — about 44% to 51% of the image height. Crown means the top of the head, not the top of the hair. Background: plain white or light-coloured, with clear contrast against your face. Photo must be taken within the last 6 months.

  • The tallest common passport format — 70 mm against the 45 mm used across Europe, which is why the face fills a smaller share of the frame than you may expect.
  • Paper applications need two identical prints, and the photographer must write or stamp the date, studio name and full address on the back of one of them.
  • Neutral expression, mouth closed, no smiling. Face and shoulders squared to the camera.
  • The photographer's endorsement is the part a home-made photo cannot supply — this tool gets the framing right, but a paper application still needs a studio's stamp.

This tool crops and sizes your photo correctly. It cannot judge your expression, lighting or shadows, and it does not guarantee acceptance — check the official rules at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before you submit.

Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded

How it works

  1. 1Drop in a straight-on photo taken against a plain white or light background.
  2. 2Drag and zoom until your chin and the crown of your head sit inside the guides — Canada wants 31–36 mm of face on a 70 mm photo, a smaller share of the frame than European formats.
  3. 3Download the photo, or the 6 × 4 sheet if you are having prints made.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a Canadian passport photo?
50 mm wide by 70 mm high, sometimes written as 2 × 2¾ inches. It is the tallest of the common passport formats — Europe and Australia use 35 × 45 mm and the United States uses a 51 mm square — so a photo cropped for another country will not pass.
Why does my face look small in the frame compared to other countries?
Because it should be. The face must measure 31–36 mm from chin to crown, and on a 70 mm tall photo that is only about 44% to 51% of the height. An Australian photo puts 32–36 mm of face on a 45 mm photo, which is 71% to 80%. Cropping a Canadian photo to look like a European one is a common rejection.
Where exactly is the crown of the head?
The top of the skull, not the top of the hair. Voluminous or styled hair does not count toward the measurement, which is why people with a lot of hair often crop too tightly and end up outside the range.
Can I use a photo I took at home for a paper application?
Not on its own. Canada requires the photographer to write or stamp the date, the studio name and the full address on the back of one of the two prints. This tool gets the framing and size right, but that endorsement has to come from a commercial photographer. For that reason it is most useful for checking your framing before you go, or for applications that accept a digital photo.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The crop, the guides and the print sheet are all produced in your browser, and the image never leaves your device. A passport photo is about as identifying as a file gets, so it should not be passing through anyone else's server.

About this tool

Canada asks for a 50 × 70 mm photo, and the size alone catches people out. It is the tallest format in common use — 25 mm taller than the 35 × 45 mm standard used across Europe, Australia and much of Asia — so a photo prepared for any other country is the wrong shape before anything else is considered.

The consequence people miss is what that does to the face. The requirement is 31–36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the crown, which on a 70 mm photo works out to roughly 44% to 51% of the height. Nearly every other country wants the face filling 70% or more of the frame. If you crop a Canadian photo to what looks right from experience elsewhere, the face comes out too large and the photo is rejected. This tool draws the correct band on your image so the difference is visible rather than something to remember.

Crown means the top of the skull rather than the top of the hair, which is the other frequent error. Someone with a lot of hair who measures to the top of it will crop too tightly every time.

One thing no browser tool can do for you: for a paper application Canada requires the photographer to endorse the back of one print with the date, studio name and address. That is a commercial photographer's stamp, not something a home printer supplies. Use this to get the framing right and to check what you have before you pay for prints, and everything runs locally — the photo is never uploaded.

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