Canada photos: passport, PR card, citizenship and visa
Updated 2026-09-30
Canada does not have one photo rule. Passport, permanent resident (PR) card, citizenship and visa applications each have their own specification on their own IRCC page, and some are printed while others are uploaded. Choose the application first, then the format.
Choose your application
| I am applying for | Format | Rule to use |
|---|---|---|
| An adult passport, in person or by mail | 2 printed photos | Passport, printed |
| A passport renewal online | 1 digital photo | Passport, online renewal |
| A child's passport | 2 printed photos | Child passport |
| A permanent resident card, by paper | 2 printed photos | PR card, printed |
| A permanent resident card, online | 1 digital photo | PR card, digital |
| Citizenship, proof by mail | 2 printed photos | Citizenship, printed |
| Citizenship, grant, online | 1 digital photo | Citizenship, digital |
| A visa, study permit or work permit | 2 printed photos | Visa, printed. No digital preset, because the page lists no pixel or file-size limits. |
Do not reuse the passport preset for another application. The citizenship page says citizenship photos do not follow the passport specification, and the PR card and visa pages have their own sizes and time limits.
A commercial photographer is required
For a passport, the IRCC photo page (last modified 23 September 2026 when we read it) requires a photo taken by a commercial photographer or studio, including for online renewal, and says a photo you take yourself is not permitted for online renewal. The studio writes or stamps the date and its details on the back of a printed photo. The PR card and citizenship printed rules also carry photographer details on the back.
That means GetFormatted is not a way to take your own Canadian passport photo. What it can do is resize and crop the photo your photographer gives you to the pixel range, and re-encode it as JPEG inside the file-size limits. It does not make a self-taken photo acceptable.
What we read
| Document | Type | Size | File size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport (In person / by mail (printed photos)) | Printed, adult | 50 × 70 mm | Not stated | Official page |
| Passport (Online renewal (digital photo)) | Digital upload, adult | 1200 × 1800 px minimum, up to 3000 × 4500 px | 205 KB to 5 MB | Official page |
| Passport (Child passport (2 printed photos)) | Printed, child | 50 × 70 mm | Not stated | Official page |
| Visa / study permit / work permit (IRCC application (2 printed photos)) | Printed, adult | 35 × 45 mm | Not stated | Official page |
| Citizenship (Proof of citizenship, by mail (2 printed photos)) | Printed, adult | 50 × 70 mm | Not stated | Official page |
| Citizenship (Online citizenship application (grant), digital photo) | Digital upload, adult | 420 × 540 px minimum | up to 4 MB | Official page |
| Permanent resident card (Paper application (2 printed photos)) | Printed, adult | 50 × 70 mm | Not stated | Official page |
| Permanent resident card (Online application (digital photo)) | Digital upload, adult | 715 × 1000 px minimum, up to 2000 × 2800 px | up to 4 MB | Official page |
Watch the minimum
The online passport photo has a 200 KB minimum, not just a maximum, and a required pixel range. Compressing it to an arbitrary small size can make it fail. Use a preset instead of a general compressor.
French
This guide is in English only. A French version will be published after a full translation review by a fluent speaker, because these are government requirements and we do not publish unreviewed machine translation of them.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I take my own Canadian passport photo for online renewal?
- The IRCC page we read says a photo you take yourself is not permitted for online renewal and that a commercial photographer or studio is required. Use the photographer's digital file.
- Is a citizenship photo the same as a passport photo?
- No. The IRCC citizenship page says citizenship photos do not follow the passport specification.
- What is the Canada online passport photo size?
- A JPEG from 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 pixels, at a 2:3 portrait ratio, between 200 KB and 5 MB.
- Is there a digital preset for Canadian visas?
- No. The visa photo page lists a printed size only and no pixel or file-size limits for online uploads.