Canada Photo Requirements: Passport, Visitor Visa and PR
Updated · PixKB
Canada uses different photo rules for the passport, the visitor visa and permanent residence applications, and only some of them take a digital file. Here's which one you need, from canada.ca (read 26 October 2026), and what you may and may not do to the file.
Which photo do you need?
| Application | Photo | Key rules |
|---|---|---|
| Passport, in person or by mail | Printed by a commercial photographer | 50 mm wide × 70 mm high; chin to crown 31–36 mm |
| Passport, online renewal | Digital file from a commercial photographer | 1200×1800 to 3000×4500 px, 200 KB–5 MB, .jpeg/.jpg, 3:2 portrait, head 45–50% of the height |
| Visitor visa (paper application) | Printed | At least 35×45 mm; chin to crown 31–36 mm; taken within 6 months |
| Permanent residence portal / PR card (online) | Digital | 715×1000 to 2000×2800 px, 4 MB or less, .jpeg/.jpg, white background |
Sources: canada.ca passport photos page, IRCC temporary resident visa photo specifications and the PR card photo page (online tab), read 26 October 2026.
PR portal photo: don't edit it
The PR portal accepts a professional digital photo or a scan of a printed professional photo, but not "a photo of a paper photo taken with your digital camera or phone". IRCC requires an original photo that isn't altered in any way, and its list of alterations includes "cropping around the head and shoulders". So PixKB doesn't offer a tool for this photo: cropping or resizing it yourself could get it rejected. If the file is outside 715×1000 to 2000×2800 pixels or over 4 MB, ask the photographer for a file that meets the spec. You can check a file's pixel size and file size in your computer's file properties.
The PR photo must be taken no more than 12 months before you apply, on a plain, untextured white background. Glasses are allowed if your eyes are clearly visible with no glare; head coverings only if worn daily for religious or medical reasons.
Passport online renewal: don't edit the file
For online passport renewal, canada.ca asks for a digital photo from a commercial photographer, "saved directly from the original file captured by the camera", and you must give the studio's name, address and the date. Re-saving or compressing that file yourself could break that rule, so PixKB doesn't offer a preset for it. If the photographer's file is outside 1200×1800 to 3000×4500 pixels or 200 KB to 5 MB, ask the studio for a compliant file. The photo must be no more than 6 months old, with no editing, "including … AI tools".
Visitor visa and printed passport photos
These are printed photos: at least 35×45 mm for the visitor visa, 50×70 mm for the passport, both with 31–36 mm from chin to crown, taken within 6 months, on a plain white or light-coloured background. The visitor visa page publishes no digital upload size. Sunglasses aren't accepted; non-tinted prescription glasses are, if your eyes are clearly visible.
Other countries: photo requirements by document.
Official sources
We read these pages directly. Rules change, so check the current version before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Canadian PR portal photo?
Between 715×1000 and 2000×2800 pixels, 4 MB or less, .jpeg or .jpg, on a plain white background, taken no more than 12 months before you apply.
What size is a Canadian passport photo?
Printed: 50 mm wide × 70 mm high, chin to crown 31–36 mm. For online renewal: a digital file from a commercial photographer, 1200×1800 to 3000×4500 pixels, 200 KB to 5 MB.
Can I resize my passport renewal photo with PixKB?
No: canada.ca asks for a file saved directly from the camera's original. Ask the photographer for a compliant file instead.
What size is a Canada visitor visa photo?
The paper application asks for a printed photo at least 35×45 mm, chin to crown 31–36 mm. The page doesn't publish a digital upload size.
Can I use a phone photo for the PR portal?
The PR page accepts a professional digital photo or a scan of a printed professional photo, but not a photo of a paper photo taken with a phone or camera.
How old can the photo be?
PR portal: no more than 12 months. Passport and visitor visa: within 6 months.
Are glasses allowed?
Yes, if your eyes are clearly visible with no glare, and never sunglasses or tinted lenses.
Can the photo be black and white?
Yes. The passport, visitor visa and PR pages all accept colour or black and white.
Can I crop or resize my PR photo myself?
IRCC counts cropping around the head and shoulders as altering the photo, and requires an unaltered original. Ask the photographer for a compliant file instead.