Passport Photo Size 35 x 45 mm — the ICAO Standard
35 mm by 45 mm is the default passport photo size in most of the world. It comes from ICAO Doc 9303, the specification for machine-readable travel documents, and countries that have not written their own rule simply adopt it: the head sits between 32 mm and 36 mm from chin to crown, centred, facing the camera.
Use this page when your country is not listed separately, or when a form asks for "a biometric photo" without giving numbers. Where a country does differ — the United States and India use a square, Canada uses 50x70 — the tool has that document too, and picking it is safer than assuming the default.
The measurements
- Photo size
- 35 × 45 mm
- Head height
- 32–36 mm
- Background
- Plain white or light grey
- Resolution
- 300 DPI · 413 x 531 px
Source: ICAO Doc 9303 machine-readable travel documents
Use when the country is not listed. Most authorities follow this.
Make your 35x45mm photo now
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How to get a 35x45mm biometric photo
- Photograph face-on in diffuse light against a plain, evenly lit wall.
- Upload below — the ICAO 35x45 mm standard is preselected.
- The tool crops to 35x45 mm and scales the head into the 32-36 mm band.
- Download the image, or the print sheet if the form wants physical copies.
What ICAO Doc 9303 actually requires
- Full face, front view, with both edges of the face visible.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the lens.
- Even lighting with no shadow on the face or on the background.
- Plain background of uniform colour, light enough to contrast with hair and shoulders.
- No glare on glasses, and eyes never obscured by frames or tint.
- Natural skin tones, in focus, with no digital alteration of the features.
35x45mm photo questions
Most of Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, much of Africa and South Asia, and the Schengen visa. The notable exceptions are the United States and Indian visas, which use a 2x2 inch square, and Canada at 50x70 mm.
It means the photo is measurable: the head occupies a defined proportion of a defined frame, the face is straight to the camera, and the expression is neutral, so software can compare it against the face at the border.
At 300 DPI it is 413x531 pixels. Some portals ask for more — a UK digital submission wants at least 750x1000 — so always start from the largest original you have.
Usually yes. Most countries that use 35x45 mm for a passport use the same photograph for the identity card and driving licence, though the number of copies varies.
Between 70% and 80% of the height. The 32-36 mm head band inside a 45 mm frame is exactly that proportion, which is why a photo cropped by eye usually fails.
ICAO asks for a plain background of uniform colour, not specifically white. Individual countries then specify: the UK and Schengen want light grey, most others accept white.