Photo reference guide
Canadian Passport Photo Requirements
Read the official photo instructions before editing an image.
Canada requires a commercial photographer’s original and prohibits alteration. Passport and visa rules are separate; these figures are for digital passport photos.
Official sources · Checked
Government of Canada: passport photos ↗What to check
- File size
- Digital passport photo: 200 KB–5 MB
- Dimensions
- Digital passport photo: 1200 × 1800 px minimum; 3000 × 4500 px maximum
- Format
- Original photograph; follow the official route
Actual size and quality depend on your image. Settings do not certify acceptance by another service.
How to use this guidance
- 01
Read the source
Confirm the rules apply to your application route.
- 02
Obtain a suitable original
Follow capture and photographer requirements.
- 03
Use the official process
Submit through the authority and follow its feedback.
Canada requires a commercial photographer’s original and prohibits alteration. Passport and visa rules are separate; these figures are for digital passport photos.
Keep the original. If it fails the authority’s checks, follow instructions for a new photograph rather than assuming a resizer can certify it. This page is a reference guide, not a compliant-photo export.
Common questions
Does this page offer a compliant-photo export?
No. Use the original and the authority’s own process. A resized file cannot certify all photo requirements.