Passport photo size by country
passport photo dimensions are not standardised globally. 124 countries in this table use 17 different size formats — from the compact 33 × 48 mm Chinese standard to the larger 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) US format.
Quick answer
Most common sizes: 35 × 45 mm, 2 × 2 inches, 35 × 35 mm
35 × 45 mm is used across the Schengen Area, the UK and most former British Commonwealth countries. 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) is the US standard, also used by some Caribbean and Latin American states. 35 × 35 mm is the Indian standard. China uses 33 × 48 mm. Last reviewed .
Why passport photo sizes differ by country
Most countries fall into one of three groups: the 35 × 45 mm European/Commonwealth standard, the 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) US standard, and the 35 × 35 mm Indian standard. Each grew from a different administrative tradition rather than a single global rule. ICAO 9303 — the standard used inside the chip in modern biometric passports — does not mandate a printed photo size at all; the size is set by each issuing authority.
The size affects three things: how the photo is printed and trimmed, how it fits into the application form template, and how the digital file is scanned at biometric capture. A photo that prints at the wrong size is rejected at the appointment even if the head proportions and background are perfect. Always print to the exact size of the target country before submission.
Passport photo size by country — full table
Click any country to see the full specification, source link and shooting guide.
| Country | Size | Background | Head height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 40 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Algeria | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 71–80% |
| Argentina | 40 × 40 mm | Plain white background. | — |
| Armenia | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | — |
| Australia | 35 × 45 mm | White or light uniform background. | 71–80% |
| Austria | 35 × 45 mm | Plain background without shadows per official Austrian Passbildkriterien. | 71–80% |
| Azerbaijan | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | — |
| Bahrain | 32.5 × 43 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Barbados | 50 × 50 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Belarus | 40 × 50 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 64–70% |
| Belgium | 35 × 45 mm | White or very light plain background without shadows or gradients. | 69–80% |
| Belize | 51 × 51 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Benin | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Bhutan | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Bolivia | 40 × 50 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Botswana | 45 × 55 mm | Plain light background. | 70–80% |
| Brazil | 50 × 70 mm | Strictly white background. | 44–51% |
| Bulgaria | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without shadows or foreign objects. | 70–80% |
| Burkina Faso | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Cambodia | 40 × 60 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Cameroon | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Canada | 50 × 70 mm | White or light uniform background. | 44–51% |
| Chad | 51 × 51 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| China | 33 × 48 mm | Plain white background. | 58–69% |
| Costa Rica | 51 × 51 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Croatia | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 75–80% |
| Cyprus | 40 × 50 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Czech Republic | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Denmark | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without patterns, for example light blue or light grey (lys blå eller lys grå); white is not among the official examples. | 67–80% |
| Dominican Republic | 51 × 51 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| DR Congo | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Egypt | 51 × 51 mm | Plain white background. | — |
| Estonia | 40 × 50 mm | Plain light background without foreign objects or patterns. | 70–80% |
| Ethiopia | 30 × 40 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Fiji | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Finland | 36 × 47 mm | Plain light neutral background without shadows. | 68–77% |
| France | 35 × 45 mm | The background must be plain and light — light grey or light blue; a white background is not allowed. | 71–80% |
| Georgia | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without shadows or foreign objects. | 70–80% |
| Germany | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background. | 71–80% |
| Ghana | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Greece | 40 × 60 mm | Plain light grey background without shadows or patterns. | 70–80% |
| Guyana | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Hong Kong | 40 × 50 mm | Plain white background. | 64–72% |
| Hungary | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background for cases where a separate passport photo is required. | 70–80% |
| India | 35 × 45 mm | Strictly white background. | — |
| Iraq | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Ireland | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white, light grey, or cream background. | 70–80% |
| Israel | 50 × 50 mm | Plain white background. | — |
| Italy | 35 × 45 mm | Even plain background without shadows. | 71–78% |
| Jamaica | 35 × 45 mm | Plain matte background: pastel for light complexions, white for dark complexions, pale blue or pastel for grey or white hair. | 70–80% |
| Japan | 35 × 45 mm | White or light uniform background. | 71–80% |
| Jordan | 51 × 51 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Kazakhstan | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white or light grey background. | 71–80% |
| Kenya | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | 70–80% |
| Laos | 40 × 60 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Latvia | 35 × 45 mm | Plain background without foreign objects; face centred. | 70–80% |
| Liberia | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Libya | 40 × 60 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Liechtenstein | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Lithuania | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without shadows or foreign objects. | 70–80% |
| Luxembourg | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | 70–80% |
