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Australia+2Passport Photo Size by Country: 18 Passports, 8 Different Formats — and Why One Photo Never Fits All
Of 18 passports we compared, 8 use 35x45 mm — but the US, Canada, Turkey, China, Spain and others don't, and head size ranges from 26 to 36 mm.
Key points
5 points- 35 x 45 mm is the most common passport photo size (UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, India), but it is not universal.
- The United States, Vietnam and Egypt use a 51 x 51 mm (2 x 2 inch) square; Canada and Brazil use 50 x 70 mm; Turkey 50 x 60 mm; Thailand 40 x 60 mm; China 33 x 48 mm; Spain 26 x 32 mm.
- Even among the 35 x 45 mm countries the required head size differs — from 26–30 mm in the Netherlands to 32–36 mm in Germany, France and Japan.
- A photo cropped from one format to another usually breaks the head-size rule, so retake or re-frame from the original portrait.
- Digital applications add pixel and file limits on top of the print size — check the specific form.
Type “passport photo size” into a search engine and you will get one number, usually 35 x 45 mm. It is the most common format, but far from the only one. If you are renewing several documents, applying abroad or reusing a photo from an earlier application, the safest assumption is that a photo made for one country is wrong for another. Here is the picture across 18 passports, taken from the official pages of each issuing authority.
The comparison
| Passport | Photo size | Head, chin to crown |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 51 x 51 mm (2 x 2 in) | 1 to 1 3/8 in (about 25–35 mm) |
| United Kingdom | 35 x 45 mm | 29–34 mm |
| Germany | 35 x 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| France | 35 x 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| Netherlands | 35 x 45 mm | 26–30 mm |
| Switzerland | 35 x 45 mm | 29–34 mm |
| Japan | 35 x 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| South Korea | 35 x 45 mm | 32–36 mm |
| India | 35 x 45 mm print; 630 x 810 px digital | Face 80–85% of the frame |
| Canada | 50 x 70 mm | 31–36 mm |
| Brazil | 50 x 70 mm | — |
| Turkey | 50 x 60 mm | 32–36 mm |
| Thailand | 40 x 60 mm | — |
| China | 33 x 48 mm | 28–33 mm |
| Spain | 26 x 32 mm | — |
| Australia | 35–40 x 45–50 mm | 32–36 mm |
| Vietnam | 51 x 51 mm | — |
| Egypt | 51 x 51 mm | — |
A dash means the source we used does not give a chin-to-crown measurement in millimetres.
What the table tells you
- Eight of the 18 use 35 x 45 mm. That is why the format feels universal — it is the standard for the UK, most of Western Europe, Japan and South Korea.
- The square is the second family. The United States, Vietnam and Egypt use 51 x 51 mm, and the online DV lottery also uses a square file.
- Taller formats exist. Canada and Brazil use 50 x 70 mm, Turkey 50 x 60 mm and Thailand 40 x 60 mm.
- Some are smaller. China (33 x 48 mm) and Spain (26 x 32 mm) do not follow the big two.
- Same frame, different head. Among the 35 x 45 mm countries the head can measure 26–30 mm in the Netherlands and 32–36 mm in Germany, France, Japan and South Korea. On a 45 mm frame that is the difference between a head that fills 58–67% and one that fills 71–80%.
Why you can’t just crop one photo for another country
A finished 35 x 45 mm photo has the head at a fixed proportion to the frame. Crop it into a square for the US and you either cut the top of the head or leave the head too small; stretch it to 50 x 70 and the head becomes too small relative to the frame. Because the head-size band is part of most rules, the reliable way is to start from the original wide portrait, with space above and around the head, and frame it separately for each document.
The same goes for backgrounds: the US asks for white or off-white, the UK for cream or light grey, and the OCI card in India for a light colour that is specifically not white. Each format has its own background rule as well.
Print, digital, and sheets
- Print: check the size on the finished print, not on the screen; scaling the print after cropping changes the head size.
- Digital: online forms add pixel dimensions and a file-size ceiling. The UK asks for at least 600 x 750 px and 50KB to 10MB; the US DV lottery for 600 x 600 px and 240 kB or smaller; India’s passport for 630 x 810 px.
- Sheets: photo labs usually print multiple copies on a 10 x 15 cm sheet; ask for the exact format by name, not “passport size”.
A quick decision guide
- Find the issuing authority’s page for your document, not a generic photo site.
- Note the print size (and the pixel size if you apply online).
- Note the head-size band and the background colour.
- Take one good original portrait and frame it separately for each document.
Choose your document in our catalogue of photo formats to get the exact frame, head size and background for the country you need.
06Questions
5 answers01What is the most common passport photo size?
35 x 45 mm — used, among the 18 passports we compared, by the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and India (print).
02What size is a US passport photo compared with a UK one?
The US photo is a 51 x 51 mm (2 x 2 inch) square; the UK photo is 45 mm high by 35 mm wide.
03Which countries use 50 x 70 mm?
Canada and Brazil, among the passports compared here.
04Is the head size the same on all 35 x 45 mm photos?
No. It is 26–30 mm in the Netherlands, 29–34 mm in the UK and Switzerland, and 32–36 mm in Germany, France, Japan and South Korea.
05Can I crop a 35 x 45 mm photo to fit a US passport?
It rarely works: the head ends up too small or the top is cut off. Frame the original portrait separately for the square format.
07Official sources
- U.S. Department of State — passport photo requirements
travel.state.gov - GOV.UK — photo requirements for a passport
gov.uk - Government of the Netherlands — requirements for photos
government.nl - service-public.fr — passport photo (France)
service-public.fr - fedpol (Switzerland) — Fotomustertafel
fedpol.admin.ch - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — passport photograph rules
mofa.go.jp - Turkey NVİ — biometric photo
nvi.gov.tr - Government of Canada — passport photos
canada.ca - Australian Passport Office — passport photos
passports.gov.au - National Immigration Administration of China — passport photo
nia.gov.cn - Ministerio del Interior (Spain) — pasaporte
interior.gob.es - Polícia Federal (Brazil) — passport documentation
gov.br - Royal Thai Embassy, Washington — Thai passport
washingtondc.thaiembassy.org - Korea Passport Information — photo rules
passport.go.kr - Embassy of Vietnam (USA) — passport renewal
vietnamembassy-usa.org - Embassy of Egypt — issuing an Egyptian passport
egyptembassy.net - Passport Seva (India) — ICAO-compliant photograph guidelines
mportal.passportindia.gov.in
Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .
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Make your photo to the current rules
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.