Passport size photo size in cm, mm, inches and pixels
A standard passport size photo is 3.5 × 4.5 cm — that is 35 × 45 mm, 1.38 × 1.77 inches, or 413 × 531 pixels at 300 DPI. The United States is the exception: its passport photo is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm, 600 × 600 px).
Aspect ratio 7:9 (0.778) · print resolution 300 DPI · white or light plain background · face covering roughly 70–80% of the frame height.
Make a 35 × 45 mm photo freePassport photo size by country
| Country | Document | cm | mm | inches | pixels | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Passport / visa | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 35 × 45 mm | 1.38 × 1.77 in | 413 × 531 px | White background, 70–80% face height |
| India | Exam forms (SSC, UPSC, IBPS) | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 35 × 45 mm | 1.38 × 1.77 in | 413 × 531 px | Usually 20–50 KB JPG |
| India | Stamp size photo | 2 × 2.5 cm | 20 × 25 mm | 0.79 × 0.98 in | 236 × 295 px | Used on forms and ID slips |
| United States | Passport / visa | 5.1 × 5.1 cm | 51 × 51 mm | 2.01 × 2.01 in | 602 × 602 px | 2 × 2 inches, square |
| United Kingdom | Passport | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 35 × 45 mm | 1.38 × 1.77 in | 413 × 531 px | Head 29–34 mm tall |
| Schengen / EU | Visa & passport | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 35 × 45 mm | 1.38 × 1.77 in | 413 × 531 px | Head 32–36 mm tall |
| Canada | Passport | 5 × 7 cm | 50 × 70 mm | 1.97 × 2.76 in | 591 × 827 px | Head 31–36 mm tall |
| Australia | Passport | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 35 × 45 mm | 1.38 × 1.77 in | 413 × 531 px | Plain light grey or white background |
| China | Passport / visa | 3.3 × 4.8 cm | 33 × 48 mm | 1.3 × 1.89 in | 390 × 567 px | White background |
| Japan | Passport | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 35 × 45 mm | 1.38 × 1.77 in | 413 × 531 px | Head 32–36 mm tall |
Sizes follow the ICAO 9303 photo standard used by most passport authorities. Always confirm against the instruction sheet of the specific application, since some visa centres add their own head-height rules.
Converting the size to pixels
Pixels only mean something once you fix a DPI. Multiply the size in inches by the DPI: 35 mm ÷ 25.4 = 1.378 in, and 1.378 × 300 = 413 px. Use 300 DPI for anything you will print, 600 DPI when a passport office asks for high resolution, and 96 DPI only for on-screen previews.
- • 35 × 45 mm @ 300 DPI → 413 × 531 px
- • 35 × 45 mm @ 600 DPI → 827 × 1063 px
- • 2 × 2 in @ 300 DPI → 600 × 600 px
- • 20 × 25 mm stamp @ 300 DPI → 236 × 295 px
Passport vs stamp vs postcard size
| Photo type | Size | Pixels @300 |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp size | 2.0 × 2.5 cm | 236 × 295 |
| Passport size | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 413 × 531 |
| US passport | 5.1 × 5.1 cm | 600 × 600 |
| Postcard size | 10.2 × 15.2 cm | 1200 × 1800 |
Head size and background rules
Getting the outer dimensions right is only half the job. On a 35 × 45 mm photo the head should measure about 32–36 mm from chin to crown, centred, with a small even margin above the hair. Use a plain white or light grey background, keep a neutral expression with both eyes open, and avoid shadows behind the head — these are the most common rejection reasons, not the file size.
Uploading to online forms
Most Indian exam and visa portals want a JPG between 20 KB and 50 KB at 35 × 45 mm. Make the photo at the correct dimensions first, then reduce the file size — never the other way round, because compressing a large photo and cropping afterwards changes the ratio and softens the face.