head 44–51 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Verified
Quick answer: A Canada PR card photo must be 50 × 70 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 44–51% of photo height (31–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 50 × 70 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 44–51% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 31–36 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Canada PR card → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Even lighting without shadows on face and background, no red eyes. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; face and shoulder line must be clearly defined. |
| Digital resolution | 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 px |
| File format | JPEG / JPG |
| File size | max 4 MB Compress photo to 2 MB — Canada PR card → |
| Millimetres | 50 × 70 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 5 × 7 cm |
| Inches | 1.97 × 2.75″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 591 × 827 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 1181 × 1654 px |
The photo for a Canadian permanent resident card is not the 35 × 45 mm of the visa: IRCC asks for a 50 mm × 70 mm photograph (2 × 2 3/4 inches) taken by a commercial photographer, with the height of the face 31–36 mm from chin to crown, in colour or black and white, within the past twelve months, original and not altered in any way, on a plain, untextured white background with a clear difference between face and background. For an online application you submit 1 digital photo: a JPEG or PNG between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 pixels, 4 MB or less, either a professional digital photo or a scan of a professional print — not a picture of a paper photo taken with your phone.
You face the camera squarely with a neutral expression, the mouth closed and the eyes open, hair off the face, glasses allowed if the eyes are clearly visible without glare, a head covering only if worn daily for religious or medical reasons with the face and ears visible. Avoid white clothing and white head coverings, which blend into the background.
The studio's name and complete address, the date and your name and date of birth go on the back of the photo (or in a document with the digital copy); stick-on labels are not accepted.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Canada PR card applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not from a commercial photographer, or a picture of a paper photo taken with a phone | Use a studio photo, as a digital file or a scan of the print. |
| A size other than 50 × 70 mm, or a face outside 31–36 mm | Print 50 mm × 70 mm with the face 31–36 mm from chin to crown. |
| A background that is not plain white, shadows, glare or white clothing blending into it | Use a plain untextured white background, even light and non-white clothing. |
| A digital file outside 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 pixels, over 4 MB, or not JPEG or PNG | Save a JPEG or PNG within those pixel limits and under 4 MB. |
| An altered photo, a smile, glasses with glare, or a photo older than 12 months | Use an unaltered photo taken within 12 months, neutral and without glare. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 44–51 % of the photo height (31–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 50 × 70 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 4 (2 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 16 (4 × 4) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A permanent resident card is applied for online in the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal (one digital photo, plus the studio information of the back of the photo) or on paper with the photographs in the envelope; the photo must come from a commercial photographer or studio.
canada.ca — Get a permanent resident card; form IMM 5444
One digital photo JPEG or PNG, 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 pixels, up to 4 MB; paper: 50 × 70 mm.
Authority page| Authority | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) |
|---|---|
| Source | Canadian permanent resident card photo requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
A 50 × 70 mm photo from a commercial photographer, the face 31–36 mm from chin to crown, within 12 months, original and unaltered, on a plain untextured white background, with a neutral expression and the mouth closed. Online: one JPEG or PNG of 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 pixels, up to 4 MB, with the studio information of the back of the photo.
50 mm × 70 mm (2 × 2 3/4 inches) for a paper photo; a digital photo of 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 pixels and at most 4 MB. It is larger than the 35 × 45 mm of the Canadian visa photo.
No: IRCC asks you to go to a commercial photographer or studio; a digital copy from the studio or a scan of the professional print is accepted, but not a picture of a paper photo taken with your phone.
Plain, untextured white, with a clear difference between the face and the background; avoid white clothing and white head coverings.
The Canada PR card photo must be 50 × 70 mm. The head must occupy 44–51% of the photo height. Submit the photo with your application file or online portal as required by the immigration authority.
Residence permit photos often have stricter recency requirements than passport photos because the permit is tied to an active legal status. Submit a photo taken within the last three months where possible, even if the authority allows up to six months.
Plain white background. The wall behind you must be evenly lit with no shadows. Patterns or off-white shades typically trigger automated pre-screening rejection at the immigration submission portal.
Usually no. Even when dimensions match, residence permit applications require a fresh photo that reflects your current appearance at the time of application. Reused passport photos are a frequent rejection cause.
If hair, beard, weight or facial features have changed noticeably, take a new photo. The immigration reviewer compares the photo to your current appearance during the in-person submission or biometric appointment.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Canada immigration authority rejects the photo and you supply the official rejection notice.
50 × 70 mm = 5 × 7 cm = 1.97 × 2.75 inches. At 300 dpi that is 591 × 827 pixels; at 600 dpi, 1181 × 1654 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 50 × 70 mm format and head size apply to: PR travel document (PRTD), refugee travel document.