Canada photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 15 documents issued in Canada, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Most Canadian documents use a 50 x 70 mm print: passports, PR cards, citizenship, Indian status cards and Ontario security licences with a 31 to 36 mm face, and Quebec health insurance cards, for which RAMQ sets no face size. Visa prints need a frame of at least 35 x 45 mm, firearms licences 45 x 57 mm, and security clearance photos 43 x 54 to 50 x 70 mm. The Veteran's Service Card sets no size. Online channels have their own pixel limits.
Overview
A Canadian passport photo is 50 x 70 mm (2 x 2 3/4 inches), with the face 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white or light-coloured background, taken by a commercial photographer no more than 6 months before you apply; for online renewal, the photographer supplies a 3:2 portrait JPEG of 1,200 x 1,800 to 3,000 x 4,500 pixels and 200 KB to 5 MB instead of prints. Paper applications need 2 identical, unedited prints, and the studio name, address and date go on the back of one.
In Canada, the body that issues a document sets its photo rules, and they differ more than the common 50 x 70 mm size suggests. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) covers passports, visitor visas, permanent residence and PR cards, and citizenship. The RCMP sets the firearms licence photo, Indigenous Services Canada the secure status card, a Treasury Board form the security clearance photo, RAMQ the Quebec health insurance card, provinces such as Ontario the security guard licence, and National Defence the Veteran's Service Card.
Who may take the photo also varies. Passport, PR and citizenship photos must come from a commercial photographer or studio, and IRCC refuses any editing. Indigenous Services Canada lets anyone take a status card photo, including through its free SCIS Photo App, and the Veteran's Service Card accepts a printed phone photo that meets its rules, while Ontario rules out selfies for security licences. For the Quebec card, the photo is either taken at an SAAQ outlet or brought in person to a CLSC, and RAMQ refuses photos sent by mail.
Channels differ too. Most visa applicants give fingerprints and a photo at a biometrics appointment instead of sending prints, while online passport renewal, the PR portal, online citizenship applications and firearms licence applications take digital files with their own size limits.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 50 × 70 mm | 3000 × 4500 px | Plain white or light-coloured, clearly… |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain white or light-coloured |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secure certificate of indian status | 50 × 70 mm | — | Plain white or light-coloured, clearly… |
Driving licences
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver's licence | — | — | — |
Residence and work permits
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident | 50 × 70 mm | 2000 × 2800 px | Plain, untextured white |
| Study and work permit | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain white or light-coloured |
Citizenship and naturalisation
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship | 50 × 70 mm | 420 × 540 px | Plain white or light-coloured |
Travel documents
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXUS card | — | — | — |
| Permanent resident travel document (PRTD) | — | — | — |
Licences and permit cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearms licence | 45 × 57 mm | — | Plain white or light-coloured, without… |
| Personnel screening | 43 × 54 mm | — | Not specified: the instructions ask only for… |
| Security licence | 50 × 70 mm | — | Ontario: plain white, clearly different from… |
Other documents
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provincial health card | — | — | Quebec |
| Quebec health insurance card | 50 × 70 mm | — | Solid white or light-coloured |
| Veteran's service card | — | — | Plain white or light-coloured |
Frequently asked questions
A Canadian passport photo is 50 x 70 mm (2 x 2 3/4 inches), with the face measuring 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown. You need 2 identical prints from a commercial photographer, taken within 6 months, with the studio details on the back of one. PR card and citizenship prints use the same size but have different paperwork.
No. IRCC's visa specifications set a minimum frame of 35 x 45 mm, although the head size is the same 31 to 36 mm. Many visa applicants never need prints, because their photo is taken at a biometrics appointment.
Indigenous Services Canada says status card photos can be taken by anyone, including with its SCIS Photo App, and the Veteran's Service Card form accepts a printed photo from a mobile device. Passport, PR and citizenship photos must come from a commercial photographer, and Ontario does not accept selfies for security licences.
Online passport renewal (3:2 JPEG, 1,200 x 1,800 to 3,000 x 4,500 pixels, 200 KB to 5 MB), the PR portal (715 x 1000 to 2000 x 2800 pixels, up to 4 MB), online citizenship applications (at least 420 x 540 pixels, up to 4 MB), the firearms licence (JPG, 200 KB to 6 MB), Ontario security licences (under 950 KB), the SCIS Photo App and the Veteran's Service Card portal.
Six months for passports, citizenship, visas, Quebec health insurance cards, Ontario security licences and security clearance photos. Twelve months for PR cards and permanent residence applications, firearms licences and secure status cards.
It depends on the document. Passports: studio name, address and date, plus a guarantor's statement and signature for first-time and child applications. PR: your name and date of birth, studio details and date, no guarantor. Citizenship: name, studio details and date. Firearms licence: your name and a guarantor's name and signature, except on renewals. Clearance photos: signatures of the applicant and a security official.
Yes, by a commercial photographer where you live, but the photos must still meet the Canadian rules. IRCC warns applicants abroad that Canadian photo requirements differ from other countries' and asks them to request the right size: 50 x 70 mm with a 31 to 36 mm face. A standard 2 x 2 inch US passport photo will not work. The photographer writes their name, full address and the date on the back of one print, and for a first adult passport or a child passport your guarantor signs it too.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Northern America:
Official sources
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Passport photo requirements canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Renew your passport online canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Apply for a new passport abroad canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Temporary Resident Visa application photograph specifications canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Permanent resident photos canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship photo specifications canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Photo requirements for a firearms licence rcmp.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Indigenous Services Canada. How your photos should look for a secure status card sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (copy hosted by ACOA). Personnel Screening, Consent and Authorization Form (TBS/SCT 330-23E), with instructions canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Public Services and Procurement Canada. How to complete the Security clearance form (TBS/SCT 330-60E) canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec. Photo et signature (carte d'assurance maladie) ramq.gouv.qc.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Government of Ontario. Security guard or private investigator licence (individuals) ontario.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- National Defence. Veteran's Service Card canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
- National Defence. Veteran's Service Card Application (DND 9036-E) canada.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Canada photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/canada