Canada passport photo 50×70 mm, free
Upload any straight-on photo and PassportNinja sizes it exactly to Canada's unusually large 50×70 mm passport format and whitens the background: free.
The face has to land 31-36 mm from chin to crown, which is the official rule behind that crop; one important Canada-only rule about the printed photo is covered below, so read it before you print.
By Sam Ridder · Last updated: September 2026
You don't pay to find out if your photo is valid. The compliance check and the printable sheet are both free. No card, no account.
What we actually see on this page
Canada's template was opened 4 times in the 40-day sample we measured from 13 July to 21 August 2026, 4 of the 28 times any country template was opened across the whole site in that window, and a small number next to the UK's 12. We report what happened, not what we'd like to have happened.
Across the whole site in that period, 0 of the tool's jobs failed outright: no crashes, no half-finished results. When something does go wrong for a visitor, it's the tool declining a photo with a specific reason shown on screen (57 uploads were rejected this way in the same 40 days), not a silent error. For Canada specifically, that matters because of the back-of-photo rule below: if the crop and head-height come out right here, the tool did its part. What's covered below is the one thing it can't do for you.
IRCC lists the current passport photo rules, sizing, background and the studio-stamp requirement covered below, on Canada.ca, and that's the version to check against, not this page. See the official passport photo requirements.
What happens when you upload a photo here
Under the hood, the tool resizes your photo until your chin-to-crown measurement sits inside the 31-36 mm band, then positions the crop so 42% of the space left over sits above the crown and 58% below the chin: a touch more room under the chin than over the head. After the crop, we don't trust the original photo's proportions any more: the finished 50×70 mm image gets measured again, with 1.5 mm of tolerance built in either side of the band. Miss it and the tool says so with your actual number, using this exact line: "Head height ≈ X mm; requirement is 31-36 mm. Try a photo taken from further away."
A limitation worth flagging here too: whatever shade of background the rules technically allow, ours always comes out plain white. You'll get a 600 dpi digital file at the full 50×70 mm, plus a 10×15 cm print sheet with cut lines for a photo shop or a home printer. Expression, open eyes, shadows and glasses are yours to check yourself: the tool doesn't grade any of them.
Two numbers that decide what you can do with the output. The digital file comes out at 1181 × 1654 px, which is the 50 × 70 mm frame at 600 dpi. The print sheet fits two Canadian photos side by side: the 50 × 70 mm format is large enough that a 10 × 15 cm sheet holds no more, where a 35 × 45 mm European photo would fit eight. Cut lines are drawn on the sheet so a photo shop or a pair of scissors lands on the right edge.
You can run six photos at once for free and keep the results for 45 minutes; the optional pass raises that to 25 photos in one batch and holds them for a day. Nothing is watermarked on either tier, and your upload is deleted the moment processing finishes: the file never leaves the machine it was cropped on.
Important: the back-of-photo rule
Read this before assuming a home photo is enough. For an actual Canadian passport, the program requires the photos to show the commercial photographer's or studio's name, full address and the date the photo was taken on the back of one photo. No online tool, including this one, can add that stamp, because it is proof the photo was taken by a recognised photographer.
So PassportNinja is the fast, free way to get the size, head height and white background exactly right (great for checking your framing, for other Canadian ID, PR-card and citizenship uses, and for seeing what a compliant photo looks like), but for a passport you'll usually still hand the correct-size file to a photographer to print and stamp, or have them retake it. We'd rather tell you that up front than have your application bounced. A passport photo at home is exactly what this tool sizes correctly, right up until the studio-stamp step.
How to size your Canada photo
PassportNinja handles the mechanical part: it crops to the exact size, scales your head to the required height and replaces the background with plain white, then gives you a digital file at 600 dpi plus a printable 10×15 cm sheet. It does not judge lighting, expression or glasses, and it can't guarantee acceptance: that's always the issuing office's call. Follow the checklist for the things a tool can't see.
- Choose "Canada: passport (50×70 mm)" in the tool.
- Upload a straight-on photo taken from about 1.5 m away, head and shoulders in frame.
