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Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status photo requirements

The 50 × 70 mm photo rules set by Indigenous Services Canada for the Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status photo?

A secure status card photo can be taken by anyone. You either submit it free through the SCIS Photo App or send 2 identical, unaltered prints measuring 50 x 70 mm (2 x 2 3/4 inches), with the face 31 to 36 mm from chin to natural top of head. Photos must be taken within 12 months, in colour or black and white, on a plain white or light-coloured background. One print carries the person's name and the date taken on the back.

The Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), usually called the secure status card, is issued by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to people registered under the Indian Act. You must already be registered, or apply for registration at the same time, and one set of photo rules covers a first card, a renewal, a replacement and a change of information. Adults are 16 or older; a parent or legal guardian applies for a child aged 15 or younger.

ISC is relaxed about who takes the picture. Its photo page says photos can be taken by anyone, and they can be taken free at an ISC regional office, at a First Nations office where offered, or by a trusted source. You may also pay a service provider for Canadian passport-style photos. With the SCIS Photo App, you can take your own photo on a smartphone and submit it straight from the app at no cost.

This page is about the secure card. Some First Nations offices still issue the older, non-secure Certificate of Indian Status on their own form, and ISC says the SCIS Photo App cannot be used for that card. ISC encourages people to move to the secure card, which it began issuing in 2009 to help protect registered persons from identity theft.

Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Indigenous Services Canada:[1]

Print size50 x 70 mm (2 x 2 3/4 in) for printed photos
Digital sizeSCIS Photo App: taken and sent in the app; no pixel size published
Head height31 to 36 mm (1 1/4 to 1 7/16 in), chin to natural top of head
BackgroundPlain white or light-coloured, clearly different from the face
ColourColour or black and white
Photo ageTaken no more than 12 months before you submit the application
Print quality2 identical prints 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:

Provide 2 identical and unaltered Canadian passport-style photos that meet these specifications

How your photos should look for a secure status card[1]

Key requirements

  • Anyone can take it

    ISC accepts photos taken by anyone. The free options are the SCIS Photo App, a regional office, a First Nations office if applicable, or any trusted source; a paid passport-photo service is also acceptable.

  • Print size and face length

    Printed photos measure 50 mm wide by 70 mm high. The face, from the chin to the natural top of the head, must be between 31 mm and 36 mm long.

  • Two identical, unaltered prints

    Send 2 identical photos on plain, high-quality photographic paper. Each one must be an original rather than a copy of an existing photo, and it must not be altered.

  • Name and date on the back

    On the back of one print, write the full name of the person in the photo and the date it was taken, not the date it was printed. If a guarantor is needed, they add their signature and the date they signed.

  • Neutral and evenly lit

    Eyes open and clearly visible, mouth closed, face and shoulders centred and squared to the camera. Lighting is uniform, without shadows, glare or flash reflections, and skin tones look natural.

  • Guarantor for mail applications

    Applying by mail requires a Guarantor Declaration (83-169). The guarantor signs and dates the back of 1 printed photo, or the back of the digital photo in the SCIS Photo App, as well as each copy of your ID.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use the free SCIS Photo App if you have a smartphone.
  • Have your guarantor present when you take an app photo.
  • Write the name and the date taken on the back of one print.
  • Stand in front of a plain white or light-coloured background.
  • Keep the child's hands and your own out of the frame.
  • Call ahead for an appointment at a regional office.

Don't

  • Do not alter or retouch the photo.
  • Do not copy the photo from an existing picture.
  • Do not wear sunglasses or tinted glasses.
  • Do not use the app for the older, non-secure status card.
  • Do not use a photo taken more than 12 months ago.
  • Do not write the print date instead of the date taken.

Sample photos

How a Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status 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

Prescription eyeglasses may be worn if your eyes are clearly visible and there is no reflection or glare on the lenses. Sunglasses and tinted eyeglasses are not accepted.

ISC also turns down photos that show the red-eye effect, and photos in which red eye has been altered.

Headwear and religious dress

Head coverings are not accepted unless worn for religious, cultural or medical purposes. When you wear one, your full face must be clearly visible and the covering must not cast shadows on your face. Hair can be worn down.

Babies and children

Children's photos follow the same rules, plus two more: 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 be photographed in a car seat if a white blanket covers the seat behind the head, with no shadows across the face or shoulders, around the ears or in the background. ISC recognises minor variations in a newborn's neutral expression.

For a child aged 15 or younger, a parent or legal guardian applies and includes a copy of the most recent custody or guardianship documents where they apply; for a dependent adult, a copy of the order of guardianship. A child's photo can also be submitted through the SCIS Photo App. A child's card is valid for 5 years, against 10 years for adults and dependent adults.

Printed photos are 2 identical prints of 50 x 70 mm on plain, high-quality photographic paper, with the name and date taken on the back of one. They go in with a paper application, whether you hand it in or mail it.

The SCIS Photo App is the digital route. Download it free from Google Play or the App Store, follow the on-screen instructions and submit the photo from your phone. ISC publishes no pixel size or file format for it, since the photo is taken inside the app. The app works for registration together with a secure card and for first, renewal and replacement secure cards, but not for the older status card. ISC says no personal information is stored in the app.

Where to submit the photo

Apply in person at an ISC regional office, where ISC recommends calling ahead for an appointment, or at a First Nations office if it offers the service. Otherwise mail the application to the National SCIS Processing Unit, Indigenous Services Canada, 10 rue Wellington, Gatineau QC K1A 0H4.

A mail application needs a Guarantor Declaration (83-169) signed by you and the guarantor, who also signs and dates each copy of your ID and the back of one photo. If a guarantor is needed but none can be found, you complete a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor (83-170) with 2 references instead. A secure card can be renewed up to 1 year before the renewal date on its front, and eligible registered adults can use a simplified renewal form.

How to get your Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status: 50 × 70 mm print, plain white or light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: anyone can take it; print size and face length; two identical, unaltered prints; name and date on the back.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Printed photos are 2 identical prints of 50 x 70 mm on plain, high-quality photographic paper, with the name and date taken on the back of one. They go in with a paper application, whether you hand it in or mail it. The SCIS Photo App is the digital route.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply in person at an ISC regional office, where ISC recommends calling ahead for an appointment, or at a First Nations office if it offers the service.

Make this photo online

Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status photo FAQ

Printed photos are 50 mm wide by 70 mm high (2 x 2 3/4 inches), with the face 31 to 36 mm (1 1/4 to 1 7/16 inches) from chin to natural top of head. With the SCIS Photo App you take the photo in the app and follow its on-screen instructions; ISC publishes no separate pixel size.

Yes. ISC says photos can be taken by anyone. You can use the free SCIS Photo App on your smartphone, or send prints that meet the specifications. Free photos are also offered at regional offices, some First Nations offices and trusted sources.

Two identical printed photos, or one photo submitted through the SCIS Photo App. Prints must be unaltered originals, and one of them carries the name of the person and the date it was taken on the back.

Only when a guarantor is required, for example when you apply by mail. The guarantor then signs and dates the back of one printed photo, or the back of the digital photo in the SCIS Photo App, and should be with you when an app photo is taken.

Yes, prescription glasses are fine as long as your eyes are clearly visible and there is no reflection or glare on the lenses. Sunglasses and tinted eyeglasses are not accepted.

No. ISC says the app can only be used for the secure status card, including when you apply for registration and the secure card together. Some First Nations offices still issue the non-secure Certificate of Indian Status on their own application form; ask that office what photos it needs.

It must be taken no more than 12 months before the date you submit the application, and it must reflect how the applicant looks now. The date written on the back must be the date taken, not the print date.

Yes, if you wear it for religious, cultural or medical purposes. Your full face must be clearly visible and the covering must not cast any shadows on your face.

Related photo specifications

Other Canada documents

Identity cards nearby

Also 50 × 70 mm

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Official sources

  1. Indigenous Services Canada. How your photos should look for a secure status card sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Indigenous Services Canada. Get, renew or replace a status card sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Indigenous Services Canada. Application forms for Indian status and status cards sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Indigenous Services Canada. Instructions: SCIS application for already registered persons (83-172IE) sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Indigenous Services Canada. What you need to submit with your application sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Indigenous Services Canada. Submit your application sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Indigenous Services Canada. After you apply sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.
  8. Indigenous Services Canada. About guarantors sac-isc.gc.ca. Checked 1 November 2026.

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

Cite this page

"Canada secure Certificate of Indian Status photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/canada/indian-status-photo

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