Can I take this photo myself?

The guidance we found says passport photos must be taken by a professional photographer or studio, except for the separate online-renewal digital photo route. Check which application type you are using.

Why such a wide pixel range?

IRCC gives a minimum and maximum rather than one fixed size, which is unusual among the documents this site covers. This tool targets the lower bound, since a larger file adds nothing once the head-height requirement is met.

ID & document photos · IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)

Canada passport photo, cropped and sized to spec

IRCC publishes a wide pixel range but a tight head-height band. Fit the oval and the framing matches it. Your photo never leaves this device.

Print size: 4 × 6 in
Pixels: 1200 × 1800
Head height: 45–50 %
File size: 200 KB – 4 MB

Upload your photo

JPG · PNG · HEIC

Fit your head to the oval

Drag to move · pinch or slide to resize

Size 100%

Make your head fill the oval — hair near the top edge, chin near the bottom. It does not need to be exact. Anywhere between the solid and dashed outlines is within spec.

Check and download

Compress to an exact size

Every candidate is measured, not guessed

Target size (KB)

Minimum width (px)

The engine will not go below the minimum width, because under it the photo stops meeting the portal's own spec. It also will not go under 200 KB — IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) rejects files that are too small. Sharpening is disabled here, because IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) rejects enhanced or retouched photos.

What IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) requires

3:2 aspect ratio, portrait orientation
At least 1800 x 1200 pixels, no larger than 4500 x 3000
Between 200 KB and 4 MB, unedited JPEG
Chin-to-crown measures 45-50% of the total image height
Plain white or light-coloured background with clear contrast against the face
Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed
No editing, cropping software, filters or AI tools of any kind

Source: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/documents/pdf/english/services/passport/digital-photo-spec-eng.pdf · last checked 2026-08-14

We re-check these figures roughly every quarter, but IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) can change them without notice and different portals sometimes ask for different limits. Confirm the numbers on the form you are filing before you submit.

Common questions

Can I take this photo myself?: The guidance we found says passport photos must be taken by a professional photographer or studio, except for the separate online-renewal digital photo route. Check which application type you are using.
Why such a wide pixel range?: IRCC gives a minimum and maximum rather than one fixed size, which is unusual among the documents this site covers. This tool targets the lower bound, since a larger file adds nothing once the head-height requirement is met.