Passport & Visa Photo Size Guide: Every Country's Requirements (2026)

The Short Answer

The two most common formats worldwide are the US 2x2 inch (51x51mm / 600x600 pixel) square, and the 35x45mm portrait used by the UK, the Schengen area, and most of Europe and Asia. But file-size limits and background colour vary widely — Russia caps visa photos at 30KB, Korea's K-ETA at 100KB, while the UK allows up to 10MB. Always match your specific document, not just the region.

The tables below give the exact specs for 20+ countries. They are kept in sync with our photo tool's verified rule catalog, so a photo formatted here will match what the tool produces.

Why Photo Size Matters

Every country specifies exact photo dimensions for passports and visas, and online portals enforce them automatically. Using the wrong size or file size is one of the most common reasons for application delays. This guide collects the major requirements in one place so you can format once and submit with confidence.

North America

Passport and visa photo sizes for the Americas:

• US Passport: 2×2 inches (51×51mm) — 600×600px digital, max 240KB
• US Visa (DS-160): 600×600px square, 54-240KB file size
• US Green Card (DV Lottery): 600×600px, under 240KB
• Canada Passport: 50×70mm — 827×1181px at high resolution
• Canada Visa: 35×45mm — 413×531px, max 240KB
• Brazil Visa: 35×45mm (413×531px), max 300KB

Europe

European passport and visa photo specifications:

• UK Passport: 35×45mm (413×531px) — light grey or cream background; generous file-size allowance
• Schengen Visa (all EU): 35×45mm (450×567px) — white or light grey, max ~200KB
• Germany Visa: 35×45mm (413×531px) — biometric, light grey preferred
• France Visa: 35×45mm (413×531px) — light grey or light blue accepted
• Russia Visa: 35×45mm — STRICT ~30KB file size limit

Asia & Pacific

Asian country photo requirements:

• India (e-Visa / visa): 600×600px square — 10-300KB file size, white/light background
• China Visa: 33×48mm (390×567px) — white background, ears visible, max ~150KB
• Japan Visa: 35×45mm portrait (413×531px) — NOT square; max 240KB
• South Korea K-ETA: 700×700px square — STRICT 100KB limit
• Vietnam eVisa: 4×6cm / 40×60mm (472×709px) — portrait orientation
• Singapore Passport: 35×45mm (400×514px) — generous file-size allowance
• Thailand Visa: 472×709px — max 200KB
• Australia Passport: 35×45mm (413×531px) — white or light grey
• Philippines Passport: 35×45mm — plain white background (verify current DFA guidance)

Middle East

Middle Eastern visa photo specifications:

• UAE/Dubai Visa: 35×45mm (413×531px) — STRICT 100KB limit, white background
• Saudi Arabia Visa: 4×6cm / 40×60mm (472×709px) — white background, max 200KB

Background Color Quick Reference

Don't guess — the wrong background causes instant rejection:

• Pure White: US, India, China, Japan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and most countries
• Light Grey or Cream: UK (prefers light grey over pure white)
• White or Light Grey: Schengen, Australia, Germany, France
• White: Thailand (white preferred for e-Visa)

File-Size Limits Catch People Out

Dimensions get the attention, but file size causes just as many upload failures — and it varies enormously. A photo that passes one portal can be rejected by another purely on bytes:

• Very strict: Russia visa (~30KB), Korea K-ETA and UAE visa (100KB).
• Moderate: China visa (~150KB), Schengen and Thailand (~200KB), US documents (240KB), India and Brazil (300KB).
• Generous: UK passport and Singapore allow several megabytes.
• Tip: always resize to the required pixel dimensions first, then compress to the file-size limit — never the reverse.

Use Our Tool for Any Country

Don't manually resize and crop. Select your document type in our tool, upload any photo, and get a correctly formatted image with the right dimensions, file size, and background for that document — or first browse the photo requirements for every document. These specs are kept in sync with the tool, and many are verified against the issuing authority's official guidance — but requirements do change, so confirm against your application portal before final submission.