Passport photo glossary
Official photo instructions are written in a vocabulary of millimetres, pixels and ICAO standards. These are the terms you will meet, explained in plain language and grouped so each page stays short.
Sizes and measurement
Millimetres, inches, head height, framing and orientation — the measurements that decide whether a photo is accepted.
Resolution and files
Pixels, ppi, dpi, aspect ratio, JPEG and PNG, file-size limits, colour space and interpolation.
Official standards
ICAO, ICAO 9303, biometric photos and consular legalisation — who sets the rules and what they mean.
Working with the cropper
Preset, crop, print sheet, cutting guide and bleed — the words used by the cropping tool itself.
Units at a glance
Every common photo size converted to pixels at 300 ppi and 600 ppi, and the countries that use it.
Looking for a country instead?
The country photo guides list the exact size, head height and background for 19 countries, and the photo requirements pages cover the rules that apply everywhere.