Canadian Passport Photo

Requirements for Canadian Passport Photo

You need to prepare two identical photos when applying for your Canadian passport. Canadian has strict criteria for the photo you took, including:

• Size. Your Canadian passport photo must be 50 mm wide by 70 mm high (2 inches wide by 2¾ inches high). The height of your face must measure between 31 mm (1¼ inches) and 36 mm (1⁷⁄₁₆ inches) from your chin to the crown of your head.
• Quality of your picture. The picture you took should be clear and in sharp focus. Besides, there should be no shadows or reflections in your photo. In addition, your Canadian passport photo must be an original version that is not altered.
• Color. The photo can be in color or in black and white.

What Is Acceptable and What Is Not Appropriate in Your Photos?

When taking your Canadian passport photo, you can:

• Wear your glasses as long as you make sure your eyes are entirely visible in your photo. It is essential to show all your facial features in your picture. Therefore, if your eyes are not covered by any part of your glasses or their reflection, you can wear them when taking your photo. 
• Put on hats and head coverings for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Please ensure your face will not cover by your headgear when you have to wear one.
• Put your hair down or up. It is OK to put your hair down but you need to make sure the edges of your face are visible.

Nevertheless, there are some things you should avoid in your passport photo:

• Smile or frown. Just keep a neutral facial expression.
• Wear sunglasses or tinted glasses. These glasses are bound to cover your eyes so you are not allowed to wear them in your picture.
• Shadow in your face, your shoulder, behind your head, or in your photo. You need to make sure the light of your photo is even and no shadows appear in the photo.
• Red-eye effect. Make sure there is no red eye in your photo.

Why Do I Need to Keep a Neutral Expression When Taking My Canadian Passport Photo?

Keeping a neutral expression in your passport photo is recommended by International Civil Aviation Organization. The purpose of doing so is to help the facial recognition systems better recognize your unique facial features to prevent fraud. Apart from that, it can also let government officials identify you quicker. Only in a relaxed and neutral state can you show your facial character clearly. Therefore, no need to smile, keep your eyes open and mouth closed, and relax when taking your Canadian passport photo.

What Kind of Pose Should I Take in My Canadian Passport Photo?

The desirable pose is sit or stand upright, let your face square to camera and look directly to the camera lens. Don't forget to include your whole face, from your crown to the bottom of your chin, your neck, and the edge of your shoulder in the photo too.

 What Can An Online Passport Photo Editor Do for You？

The rapid development of the Internet and AI technology enables you to take your passport photo online. However, simply taking pictures of yourself doesn't mean the task is finished. The most important job is to make sure your photo is up to standard. Our excellent online photo tool can help you: 

• Crop your photo into proper format. If you have no idea of the size of your passport or do not know how to resize your photo, it is totally fine. AiPassportPhotos knows the photo requirements of different documents well and will help you crop your photo according to the type of photo you choose.
• Change your background color to the correct one. Your background color is not the right one? Or the background of your photo has patterns? No need to worry. Our online photo generator will change your background color into an acceptable one automatically.
• Guarantee you a global compliance photo. We can ensure you a 100% Compliance Guaranteed passport photo if you choose to upload your photo on our website. We are confident with our cutting-edge technology and always welcome you to pick up your perfect passport photo.

Requirements for Printing Canadian Passport Photos

The Canadian government suggests that your passport photo should be printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper. Therefore, passport photos printed at home or printed on heavy-weight paper may fail to live up to the standard. To avoid rejection of your Canadian passport because of the reason of printing in an improper way, you are encouraged to print your picture at a professional photo studio or lab.