Passport photo sizes by country — and how to make one at home
Updated 22 August 2026
Most countries use 35 × 45 mm (ICAO); the US uses 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm); India accepts 35 × 45 and 51 × 51; China uses 33 × 48 mm. Passport Photo crops a portrait to the exact size at 300 or 600 DPI, draws the published head-height band as a guide, sets a white, off-white or light-blue background, and gives you a single file that states its resolution or a 4 × 6 in / A4 print sheet with cut marks — on your device, nothing uploaded.
Passport and ID photo sizes for the US, UK, EU/Schengen, India and China, with a step-by-step to make one in your browser at 300 or 600 DPI.
UnboundPDF is a free suite of 54 PDF and image tools that run entirely in your browser — merge, split, compress, edit text, OCR in 126 languages, redact, sign, convert and archive to PDF/A. Your document is read and written by the page on your own device; there is no document-upload endpoint in the core tools, no account, no watermark and no daily cap. Every result can be checked — with the Network tab, or with the Document Passport the Workspace writes for a chain of steps.
- Open Passport Photo and add a portrait taken straight on, with even light and a plain wall behind you.
- Pick the preset for your country; the frame and the head-height band appear on the photo.
- Move and scale the photo until the head sits inside the band and the eyes are level.
- Choose the background colour the rule asks for, then download a single JPG/PNG or a print sheet.
Open Passport Photo to do this in your browser — the steps above are the whole procedure; the rest of this page is what to expect at each one.
The sizes, in one table
| Country / use | Size | Pixels at 300 DPI | Pixels at 600 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICAO standard (UK, EU/Schengen, most countries) | 35 × 45 mm | 413 × 531 | 827 × 1063 |
| United States | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) | 600 × 600 | 1200 × 1200 |
| India (passport / most visas) | 35 × 45 mm or 51 × 51 mm | 413 × 531 / 602 × 602 | 827 × 1063 / 1205 × 1205 |
| China | 33 × 48 mm | 390 × 567 | 780 × 1134 |
| Stamp size (forms) | 20 × 25 mm or 25 × 35 mm | 236 × 295 / 295 × 413 | 472 × 591 / 591 × 827 |
The pixel counts are what the tool writes, measured on the output file — not rounded from a preview. Where a country publishes a head-height rule, the preset draws that band on the frame; stamp sizes and custom sizes have no published rule, and the tool says so rather than drawing one.
Taking a photo that will crop well
Stand about a metre from a plain, light wall, with the light coming from in front of you rather than above (overhead light puts shadows in the eye sockets). Look straight at the lens with a neutral expression, mouth closed, and have whoever is holding the phone step back and zoom in slightly instead of leaning in — that keeps the face proportions natural. Take several; pick the one where both eyes are level.
Cropping: where the head should sit
The band shows where the top of the head and the chin should fall for the chosen preset. Drag the photo until the chin touches the lower line and the crown sits inside the upper line, then fine-scale. If the head cannot fit the band without cutting the photo's edges, the original was taken too close — retake from further away rather than forcing it.
Printing at home or at a kiosk
The 4 × 6 in sheet holds eight copies with cut marks; the A4 sheet holds more. Print at 100% (no "fit to page") so the millimetre sizes survive. A photo kiosk or pharmacy will accept the single JPG — the file states 300 or 600 DPI, which is what their software reads.
Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android
Same page everywhere; the browser is the whole requirement. On a phone, add the photo from your camera roll, pinch to scale inside the frame, and save the sheet to Files or Photos to print later.
Troubleshooting
The background is not white. The colour sits behind the photo; an opaque photo hides it. Use Remove Background first, then return here. The head does not fit the band. Retake from further away. The office rejected the photo. Check their lighting, glasses and expression rules — the tool guarantees size and resolution, not acceptance.
Related
Remove Background · Resize Image · JPG to PDF (to attach the photo to an application) · Workspace
Frequently asked questions
What size is a passport photo?
35 × 45 mm in most of the world (the ICAO standard used by the UK, the EU/Schengen area and many others); 2 × 2 inches in the United States; 33 × 48 mm in China. India accepts 35 × 45 mm for most forms and 51 × 51 mm for some. The preset sets the exact pixel size at the DPI you choose.
Does the tool check whether my photo will be accepted?
No. It produces the stated dimensions, resolution and head-height band for the preset, and it is not affiliated with any passport or visa authority. Acceptance is decided by the office that receives the photo; follow its lighting and expression rules.
Can it replace my background?
The background colour is painted behind the photo, so on an opaque portrait it changes nothing by itself. Run Remove Background first for a transparent portrait, then choose the colour here.
What does "states its DPI" mean?
The saved JPG or PNG carries its resolution in the file (JFIF density or PNG pHYs), so a print shop or a form that checks DPI reads 300 or 600 from the file itself, not from a guess.