Sizes and measurement
Millimetres, inches, head height, framing and orientation — the measurements that decide whether a photo is accepted.
Open the cropper
Pick the size for the country you are applying to, or continue with the size you chose last.
Sizes and measurement
- mm (millimetre)
- Most countries state photo sizes in millimetres: 35×45 mm for Europe, 51×51 mm for the United States. 25.4 mm make one inch, so 35×45 mm is the same as 1⅜ × 1¾ in.
- in (inch)
- The unit used by the US (2×2 in) and Canada (50×70 mm with inches quoted alongside). The cropper lists both units for every preset.
- Head height
- The distance from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, not including hair volume. Many rejections happen because the head is too small in the frame, not because the paper size is wrong.
- Crown
- The top of the head as it appears in the photograph. Rules such as “32–36 mm from chin to crown” are measured between these two points.
- Framing
- Where the head and shoulders sit inside the photo. Most standards want the head centred horizontally with a small margin above the crown.
- Orientation
- Portrait means taller than wide (35×45 mm). Landscape means wider than tall, as used by the UK passport (35 mm wide × 45 mm high) and the Taiwan ID card (45×35 mm).
More glossary pages
- Resolution and filesPixels, ppi, dpi, aspect ratio, JPEG and PNG, file-size limits, colour space and interpolation.
- Official standardsICAO, ICAO 9303, biometric photos and consular legalisation — who sets the rules and what they mean.
- Working with the cropperPreset, crop, print sheet, cutting guide and bleed — the words used by the cropping tool itself.
- Units at a glanceEvery common photo size converted to pixels at 300 ppi and 600 ppi, and the countries that use it.