- Check the head lands inside the 31-36 mm band shown in the result.
- Download the 50×70 mm file: then, for a passport, get it printed and stamped by a photographer as noted above.
Also need a passport photo for a different country? See our US passport photo guide for the American 2×2 inch format, run any photo through the passport photo size checker to find the right dimensions, or use the ID photo maker for a driving licence or ID card instead.
The Canada passport photo digital file comes out at 1181 × 1654 px at 600 dpi, exactly 50 × 70 mm: the full Canada passport digital photo, not a preview. The tool is a passport photo crop tool and photo converter in one: it does the passport photo crop, rescales the face into the 31 to 36 mm band and saves the result with a white background, so there is nothing to crop or resize yourself. As a passport photo converter it takes any JPG or PNG.
Common questions
What size is a Canadian passport photo?
50 mm wide by 70 mm high, with the face 31-36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white background. It is larger than the European 35×45 mm format. Those Canadian passport photo dimensions are the same for adults and babies, and the Canadian passport picture size has the 5:7 aspect ratio that follows from 50 by 70 mm. So the Canada passport photo size is 50 by 70 mm. The Canada passport size photo for a PR card is that size too. The passport size Canada uses is 50 by 70 mm for adults and babies alike. The Canadian passport size photo and the Canadian passport dimensions are no different.
Can I use a photo I made at home for a Canadian passport?
You can get the size and background exactly right here, but Canada's passport program requires the photographer's name, address and the date on the back of the photo. A home photo without that is usually not accepted for the passport itself, though it's fine for getting the framing right and for many other uses.
Why is the Canadian photo so big?
Canada simply standardised on a 50×70 mm print. Don't try to stretch a 35×45 mm photo to fit. Pick the Canada template so the head is scaled to the right 31-36 mm height. Passport pictures Canada usually means this same 50×70 mm figure everywhere, since it hasn't changed in years. Because the Canadian passport photo size is 50×70 mm with the face 31-36 mm from chin to crown, a European photo has to be re-cropped from the original, not enlarged.
Is it free?
Yes: no account, no watermark. The tool is free; only a physical photographer's stamp (a Canada-specific passport rule) sits outside what any online tool can do.
Can I use this for a Canada visa photo, not just a passport?
This tool is built for the Canadian passport format: 50×70 mm with the face 31-36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white background. Many Canadian visa and immigration photo submissions use that same specification, but check your specific visa's instructions: we only verify against the passport rule here.
Can I make a Canada passport photo online, or does it have to be printed in a shop?
You can do the sizing and white background online here for free. For the passport itself, remember you'll still need to get it printed and have a photographer add their name, address and the date on the back. See the back-of-photo rule above.
Does this give me a digital Canada passport photo, not just a print?
Yes. Every upload gives you a 600 dpi digital file at the exact 50×70 mm size, plus a printable 10×15 cm sheet with cut lines: both free. For the actual application, Canada still requires the photographer's stamp on the back of the printed copy, so the digital file is the fastest way to get the framing and background right before that step.
Is there a template for a Canadian passport photo in the tool?
Yes. Choose "Canada: passport (50×70 mm)" from the country list in the tool above, and it scales your head to the required 31-36 mm height and swaps in a white background automatically.
Can I get a Canada visa photo online free?
Yes. Pick the Canada template, upload a straight-on photo, and PassportNinja crops it to 50×70 mm with the 31-36 mm head height and a white background, with no cost and no account. Many Canadian visa and immigration photo submissions use this same 50×70 mm specification, but check your specific visa's instructions to be sure; the Canada passport photo rules are the same number for a visa search as for the passport.
How do I make a Canada passport photo online? (photo de passeport canada)
Upload a front-facing photo and pick "Canada: passport (50×70 mm)" from the template list above. PassportNinja crops it to size, checks the 31-36 mm head height and gives it a plain white background, all free. For the physical passport application a photographer still needs to sign the back of the printed copy. See the back-of-photo rule above.
Does a Canada passport renewal need a new digital photo too?
