Independent reference to official photo rules

Not affiliated with any government. Always confirm with the issuing authority before you apply.

WorldPhotoSpecsOfficial photo rules for every country

Citizenship and naturalisation

Canada citizenship photo requirements

The 50 × 70 mm photo rules set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for the Canada citizenship, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 9 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

Rate this page

Quick answer

What size is the Canada citizenship photo?

Canadian citizenship photos are 50 x 70 mm (2 x 2 3/4 inches) with a face of 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, taken by a commercial photographer within 6 months on a plain white or light-coloured background. Paper applications need 2 identical colour prints, or 1 for renunciation. Online applications take 1 JPEG of at least 420 x 540 pixels and no more than 4 MB. Edited photos are not accepted.

IRCC asks for photos with 3 kinds of citizenship application: a grant of citizenship, when a permanent resident becomes Canadian; proof of citizenship, which is a citizenship certificate; and renunciation of citizenship. Each has its own photo page, but they share one specification, and IRCC warns that it returns applications whose photos fall short of it.

IRCC encourages online applications and says most applicants can now apply that way, so for many people the photo is a digital file uploaded to the citizenship online account. Paper is still required in some cases, for example when an applicant counts time abroad as a Crown servant or as a Crown servant's family member, or wants a representative to complete and submit the application. A renunciation needs one printed photo.

IRCC also points out that citizenship photos do not follow the passport specification. The print size and face height are the same, but the paperwork is not: the back of a citizenship print carries your own name along with the photographer's details and the date, and paper applications need colour prints.

Canada citizenship photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada:[1]

Print size50 x 70 mm (2 x 2 3/4 in)
Digital sizeOnline: at least 420 x 540 pixels
Head height31 to 36 mm (1 1/4 to 1 7/16 in), chin to natural top of head
BackgroundPlain white or light-coloured
ColourColour for prints; an online grant application also accepts black and white
Photo ageTaken no more than 6 months before you submit the application
File sizeOnline: about 240 kB, no more than 4 MB
File formatOnline: JPG or JPEG with minimal compression, saved straight from the camera
Print qualityProfessionally printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper
Pixels when printed591 × 827 px at 300 dpi · 1181 × 1654 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
50 mm70 mm31–36 mm
50 × 70 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 31–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain white or light-coloured.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

Go to a commercial photographer or studio to have your photos taken.

Citizenship grant by mail: photo specifications[2]

be an original photo and not altered in any way

Citizenship grant online: photo specifications[3]

be professionally printed on plain, high quality photographic paper

Citizenship grant by mail: photo specifications[2]

Key requirements

  • Number of photos

    Grant or proof of citizenship by mail: 2 identical colour prints. Renunciation: 1 colour print. Online grant or proof application: 1 digital photo. Minors applying on paper also need 2 identical colour prints.

  • Commercial studio

    Have the photo taken by a commercial photographer or studio. IRCC provides a printable version of the specifications to hand to the photographer.

  • Information on the back

    Printed photos carry the first and last name of the person in the photo, the name and complete address of the photographer or studio, and the date the picture was taken.

  • Original and unaltered

    IRCC defines an altered photo broadly. That rules out adjusting colour, brightness, contrast or sharpness, cropping around the subject or pasting it onto a white background, reshaping eyes, nose, mouth or ears, removing glare, red eye, wrinkles, blemishes or birthmarks, changing hair or clothing colour, and editing the background, including erasing shadows.

  • Expression and posture

    Eyes open and clearly visible, mouth closed, no smile and no frown. Face and shoulders point straight at the camera, centred and squared, with uniform lighting and no shadows, glare or flash reflections.

  • Online file rules

    The upload is a JPG or JPEG file with minimal compression, saved straight from the camera with no changes to the original, at least 420 x 540 pixels and roughly 240 kB, never more than 4 MB.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Print IRCC's photo specifications and bring them to the studio.
  • Ask for the original digital file if you apply online.
  • Have the name, studio details and date put on the back of the print.
  • Check for even lighting with no shadow behind your ears.
  • Add a signed letter if you wear medical headwear or a nasal cannula.
  • Use a white blanket behind your head if you are in a wheelchair.

Don't

  • Do not send black-and-white prints with a paper application.
  • Do not wear sunglasses or tinted glasses, prescription or not.
  • Do not let glasses frames cover your eyes.
  • Do not edit or compress the file heavily before uploading it.
  • Do not smile or open your mouth.
  • Do not use a photo taken more than 6 months before you apply.

Sample photos

How a Canada citizenship photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 50 × 70 mm, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Glasses are accepted in citizenship photos if your eyes are clearly visible, the frames do not cover them and the lenses show no glare. IRCC's unacceptable examples include a reflection on glasses.

