What the Canadian passport is for
The Canadian passport is the official travel document issued by the Government of Canada. It proves your identity and your Canadian citizenship, lets you enter foreign countries and lets you come back to Canada. It is a booklet of 36 pages, with visa pages and a page for emergency contact information, and it carries security features such as watermarks, microprinting, holograms and, in the e-passport, biometric data. The photo page shows the holder's picture, so the Canada passport photo you send with the application is the photo border officers will compare with your face for years. A sharp, correctly sized passport photo is the easiest part of the application to get right, and a photo that does not meet the rules is one of the simplest ways to delay it.
Canada passport photo size explained
A Canadian passport photo is a rectangle 50 mm wide and 70 mm high, also written as 5×7 cm. That is a different shape from the 35×45 mm photo many other countries use and from a square 2×2 inch photo, so a passport photo made for another country will not fit the Canadian rules. Inside the frame, the head should be about 35 mm high from the chin to the crown, and the eyes should sit about 39 mm above the bottom edge of the photo. Our online tool places your head at this height and position automatically, so you do not need to measure anything yourself.
For printing, the photo maker prepares the image at 600 DPI, which keeps a 50×70 mm print sharp. At 600 DPI the photo is about 1181×1654 pixels. For a digital Canada passport photo, the file is between 715×1000 and 2000×2800 pixels and no larger than 4 MB, the range the passport photo specification sets for online submission.
Background, colour and quality
The background of a Canadian passport photo must be plain white, without shadows, patterns, furniture or other people. The photo is in colour, with natural skin tones and no filters. Avoid strong side light: it puts a shadow on one side of the face and a grey shadow on the wall behind you. The AI in our photo maker replaces the background with clean white, but good, even light on the face still makes the best Canada passport photo. The print should be sharp from the hair to the chin, with no grain, no blur from a shaking hand and no blown-out white areas on the forehead or cheeks.
Face, expression and pose
- Look straight into the camera with your head and shoulders square to the lens.
- Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open.
- Keep hair away from the eyes so the whole face is visible in the photo.
- Take off hats and sunglasses, and make sure nothing hides your eyes or the outline of your face.
- Do not tilt the head or turn the shoulders to the side.
- Use a recent photo that shows how you look today.
How to take a Canadian passport photo at home, step by step
You do not need a studio to take a good Canadian passport photo. A phone and a few minutes are enough if you follow a simple routine:
- Stand about an arm's length or a little more from a plain wall. A light wall helps, but our tool replaces the background anyway.
- Face a window so daylight falls evenly on your face. Turn off ceiling lights that throw shadows from above.
- Hold the phone at eye level, or ask someone to take the photo for you. A self-timer and a stack of books work too.
- Use the main camera, not a wide angle mode, and do not zoom in: zoom lowers the quality of the photo.
- Take several photos and pick the sharpest one, with open eyes and a relaxed, neutral face.
- Upload the photo to our photo maker and let the AI crop and check it.
Clothing, hair and makeup
Since the background of a Canada passport photo is white, wear a top in a darker or coloured shade so your shoulders stand out clearly from the background. Avoid large logos or busy prints. Keep your hair off your face and behind the shoulders if it is long, so the edges of the face are clearly visible. Light, natural makeup is fine; heavy contouring or glitter changes how the face looks in the photo. Remove large earrings or other jewellery that catches the light or covers part of the face. If you are not sure about an outfit, take a test picture first and look at it on a large screen: what looks fine in the mirror can look different in the final print.
Passport photos of babies and children
Children need their own passport, and each child passport needs passport photos in the same 50×70 mm size with a white background. Photographing a baby is easier when the baby lies on a plain white sheet and you take the photo from straight above, with daylight from the side of a window. Make sure no hands, toys or blankets are visible in the frame, and wait until the baby looks towards the camera. For toddlers and older children, sit them on a chair in front of a wall and take many photos quickly; our photo maker picks up the face and crops it to the correct Canadian format.
How many passport photos you need
A paper Canadian passport application needs two identical passport photos that meet the official photo requirements. Both prints must come from the same image, in the same 50×70 mm size and on the same white background. With our photo maker you download one digital Canada passport photo and can print as many identical copies as you need, so you can keep a spare in case the passport office asks for a new photo.
The Canadian passport at a glance
- Issued by: the Government of Canada, to Canadian citizens only.
- Format: a booklet of 36 pages with visa pages and an emergency contact page.
- Security: watermarks, microprinting, holograms and biometric data in the e-passport.
- Adult Canadian passport: for applicants 16 and older, valid for 10 years, CAD 160.
- Child Canadian passport: for children under 16, valid for 5 years, CAD 57.
- Forms: PPTC 153 for adults, PPTC 155 for children.
- Photos: two identical passport photos, 50×70 mm, white background.
- Processing: usually about 10 to 20 business days for a standard application.
Adult and child Canadian passports
The Government of Canada issues two kinds of passport for its citizens by age. An adult Canadian passport is for people 16 years and older and is valid for 10 years, so the photo in it has to represent you for a long time; it is worth taking a little extra care with the light and the pose. A child Canadian passport is for children under 16 and is valid for 5 years, because children change faster. Both use the same photo rules, the same white background and the same 50×70 mm format, and both need two identical prints with a paper application. The form, the fee and the validity differ: form PPTC 153 for an adult passport and form PPTC 155 for a child passport.
