Passport & Visa Photo File Requirements: Sizes in KB and Pixels (Canada, US, UK, India, Schengen)
Updated October 30, 2026 · 3 min read
Set the exact pixel size and the KB limit — the tool crops, resizes and compresses in one step.
Online applications are strict about the digital photo: wrong dimensions or a file that is 5 KB too large and the form refuses to continue. The rules differ by country, so here are the common ones in one place, followed by a method that works for all of them.
Requirements change; always confirm on the official application page before submitting.
Canada (IRCC — passport, PR, citizenship, visa)
- Format: JPEG
- Dimensions: minimum 420 × 540 px; photo must be 35 × 45 mm at print scale, head 31–36 mm
- File size: up to 4 MB (many provincial and university portals set 1–2 MB)
- Plain white/light background, neutral expression, no glasses glare
United States (DS-160, DV lottery, passport)
- Format: JPEG
- Dimensions: square, 600 × 600 to 1200 × 1200 px
- File size: under 240 KB
- Head 50–69% of image height, taken within the last 6 months
The 240 KB limit catches most people: phone photos are 3 MB+. Resize to 1200 × 1200 first, then compress to the limit.
United Kingdom (HM Passport Office, visa)
- Format: JPEG
- Dimensions: at least 600 × 750 px (portrait 4:5)
- File size: 50 KB – 10 MB
- Light grey or cream background
India (Passport Seva, UIDAI, exam portals)
- Passport Seva: JPEG, 3.5 × 4.5 cm; typically 10–20 KB for some sections; exam boards (SSC, UPSC, NEET) often require 20–50 KB photo and 10–20 KB signature, usually 3.5 × 4.5 cm at 200 dpi (≈ 276 × 354 px).
- Aadhaar / PAN: JPEG under 50 KB (photo), under 10 KB (signature)
These small limits are where a target-size compressor matters most: see compress image to 20 KB and 50 KB.
Schengen visa (VFS / embassy portals)
- Format: JPEG
- Dimensions: 35 × 45 mm, typically 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi
- File size: usually 100–500 KB depending on the portal
Australia (ImmiAccount)
- JPEG or PNG, 35 × 45 mm, file under 500 KB; head 32–36 mm
The method that works everywhere
- Take the photo properly. Plain wall, daylight from the front, phone at eye level, no shadows, no filters. Shoot larger than needed.
- Crop to the required ratio. Most countries use 35 × 45 mm (ratio 7:9 ≈ 4:5); the US uses square (1:1). In the image resizer, enter the target pixel size (e.g. 600 × 600 for the US, 413 × 531 for Schengen) and uncheck "keep aspect ratio". A crop frame locked to that ratio appears — position it so the head is centred and fills the required share of the height.
- Set the file-size limit. Enable Target size and enter the limit (240 KB, 50 KB, 20 KB…). The tool finds the best quality that fits.
- Export as JPEG, download, and check the dimensions in the file properties before uploading.
Why not just screenshot or "Save as" from the phone?
Screenshots produce odd dimensions (your screen's, not the form's) and PNG files that are larger than JPEG. "Save as small" in photo apps picks an arbitrary size. Doing the crop and the size limit explicitly is the only way to pass the validator the first time.
Troubleshooting
- "Image dimensions invalid" — you resized without cropping, so the ratio is off. Crop first.
- "File too large" although it looks small — the file is PNG. Export as JPEG.
- Photo looks blurry after compression — the limit forced quality too low at that resolution; use the smallest allowed dimensions (e.g. 600 × 600 instead of 1200 × 1200) and compress again.
Shrink a photo below 50 KB automatically — ideal for passport photos, job portals and government forms.