Yes: a renewal application needs a current photo meeting the same 50×70 mm, 31-36 mm head-height rule as a first-time application. PassportNinja produces the same digital file and print sheet either way; there's no separate renewal format.
Where's the full list of Canada passport photo requirements?
50×70 mm, face 31-36 mm from chin to crown, plain white background, plus the photographer's stamp on the back of the print. That is the full Canada passport requirements photos list, the same for a renewal as for a first application: the Canadian passport renewal photo requirements don't differ. The Canadian passport photos requirements, the passport picture requirements for size and background, and the Canadian passport photo specifications are all on this page; the passport photos requirements Canada sets for the finished image are what the tool applies. Every passport photo Canada download includes both the 600 dpi digital file and the printable 10×15 cm sheet with cut lines.
Can I do the whole thing online?
Everything except the photographer's stamp: upload, crop, white background and download all happen in the browser, with the processing on our own server. There is no Canada passport photo app to install, because it stays a website. A Canada passport photo application needs the size, head height and white background covered here, plus the stamp on the back for the passport itself.
How recent does the photo need to be?
Canada's own rules set how recent a photo must be: check the official page for the exact canada passport photo age limit, since it isn't something this tool measures.
Is there a dress code for the photo?
The canada passport photo attire rule that's actually official is about the background and expression, not the clothes: the site doesn't publish a specific colour or style rule, so plain, everyday clothing that contrasts reasonably with a white background is the safe default.
Is a baby's photo a different size?
No, a baby's photo uses the same 50×70 mm size and 31-36 mm head height as an adult's; no size change is needed. Getting a baby to hold still and look at the camera is the harder part, not the measurement.
What are the passport size photo requirements for Canada?
Beyond the 50×70 mm size, the print also needs the photographer's name, full address and the date on the back. Together with a face 31-36 mm from chin to crown and a plain white background, that covers the passport application photo requirements for Canada.
Can I get Canadian passport pictures in USA cities?
Yes for the size and the white background: use this tool, then have a local photographer print the pictures and write the studio name, full address and the date on the back. The tool cannot add that stamp.
What background color is required?
Plain white. The tool outputs clean white by default, which is what the Canada passport photo background rule calls for.
Is there a Canada passport photo checker?
Yes. Upload your photo and the built-in Canada passport photo checker measures the finished head height against the 31-36 mm band and flags anything outside it. The photo checker runs as often as you like.
What does it cost, and what are the criteria?
There is no Canada passport photo cost for the sizing, cropping or white background; only the physical print and the photographer's stamp, which happen outside this tool, might cost something at a shop. The full Canada passport photo criteria list is 50×70 mm, 31-36 mm head height, plain white background, plus the stamp.
Can I edit or preview it before downloading?
Yes. The tool is a Canada passport photo editor online free of charge: upload, and it crops, scales and whitens the background automatically, showing a preview of the cropped Canadian passport image before you download. That preview works as a Canadian passport photo sample of your own face, which helps more than Canadian passport photo examples of someone else's face. As a photo editor online it does nothing more: no filters, because those aren't allowed.
Does it matter where I am, or whether I'm applying from the US?
No. The 50×70 mm size and the back-of-photo stamp apply whether you upload from Montreal, Winnipeg, New York or Seattle. A Canadian passport photo New York residents print at a local photographer, or any passport photo NYC applicants upload, is the same as one printed in Canada; the stamp just needs a photographer near you.
Where to get Canadian passport photos taken without a good camera?
A phone photo taken from about 1.5 m away, straight-on, against a plain wall in even light is usually enough for the tool to crop and size correctly. You only need a shop for the print and the stamp, not for the passport photos taken at home. The same 50×70 mm passport picture Canada uses for passports also applies to PR-card and citizenship applications. Light the wall behind you evenly: the tool swaps in white, and Canada.ca states the passport photo background color rules for the print.
What does passport quality photo meaning actually cover?
Sharp focus, even lighting and a plain background: the tool handles the background; a steady hand or tripod covers the rest.