Travelling with your Canadian passport
A Canadian passport lets you enter foreign countries and come back to Canada, and it is recognized around the world as proof of Canadian citizenship and identity. Before you book a trip, look at the expiry date of your current passport and leave enough time for a new application if it is close to expiring. Keep a copy of the photo page and of your digital passport photo in a safe place when you travel: if the Canadian passport is lost or stolen abroad, having them at hand makes it easier to report the loss and apply for a replacement.
Who can apply for a Canadian passport
You must be a Canadian citizen to get a Canadian passport. You show proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or a citizenship certificate, and a valid ID that includes your photo, name and signature, such as a driver's licence. Applicants 16 years and older use the adult passport application; for a child under 16, a parent or guardian applies with the child passport application. If you are not a citizen yet, see our Canada citizenship photo page for the photo used in that application.
Documents for a Canadian passport application
You can download the forms online from the official Government of Canada website or pick up a paper form at a passport office or Service Canada Centre.
Canadian passport fees and validity
The fee depends on the type of passport and the processing speed. An adult Canadian passport valid for 10 years costs CAD 160, and a child passport valid for 5 years costs CAD 57. Additional fees may apply for expedited service. You can pay by credit card, debit card or cheque. Adult passports are issued to applicants 16 years and older; child passports are for children under 16. The passport photos are not included in the fee, which is why a free digital photo you can print yourself saves money on top of the application cost.
Submitting the application and the photos
You can submit your Canadian passport application in person at a passport office or Service Canada Centre, or by mail to the address shown on the form, together with your documents, payment and the two passport photos. After you submit, you can track your application online on the Government of Canada website. Standard processing usually takes about 10 to 20 business days, and expedited services exist for urgent travel. A photo that does not meet the requirements can slow this down, so check your passport photo before you send it.
Printing a Canada passport photo at home or in a shop
After you download the photo, you can print it on glossy or matte photo paper at home or at any photo print shop. Print at 600 DPI and make sure the printer does not scale the image: the final print must measure exactly 50×70 mm. A common 4×6 inch photo print (about 102×152 mm) has room for two Canadian passport photos side by side, so one print gives you the pair you need for the application. Cut along the edges carefully, without trimming into the photo. Check both prints side by side: they should be identical, sharp, in colour and free of marks, creases or ink smudges.
Choosing paper and printer settings
A good print starts with the right paper. Use real photo paper rather than plain office paper, which absorbs ink and makes the picture look dull and soft. Glossy and matte photo paper both work; matte shows fewer reflections and fingerprints. In the printer dialog, choose the photo quality setting, select the correct paper type and turn off options such as "fit to page" or "borderless", which enlarge the image and cut off its edges. Let the ink dry for a few minutes before you cut the prints. If your home printer leaves stripes or colour casts, a print shop gives a cleaner result for very little money, and you only need to bring the file on your phone.
Digital photo for online submission
The photo from our maker is also suitable for online submission. The digital file stays between 715×1000 and 2000×2800 pixels and under 4 MB, as set out for a digital Canadian passport photo. Do not upload a photo of a printed photo or a screenshot: use the original digital file you downloaded. Keep the file on your phone or computer, so you can print new copies or upload the same Canada passport photo again later.
Canadian passport photo checklist before you send it
- Size: 50×70 mm print, or a digital photo of 715×1000 to 2000×2800 pixels under 4 MB.
- Head about 35 mm from chin to crown, eyes about 39 mm above the bottom edge.
- Plain white background with no shadows, objects or patterns.
- Colour photo, sharp, with even light and natural skin tones.
- Neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
- Two identical prints from the same photo for a paper application.
How our AI checks your Canada passport photo
When you upload a photo, the AI finds your face, measures the head from the chin to the crown and places it at about 35 mm inside the 50×70 mm frame, with the eyes about 39 mm above the bottom edge. It removes the original background and replaces it with plain white, then checks sharpness, lighting, expression, head tilt and whether the eyes are open. If something is wrong, you see what to fix before you download, so you can take a new photo in a minute instead of finding out at the passport office. The whole process runs online, and the digital photo is free.
Phone camera settings for a sharp photo
Modern phones take photos that are more than good enough for a Canadian passport, as long as a few settings are right. Turn off portrait mode, because the artificial blur can soften the edges of your hair and ears. Turn off beauty filters and face smoothing in the camera app, since they change your features. Use the rear camera if someone else takes the photo: it is usually sharper than the front camera. Clean the lens with a soft cloth before you start, and tap on your face on the screen so the camera focuses on the eyes. Keep the phone vertical, the same orientation as the 50×70 mm photo, and leave some space above the head and below the shoulders so the AI has room to crop.
