Who needs a Canada visa photo
If you need a visa to visit Canada for tourism, family or a short business trip, you apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), also called a visitor visa (see our Canada Temporary Resident Visa photo page). Every TRV application needs a Canada visa photo, and the IRCC photograph specifications say that a photo that does not comply has to be replaced before the application can move forward. A wrong Canadian visa photo therefore delays your visa, so it pays to get the photo size and background right the first time.
Not every traveller needs a Canadian visa. US citizens do not need a Canadian visa or an eTA; a valid US passport is enough. Visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to Canada need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which is not required when arriving by land or sea. Check the entry requirements for your country before you prepare a visa photo.
Canada visa photo size explained
The IRCC photo specifications PDF sets the minimum frame of a Canada visa photo at 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall (3.5 × 4.5 cm). Inside that frame, your head must measure between 31 mm and 36 mm from chin to crown. The crown is the top of the head or, if hair or a head covering hides it, where the top of the skull would be. A Canadian visa photo taken from the wrong distance puts the head outside this range, and the photo has to be replaced. Our template places the head at about 34.7 mm, with about 3 mm between the top of the hair and the upper edge, which keeps the photo inside the required size range.
Digital Canada visa photo for the online application
Most applicants apply online through the IRCC portal, and the visitor visa application page notes that paper applications are accepted only in specific situations. For an online upload, the digital Canada visa photo must be at least 420 × 540 pixels, with the head taking 372 to 432 pixels of that height, at 305 DPI. The file must be a JPEG or JPEG2000 between 60 KB and 240 KB, in full colour (24-bit RGB). A printed visa photo may be black and white, but a black-and-white digital photo is not accepted online. PNG and HEIC files are not accepted by the portal, so convert a phone photo to JPEG before you upload it.
Our online photo maker exports a 420 × 540 pixel JPEG that stays under the 240 KB file size limit, so the Canadian visa photo is ready for the upload without any extra resizing.
Printed photo size and pixel size
The printed size and the digital size describe the same photo. At 305 DPI, the minimum 35 mm × 45 mm frame (about 1⅜ × 1¾ inches) corresponds to roughly 420 × 540 pixels, which matches the minimum pixel size IRCC asks for online. If you resize a photo yourself, keep the 7:9 proportion of the frame so the head size stays in range; stretching a photo to fit the size changes your face and makes the photo non-compliant. Our free online tool does the crop for you and keeps both the printed photo size and the pixel size correct for Canada.
Printed Canada visa photos for a paper application
If you submit a paper application, you need two identical printed photos, so print two copies of the same Canada visa photo rather than two different photos. Photos must be printed on quality photographic paper, and the print must keep the 35×45 mm frame and the head size above. Two identical photos are also required for each accompanying family member, including children. Print your Canada visa photo at a print shop or at home on photo paper, then cut it along the frame lines.
Background, expression and pose
The background of a Canada visa photo must be plain white or light-coloured, free of shadows and patterns. Off-white is within the specification; a grey wall, a coloured wall or a patterned curtain is not. Your face must be square to the camera with a neutral expression, neither frowning nor smiling, with your mouth closed. Keep your eyes open and clearly visible, and your head upright and centred. A digital photo must not be altered in any way: no retouching, no colour adjustments and no filters. Start from an original photo straight from your camera, because beauty filters and editing apps can make a visa photo non-compliant.
Glasses, head coverings and accessories
Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not acceptable in a Canadian visa photo. Non-tinted prescription glasses are allowed only when your eyes are clearly visible and the frame does not cover any part of the eyes. Head coverings worn for religious reasons, such as a hijab, turban or kippah, are permitted as long as your full face from chin to forehead stays visible. A hairpiece or other cosmetic accessory is acceptable if it does not disguise your normal appearance.