| Macau | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 76–80% |
| Malawi | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Malaysia | 35 × 50 mm | Strictly white background. | 50–60% |
| Maldives | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 71–80% |
| Malta | 30 × 40 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Mauritania | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Mauritius | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background. | 56–76% |
| Mexico | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Moldova | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | 70–80% |
| Mongolia | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Morocco | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background: light blue or light grey. | 70–80% |
| Myanmar | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Namibia | 51 × 51 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Nepal | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Netherlands | 35 × 45 mm | Even light background without patterns. | 58–67% |
| New Zealand | — | Light plain background without shadows or extraneous objects; DIA explicitly rejects a pure white background (LIGHT but NOT WHITE). | — |
| Nicaragua | 40 × 50 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Nigeria | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | — |
| Norway | 35 × 45 mm | Evenly lit background. | 70–80% |
| Pakistan | 35 × 45 mm | Recent photo (max 6 months old), plain background without shadows. | 70–80% |
| Palestine | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Panama | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Papua New Guinea | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Paraguay | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Philippines | — | Photo is usually taken at the authority on site; if a preparatory file is needed, use a neutral plain light background without shadows. | — |
| Poland | 35 × 45 mm | Uniform light background with even lighting. | 70–80% |
| Portugal | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Republic of the Congo | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Romania | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background per Schengen standard. | 70–80% |
| Russia | 35 × 45 mm | Even white background without stripes, spots, foreign objects, or shadows. | — |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Samoa | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Saudi Arabia | 40 × 60 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Schengen area | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background. | 70–80% |
| Serbia | 50 × 50 mm | Plain grey background. | 70–80% |
| Seychelles | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Singapore | — | Plain white or light grey background. | — |
| Slovenia | 35 × 45 mm | Suitable plain background, correct lighting, and biometric quality. | 70–70% |
| South Africa | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white, light grey, or cream background. | 64–76% |
| South Korea | 35 × 45 mm | Strictly white background. | 71–80% |
| Spain | 26 × 32 mm | Uniform white background. | 60–75% |
| Sri Lanka | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background (white, light blue or light grey) that contrasts with the face and clothing. | 70–80% |
| Sudan | 40 × 50 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Suriname | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Sweden | 35 × 45 mm | Photo is usually taken at the authority on site; if a preparatory file is needed, use a neutral plain light background without shadows. | 70–80% |
| Switzerland | 35 × 45 mm | Uniform neutral background without shadows or foreign objects. | 64–76% |
| Syria | 40 × 40 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Taiwan | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 71–80% |
| Tajikistan | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| Thailand | 40 × 60 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | — |
| Togo | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Tunisia | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Turkey | 50 × 60 mm | Plain white background. | 53–60% |
| Turkmenistan | 30 × 40 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| UAE | 35 × 45 mm | Strictly white background. | 70–80% |
| Uganda | 51 × 51 mm | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. | 70–80% |
| UK | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background in cream or grey tone without patterns. | 64–76% |
| USA | 51 × 51 mm | White or off-white background. | 49–69% |
| Uzbekistan | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | — |
| Vietnam | 51 × 51 mm | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. | — |
| Yemen | 51 × 51 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
| Zimbabwe | 35 × 45 mm | Plain white background. | 70–80% |
Frequently asked questions
01What is the most common passport photo size in the world?
35 × 45 mm is used by 27 Schengen states, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and most former British Commonwealth countries. The runner-up is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), used by the United States, Canada (50 × 70 mm differs) and several Caribbean and Latin American countries.
02Is the passport photo size the same as a visa photo size?
Usually but not always. The Schengen visa uses the same 35 × 45 mm as Schengen national passports. The US uses the same 2 × 2 inch format for both DS-160 visa and passport. But Indian visas often use 50 × 50 mm even though the Indian passport is 35 × 35 mm.
03Why does the US use inches instead of millimetres?
Historical reason. The US Department of State adopted the 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) format in the 1980s before ICAO published its modern biometric guidance. The US has kept the imperial format for paper-form compatibility even though the digital DS-160 process uses pixel dimensions.
04Can I print one passport photo and use it in multiple countries?
Only if the target countries use the same size. A 35 × 45 mm photo works across all 27 Schengen states, the UK, Australia and most Commonwealth nations. It will not work for the US (2 × 2 inches) or India (35 × 35 mm) — those need a different print.
05My country is not in the table — what now?
Send us the country and document type at hello@anfas.pro. Our editorial team adds new country profiles in priority order based on real demand. The country is added with a verified source link, not just a copied number.
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