Check a printed photo with a ruler
A quick check at home avoids most problems with printed passport photos. Put a ruler on the print: it should be 50 mm wide and 70 mm high. Measure the head from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, which should be about 35 mm. Then measure from the bottom edge of the photo to the line of the eyes, about 39 mm. If the print is a few millimetres smaller or larger, the printer has scaled the image: print again with scaling turned off, or ask the print shop to print the Canada passport photo at 100% scale. Look at the background under daylight as well, because a cheap printer can give white areas a grey or yellow tint.
Passport photos for the whole family
When several family members apply for a Canadian passport at the same time, each person needs their own two identical photos. Take the photos one after another in the same spot by the window, so the light is the same for everyone, and upload each photo separately to our online photo maker. Every adult and every child gets a Canada passport photo in the same 50×70 mm format with a white background. Name each file after the person before you print, so the photos do not get mixed up when you put the applications together. Remember that each adult fills in their own adult form, and a parent or guardian fills in a separate child form for each child under 16.
Canadian citizens living abroad
Because the photo maker works online, Canadian citizens outside Canada can prepare a passport photo wherever they are. Take the photo with your phone, download the digital file and print it at a local photo shop in the exact 50×70 mm size. Some shops abroad may only know the 35×45 mm or 2×2 inch format, so bring the ready file and ask for a print at actual size instead of a local passport photo. Check the official Government of Canada passport pages for how to apply from outside Canada before you send anything.
Keep your digital photo
Save the digital passport photo in a safe place on your phone, computer or online storage. If the passport office asks for new prints, or a photo gets damaged in the mail, you can print another identical pair in minutes instead of taking new photos. If your appearance changes a lot, for example after a new beard or a big haircut, take a new photo so the passport still looks like you.
Where to get a passport photo in Canada
There are three common ways to get passport photos in Canada: a photo studio, a print shop that takes passport photos on the spot, or a photo you take yourself and prepare online. Studios and shops are convenient, but you pay for every set of prints, and if a photo is rejected you have to go back. Taking the photo at home with your phone and preparing it online gives you control over the light, the pose and the number of tries. You can take as many photos as you like, choose the one you prefer, and then print the passport photos at any shop in Canada or at home.
Taking a passport photo without help
If nobody can hold the camera for you, put the phone on a shelf, a tripod or a stack of books at the height of your eyes and use the self-timer. Stand facing the camera with your back about half a metre from the wall, so your body does not throw a shadow on it. Many phones can also take a photo with a voice command or a button on wired headphones, which keeps your arm out of the picture. Take a series of photos, look at them at full size, and choose the one where your eyes are open, the face is sharp and the head is straight. Our AI then turns that photo into a passport photo in the Canadian format.
Light and shadows in more detail
Light makes the biggest difference between a passport photo that passes and one that fails. The best light is soft daylight from a window in front of you, or an overcast day outside. Direct sun creates hard shadows under the nose and chin and makes people squint. Light from behind turns the face dark. A single lamp from one side leaves half of the face in shadow. If you wear glasses for everyday life, check the photo for glare on the lenses, and if there is any, turn slightly away from the light or take the glasses off. Our photo check flags dark faces, strong shadows and overexposed areas before you download.
Time of day matters too. In the late morning or early afternoon, a room with a large window is usually bright enough without any lamps. In the evening, when the daylight is gone, mixed light from yellow bulbs and a blue screen gives the skin an unnatural colour, so it is better to wait for the next day. A white sheet of paper or a light towel held below your chin, out of the frame, reflects a little light back up and softens the shadow under the chin.
What to do if your photo fails the check
If our check finds a problem, the result tells you what to change: more light on the face, a straighter head, open eyes or a less tilted phone. In most cases a new photo taken a minute later by a window solves it. When the light at home is difficult, the optional retouch for $5.99 fixes lighting and shadows in the photo for you. Either way, you see the finished passport photo before you download it, so you know it meets the Canadian requirements before you print anything.
Before you go to a passport office
Bring everything the Canadian passport application asks for in one envelope: the completed form, the original proof of Canadian citizenship, your ID with photo, name and signature, the payment and the two identical passport photos. Keep the photos flat and clean, away from fingerprints and water. If you send the application by mail, place the photos in a small paper envelope inside the main envelope so they arrive undamaged. A clean, flat pair of passport photos makes the application easier to check at the passport office or Service Canada Centre.
Plan your application early
Standard processing usually takes about 10 to 20 business days, plus mail time if you apply by mail. Expedited services exist for urgent travel, but additional fees may apply. To avoid paying extra, prepare your passport photos and documents well before your trip, check the passport photo against the Canadian requirements online, and submit the application as soon as your travel plans are clear. You can then track the status of the application online on the Government of Canada website until your new Canadian passport arrives.
Lost or stolen passport
If your passport is lost or stolen, report it to the local authorities right away and apply for a replacement passport with the form for lost or stolen passports. The replacement needs new passport photos that meet the same Canadian rules. Official guidance is on the lost or stolen passport page.
Other Canadian document photos
The Canadian passport photo has its own size. Other Canadian documents use different photo formats, so make a separate photo for each one: see the Canada permanent resident card photo, the Canada visa photo and the temporary resident visa photo pages. For everything about passports, visit Government of Canada passport services, and always check the official Canadian sources for the latest rules before you apply.