Sunglasses and tinted eyeglasses are not accepted, even with prescription lenses and even when your eyes can be seen. IRCC also turns down photos with red eye and photos where red eye has been edited away.

Headwear and religious dress

Hats and head coverings are accepted only when worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Your full face has to be clearly visible, and the covering must not create shadows on it. Hair may be up or down.

For medical headwear or a nasal cannula, keep your eyes clearly visible and add a signed letter of explanation; IRCC may ask for a doctor's letter. Wheelchair users should place a white blanket behind their head so both the facial features and the edges of the face show.

Babies and children

Minors need their own photos. A parent or legal guardian can apply online for up to 20 minors from one account, and on paper each minor's application includes 2 identical colour prints. Minors aged 14 to 17 also sign and date their own application.

For proof of citizenship, IRCC adds rules for child photos: show only the child's head and shoulders, and keep both the parent's and the child's hands out of the picture. A newborn may sit in a car seat with a white blanket over the seat behind the head, provided no shadows fall around the ears, on the face or shoulders, or in the background. Some range of expression is accepted for infants.

On paper, the photos are colour prints of 50 x 70 mm, professionally printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper, with the person's name, the photographer's or studio's name and complete address, and the shoot date on the back.

Online, you upload one JPG or JPEG file of at least 420 x 540 pixels, about 240 kB and no more than 4 MB, saved directly from the camera. For a grant of citizenship, colour is preferred but a black-and-white file is accepted, and if the photographer cannot supply a file you may scan a print or take a picture of it, although IRCC calls a file straight from the photographer the safer choice. For proof of citizenship, the file must be in colour, and the name, studio details and date go on the receipt or in a separate text file.

Where to submit the photo

Online applications are made through IRCC's citizenship online account. Adults can apply together as a family or group, with one adult per account, and a parent or guardian adds minors to their own account. Paper applications are mailed with the form, the fee receipt and the documents listed for your application type.

Citizenship applicants do not give biometrics, so no fingerprints or separate photo are taken at an appointment. The photo you submit is the one that has to meet the specification.

How to get your Canada citizenship photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Canada citizenship: 50 × 70 mm print, 420 × 540 px digital file, plain white or light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: number of photos; commercial studio; information on the back; original and unaltered.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. On paper, the photos are colour prints of 50 x 70 mm, professionally printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper, with the person's name, the photographer's or studio's name and complete address, and the shoot date on the back.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Online applications are made through IRCC's citizenship online account. Adults can apply together as a family or group, with one adult per account, and a parent or guardian adds minors to their own account.

Make this photo online

Canada citizenship photo FAQ

A citizenship photo is 50 mm wide by 70 mm high (2 x 2 3/4 inches). The face, from the chin to the natural top of the head, must measure 31 to 36 mm (1 1/4 to 1 7/16 inches). The same size applies to the digital photo, which must also be at least 420 x 540 pixels.

Two identical colour prints for a grant or proof of citizenship application made by mail, including for each minor. One colour print for renunciation. One digital photo if you apply online for a grant or for proof of citizenship.

Upload a JPG or JPEG with minimal compression, saved straight from the camera without changes, at least 420 x 540 pixels and about 240 kB, up to a maximum of 4 MB. The photo must still be 6 months old or less, unaltered and taken by a commercial photographer.

IRCC says citizenship photos do not use the passport specifications. Size and face height are the same, but a citizenship print must carry your name on the back with the photographer's details and date, and paper applications need colour. Whatever you send must meet the citizenship list, including the 6-month limit.

Yes, if your eyes are clearly visible, the frames do not cover your eyes and there is no glare on the lenses. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are not accepted, even with prescription lenses.

IRCC says it will return your application if the photos do not meet its specifications. Check the size, face height, background, lighting and the information on the back before you send anything.

Yes. A renunciation application needs 1 colour printed photo that meets the same specification: 50 x 70 mm, a 31 to 36 mm face, taken by a commercial photographer within 6 months, with the name, studio details and date on the back.

Only for an online grant of citizenship application, where colour is preferred but a black-and-white digital photo is accepted. Paper applications, renunciation and online proof of citizenship applications need a colour photo.

Related photo specifications

Other Canada documents

Citizenship and naturalisation nearby

Also 50 × 70 mm

Was this page helpful?

No ratings yet. Be the first to rate this page.

Official sources

  1. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship photo specifications canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship grant by mail: photo specifications canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship grant online: photo specifications canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Proof of citizenship by mail: photo specifications canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Proof of citizenship online: photo specifications canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Renounce your citizenship: photo specifications canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. How to apply for Canadian citizenship canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  8. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Minor 5(2): forms and documents to apply on paper canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  9. IRCC Help Centre. What photos do I need to include with my citizenship application? ircc.canada.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Canada citizenship photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/canada/citizenship-photo

Categories: