Passport Photo Size by Country: Quick Reference for 30 Destinations

One Photo Standard Per Country, Sometimes Two

Embassies don't share a single passport photo standard. The US, India, and Vietnam use 2x2 inches. Europe's Schengen zone uses 35x45mm. China uses 33x48mm with a specific blue background. Mexico uses 4.5x3.5cm. Australia uses 35x45mm but with stricter face-height rules than Schengen.

Submit a photo at the wrong dimensions and the embassy rejects the application, costing you a re-submission fee and 1-3 weeks of waiting. This reference covers the 30 most common destinations Americans, Brits, and Canadians visit, with the exact specs each one requires.

Our passport photo maker handles all 30 standards automatically. Pick your destination, upload your photo, get back a properly sized print-ready file.

Quick Reference Table

The Three Rules That Trip People Up

Rule 1: Background color is enforced

US says "white or off-white." UK says "light gray or cream." China says "RGB blue 67,142,219" with measurement. Submit a Schengen application with a white background instead of light gray and you might get rejected.

If your photo background isn't right, our background remover swaps it cleanly without redoing the photo session.

Rule 2: Face height matters more than overall size

Most rejections come from face-height measurement, not from the overall photo dimensions. The face must be a specific size within the frame:

• Schengen: 32-36mm chin to top of head
• US: 25-35mm chin to top of head
• UK: 29-34mm

Crop the overall dimensions correctly but get face height wrong and the embassy rejects.

Rule 3: Glasses, smiling, and hair

Most countries since 2016 ban glasses in passport photos. Some allow medical exceptions. Most ban smiling but allow neutral expression. Some require both ears visible (South Korea), some require hair off forehead (South Africa).

Check the embassy site for your specific country before shooting. The rules change yearly.

Step-by-Step: One Photo, Multiple Destinations

If you're traveling to multiple countries on one trip:

1. Shoot or scan one high-resolution source photo (at least 600 DPI scan or 12 MP camera output)
2. Upload to our passport photo maker once per country
3. The tool auto-crops, sets background, and validates face height for each country's spec
4. Download each variant separately
5. Print at any photo kiosk for less than $1 per print sheet

The same source photo gets reused across destinations as long as your appearance hasn't changed (no major haircut, no new beard, etc.) within the past 6 months.

When to Hire a Professional

DIY works for 90% of cases. Hire a pro when:

• You wear medically-required glasses (the spec is hard to follow with glasses)
• You have a religious head covering (rules vary by country)
• You're applying to multiple countries with conflicting backgrounds (a pro can shoot once, edit for each)

For most US, UK, EU, and Schengen applications, DIY with our passport photo maker works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my photo be rejected if it's 1mm off?

Strict embassies (Schengen, Japan) check measurements. 1mm off can trigger rejection. US is more lenient and rejects mostly for content (smile, glasses, background) rather than precise dimensions.

Can I use the same photo for my passport AND visa?

Sometimes. If both have the same dimensions and the visa application allows photos taken within 6 months, yes. Otherwise no. Many countries require photos under 3 months old for visas.

What about US passport photos taken with my phone?

Allowed since 2017 if dimensions are correct, background is plain, lighting is even, and you're facing forward with neutral expression. Use our tool to verify dimensions.

Why do some countries want a blue background and others white?

It's mostly tradition and specific document standards. China wants blue because their internal ID system uses blue. Most other countries adopted white as the international default. Indonesia uses red for specific visa types because their immigration system uses color coding.

Can I print at home?

Yes if you have a photo printer with at least 300 DPI and glossy or semi-gloss photo paper. Plain office paper looks bad and many embassies reject office-paper prints.

Related Reading

• How to Use a Passport Photo Maker
• Print Passport Photos at Home for Under $1
• Why Your Passport Photo Got Rejected

Bottom Line

Use our passport photo maker to auto-size for any of 30+ countries. Validate face height. Match background color exactly. Print at any kiosk. Save weeks of re-submission delays and tens of dollars in re-application fees.