Passport and visa photo requirements
Almost every country asks for the same things: a recent, sharp, front-facing photo with a large head, a plain background and a neutral expression. The differences are in the measurements. Pick a topic below, or jump straight to the guide for the country you are applying to.
The rules that apply everywhere
Head size, background, expression, glasses, headwear, lighting and editing: the parts of a passport or visa photo that almost every country checks.
Print photo or digital photo?
Printed passport photos are measured in millimetres, digital ones in pixels and file size. What changes between the two routes, and how to export one file that works for both.
How to prepare a photo that passes
Five steps from taking the photo to exporting the file: lighting, camera height, expression, cropping with the country preset and choosing a resolution.
Photo sizes and country guides
The photo size, head height and background for 19 countries, with a detailed guide and official links for each one.
Where to start
- Applying today? Open the country guide, check the size and background, then use the "Crop to this size" button to load that preset in the cropper.
- Not sure which size? The country table lists every size in one place, in millimetres and pixels.
- Photo already taken? Go straight to the cropper, pick the preset, and check the head height against the guide before you export.