News and guides · 339 articles
What changed in passport, visa and residence photo rules — every update dated and sourced.
SpainSpanish consulates ask for a recent colour passport-size photo (35 x 45 mm) on a white or light background, glued or clipped to the Schengen form.
Sri LankaIn Sri Lanka the passport photo is digital, sent online by an authorised studio; prints are refused.
SwitzerlandSwiss embassies ask for one ICAO photo under 6 months old, 35 x 45 mm, on a white or light background, pasted on the visa form — not stapled.
USAFor a TPS Travel Authorization on Form I-131 you send two identical 2x2 inch colour photos on a white to off-white background, head 1–1 3/8 inch.
TurkeyTurkish missions ask for a biometric photo on plain white, no glasses, not older than 6 months: 50 x 60 mm or 5 x 5 cm depending on the mission.
CanadaIRCC wants one colour digital photo, 50 x 70 mm, face 31–36 mm, under 6 months old, JPG of 420 x 540 px or more and up to 4 MB.
USAUSCIS asks for two identical 2x2 inch colour photos of the petitioner and of the spouse (if in the US), taken within 30 days.
ItalyItalian consulates ask for a 35 x 45 mm ICAO photo: colour, white background, face 70–80 % of the picture, not older than 6 months.
TurkeyÇSGB: a colour, front-facing biometric photo with a white background, taken in the last 6 months, uploaded as an image of up to 2 MB.
United KingdomGOV.UK: a vertical JPG at least 600 x 750 pixels, between 50 KB and 6 MB, on a plain light background, showing head, shoulders and upper body.
USAUSCIS asks for two identical colour 2x2 inch photos, white to off-white background, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches, printed on thin glossy paper.
Hong KongHong Kong passport photos are 40 x 50 mm on plain white, chin to crown 32–36 mm; online uploads are JPEG up to 5 MB, at least 1200 x 1600 px.
South KoreaKorea wants a colour front-facing 3.5 x 4.5 cm photo from the last 6 months, head 3.2–3.6 cm, white background; online 413 x 531 px recommended.
UAEICP asks for a recent 3.5 x 4.5 cm ICAO photo on a white background; no hats or sunglasses, and a renewal photo may not be identical to the old one.
New ZealandImmigration NZ wants a 3:4 portrait JPG of 512 KB to 3.14 MB, taken in the last 6 months, face 70–80 % of the image, ears visible, plain background.
AustraliaTwo colour prints, 35–40 x 45–50 mm, face 32–36 mm, under 6 months old, on dye-sublimation glossy paper — and no glasses since 1 July 2018.
United Kingdom
GermanyFor a UK passport the baby must be alone, without toys or dummies; under-1s needn't have eyes open, under-6s needn't look at the camera.
CanadaCanadian passport, PR card and citizenship photos are 50x70 mm; visa and work-permit photos are at least 35x45 mm — head 31–36 mm in both.
GermanyGerman passports and ID cards now take only digital photos — captured at the office or uploaded by a registered photographer and retrieved via a code.
USASince 10 April 2026 a DV entry needs a valid passport; the DV-2027 window is not announced, so get a square, recent photo under 240 kB ready.
Schengen AreaSince 10 April 2026 the EES records a face photo and fingerprints of non-EU short-stay visitors at all Schengen external borders — no advance registration.
USAUnited KingdomCanada+2Australia bans glasses (since July 2018), the US only allows documented medical cases, the UK and Canada allow them with no glare; smiles: only the US accepts one.
USAUnited Kingdom
India+2Face a window, stand away from a plain light wall, shoot from 1.2–1.5 m with someone else holding the camera, no filters — and check the country's rules.
IndiaIndian passport photo: colour, 630x810 px, face 80–85%, white background; visa and OCI use square files, and the OCI background must not be white.
Pick your document and upload a selfie — we crop it to size, replace the background and check it. Free. The sizes come from the same official sources as the news.
