# Canada Passport Photo Maker, 50x70 mm

Country: Canada

Document: Passport

Page language: en

Page: [Canada Passport Photo Maker, 50x70 mm](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/ca-passport-photo/)

Requirements last verified: 2025-01-15

## Photo specifications

These are document-specific values from the page data. Printed and digital requirements may apply to different application routes; consult the guide and sources below.

| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Photo dimensions | 50 × 70 mm |
| Photo paper | Glossy or matte |
| Digital pixel dimensions | 420 × 540 px (see guide/source for applicability and minimum vs exact sizing) |
| Maximum pixel dimensions | 4800 × 6000 px |
| Digital file format | JPEG |
| Maximum digital file size | 4096 KB |
| Photo age | Taken within 6 months |

## Appearance and composition

- Background: Plain white or light-coloured background
- Head size: 31-36mm from chin to crown of head
- Glasses: Not permitted.
- Even lighting; no harsh shadows.
- Filters, beauty modes and retouching are forbidden.
- Color photo.
- Head coverings are permitted for religious reasons; check the source for conditions.
- Uniforms are restricted; check the source for exceptions.
- No earphones or wireless devices.

## Common rejection reasons

- Wearing glasses — Glasses are not allowed in Canadian passport photos since November 2017

- Wrong head size — Head must measure 31-36mm from chin to crown

- Red-eye in photo — Photos with red-eye effect will be rejected

- Shadows on face or background — Uniform lighting required with no shadows

- Face not square to camera — Full face must be directly facing camera

## Source for the document requirements

[Source linked by the document page](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/photos.html)

The complete guide below includes additional sources and application-specific qualifications when available.

## Create a photo with One Dollar Passport Photo

The service sizes, crops and checks a photo for the selected document. Its output settings are service choices, not additional government requirements.

- Digital photo download: $1 USD.
- Print-ready sheet download: $5 USD. Printing is separate.
- Optional human expert review: +$4.99 USD.

[Open the photo tool](https://onedollarpassportphoto.com/ca-passport-photo/)

Complete Guide

## Canada passport photo: requirements and where to get one

What a compliant Canadian passport photo needs, how to shoot one that won't be rejected, and a straight comparison of where to get it — online and in-store.

Written by

Jake

Community & Writing, One Dollar Passport Photo

Reviewed by

Lisa

Expert Reviewer, One Dollar Passport Photo

Fact-checked & verified

May 17, 2026

## The official requirements

Canada’s passport photo is 50×70 mm, larger than almost every other country’s, and printed copies must carry the studio’s stamp on the back. The IRCC spec, enforced print by print:

-   **Size:** 50×70 mm (width × height), portrait — larger than most countries’ passport photos
-   **Background:** plain white or light-coloured, no shadows
-   **Head size:** 31–36 mm from chin to crown of the head
-   **Expression:** neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open
-   **Glasses:** not allowed (the rule has held since November 2017)
-   **Recency:** taken within the last 6 months
-   **Color:** color photo only

For a digital photo, the file must be a JPEG, at least 420×540 pixels, and no larger than 4 MB.

## How to take a compliant photo

The 50×70 mm size is unusually large, and Canada requires the photographer’s details and the date stamped on the back of printed photos — so most applicants use a provider rather than printing at home. If you do shoot your own:

1.  Stand 4–6 feet from a plain white or pale wall, far enough that no shadow falls behind you.
2.  Light yourself evenly from the front — face a window. Overhead light casts shadows and can trigger red-eye.
3.  Have someone else take it from chest height, straight on. A selfie distorts the face.
4.  Look directly at the camera, neutral expression, hair clear of the eyes.
5.  Crop to 50×70 mm with the head at 31–36 mm chin to crown — or upload the shot to a tool that crops to the Canadian spec.

## Why photos get rejected

IRCC bounces the same handful of problems repeatedly. Each one, and the fix:

-   **Glasses left on** — not permitted since November 2017, even prescription glasses. Take them off.
-   **Head outside the 31–36 mm window** — too large or too small. Re-crop, or re-shoot from the right distance.
-   **Red-eye** — a flash straight into the eyes causes it. Use even front light instead of direct flash.
-   **Shadows** — on the face or behind you. Move away from the wall and light yourself from the front.
-   **Face not square to the camera** — the full face must point directly at the lens, not tilted.
-   **Photo older than 6 months** — it must reflect your current appearance.

## What to wear (and not wear)

Canada dropped glasses from passport photos in 2017, and that one rule catches more applicants than any wardrobe choice. Take them off, even prescription glasses.

**Avoid:** glasses of any kind, hats or caps, anything that casts a shadow on the face. A white or very pale top can blend into a white background, so wear a darker, solid color.

**Fine:** ordinary everyday clothing, light makeup that keeps your everyday look, religious head coverings worn daily (the face must be fully visible from forehead to chin).

Glasses are the trap: Canada removed glasses from passport photos in 2017, and many applicants still don’t know. Unless documented otherwise, glasses are an automatic rejection.

## Where to get your photo

Canada needs two identical prints with the photographer’s name, address, and the date on the back, so most people use a provider. Common options and trade-offs:

| Where | Price (CAD) | Appointment | Speed | Digital file |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walmart Canada | ~$16.97 | No | Same day | No |
| Shoppers Drug Mart | ~$17.99 ($14.99–19.99) | No | Same day | No |
| Photo studio | Varies | Sometimes | Same day | Usually |
| Online tool (this site) | ~$1 | No | ~2 minutes | Yes |

In-store is convenient and supplies the stamped prints Canada wants. To **make a passport photo** online instead, you upload any photo and the tool crops it to the 50×70 mm Canadian spec and gives you a digital file — the format the online renewal route uses. Know the limit of the online option: for a paper application, IRCC only accepts photos taken by a commercial photographer and professionally printed, so a self-printed sheet won’t qualify there. Whichever you pick, the photo only counts if it meets every rule above.

## Submitting your photo

Canadian passport applications are largely paper-based:

**Paper application** — You submit two identical 50×70 mm printed photos, and IRCC is strict about who makes them: the photo must be taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio, and professionally printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper. Photos printed at home are explicitly not accepted, so a self-taken shot or a self-printed sheet cannot be used for this route. One photo’s back must carry the photographer’s or studio’s name and address and the date the photo was taken; the other stays available for the guarantor’s signature where one is required.

**Digital photo (online renewal)** — Online renewal is where a digital photo is used, as a JPEG (at least 420×540 px, under 4 MB). Every other route expects the two studio-made prints, so check your application type before relying on a digital file alone.

## Babies, kids & special situations

**Infants and toddlers** follow the same rules with two allowances: the eyes do not have to be fully open for a newborn, and no one else may appear in the frame. Lay the baby on a plain white sheet and shoot from directly above; a hand supporting the head must not be visible.

**Religious head coverings** are allowed when worn daily for religious reasons; the face must stay fully visible from forehead to chin.

**Glasses** are not permitted. If you wear them daily, take them off for the photo.

### Sources & References

This guide is fact-checked against official government publications and updated regularly to reflect the latest requirements.

1.  \[1\]
    
    [Government of Canada — Passport photos](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/photos.html)
    
    canada.ca