How to take a visa photo yourself with a phone
A smartphone can take a photo that meets the Canada visa photo specifications. These steps cover the most common reasons a visa photo fails:
- Choose even, natural light. Stand near a large window on an overcast day, or in open shade outdoors. Avoid direct sun and light from below or from the side.
- Use a plain light background. A white wall works well; hang a white sheet if your walls are another colour. Check for creases, patterns and shadows behind your head.
- Hold the camera at eye level. Shooting from above or below distorts the face. If possible, ask someone to hold the phone straight in front of you.
- Frame the full head and the top of the shoulders. Keep your face centred and your head upright, so the online tool can crop the photo to the right size.
- Keep a neutral expression. Relax your face, close your mouth and take the photo before a smile creeps in.
- Review the photo before you upload it. Check it on a larger screen: a uniform background, open eyes, no shadows, and a file size between 60 KB and 240 KB. Convert the photo to JPEG if your phone saved it in HEIC format.
Ways to get a Canadian visa photo
You do not need a studio for a compliant visa photo. A free online photo maker works at home in a few minutes and checks the photo before you download it. A pharmacy or supermarket kiosk is cheap, but the result depends on whether the operator knows the Canada visa photo size and head size rules. A portrait studio that knows the Canadian visa photo requirements has a high approval rate but takes longer and costs more. A coin-operated photo booth is quick, but the crop and background vary. Whichever option you choose, check the visa photo size and file size before you upload it online or attach the prints to a paper application.
Visa photos for children
Children who travel with you need their own visa photos. Two identical photos must be provided for each accompanying family member, and a Canadian visa photo for a child follows the same head size and background rules as an adult's photo. For a baby or a young child, take several photos in good light and choose the one with open eyes and a neutral face; our free online tool crops each photo to the 35×45 mm size.
eTA instead of a full visa
Some travellers from visa-required countries may not need a full visitor visa. Those who held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years, or who currently hold a valid US non-immigrant visa, may be eligible to apply for an eTA instead. As of May 26, 2026, this option was extended to eligible citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia. If you qualify for the eTA, check its own online form; if you need the full Canada visa, prepare a visa photo that meets the size and file rules on this page.
Canada visa photo checklist
- Correct photo size: 35×45 mm frame, head 31–36 mm from chin to crown.
- Digital file: at least 420 × 540 pixels, JPEG, 60–240 KB, full colour.
- Plain white or light background with no shadows or patterns.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
- Head straight and centred, face square to the camera.
- No sunglasses or tinted lenses; no filters or retouching.
- Photo taken within the last six months.
- For a paper application, two identical printed photos per person.
Visa fees, biometrics and processing time
The visitor visa fee is CAD $100 per person for a single or multiple entry TRV, with a maximum of CAD $500 for a family of five or more applying at the same time. Most applicants aged 14 to 79 must also give biometrics, which are fingerprints and a photo taken at the appointment. The biometrics fee is CAD $85 per person, up to CAD $170 per family applying together; pay it when you submit the application, and give your biometrics within 30 days of the IRCC notification. Biometrics stay valid for 10 years, so if you gave them within the past decade you do not need to give them again.
IRCC's service standard for visitor visa applications submitted outside Canada is 2 weeks, but real processing times vary by country and case. Use the check processing times tool for current estimates; processing time does not include the time needed to book and attend a biometrics appointment, so have your visa photo ready early. Visitors are normally allowed to stay in Canada for up to six months from the date of entry.
Applying online through the IRCC portal
For an online Canada visa application, the IRCC portal builds a document checklist from your answers to its screening questions. First-time users need a GCKey and a portal invite code. Prepare your Canada visa photo before you start, so you can upload it as soon as the checklist asks for the photo. If the portal rejects your visa photo, check its pixel size and file size first, and replace the photo with one that meets the IRCC specifications.
Other Canadian document photos
Canada uses different photo rules for other documents. If you also need a Canadian passport photo, a PR card photo or a citizenship photo, check that page for its own size and format before you take the photo.
