Canada Visa Photo
35×45mm standard size for Canada visa applications.
- Printed size
- 35 × 45 mm
- Digital size
- 413 × 531 px
- Background
- White
- Head height
- 31-36mm
Size & specifications
Canada Visa Photo — requirements
| Printed size | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 413 × 531 px |
| Head height | 31-36mm |
| Background | White |
| Resolution | ≥ 300 DPI |
| Recency | — |
| Glasses / expression | — · — |
| Digital format | — |
One upload, two deliveries: the pixel-exact digital file and a 300 dpi print-ready sheet.
What each line means
Printed size — print at exactly 35 × 45 mm. A few millimetres off and most offices hand the form back before anything else is checked.
Digital size — the digital file must measure 413 × 531 px. Anything smaller gets refused by many online systems before a person sees it.
Head height — your head, crown to chin, should span 31-36mm. Too small reads distant; too large and the crop will not fit.
Background — a plain White background, with no shadows or gradients. A wall lit unevenly is the fastest route to a refusal.
Resolution — 300 dpi keeps a face sharp in print. Below that, features soften and agencies ask for a retake.
Photo examples
What passes — and what gets rejected.
How to take a Canada Visa Photo with your phone
Visa photo size and rectangle
The Canada visa photo is 35×45 mm on a plain white background, with the head between 31-36 mm from chin to crown. The Canadian passport format is a taller rectangle with its own rules, and photos prepared for it do not convert. This page presets the visa rectangle only.
Head height range
Canada's facial band runs 31-36 mm, a touch wider at the bottom than the European 32-36 convention. The difference is small on a ruler and it causes rejections: frame with a little headroom and let the crop hold the number rather than filling the frame edge to edge.
Setup and lighting
Plain white wall, half a metre back, phone at eye level. Front daylight keeps the face evenly lit and the wall free of shadows and gradients. Neutral expression, mouth closed, no headwear, glasses off unless medically required.
What this page outputs
The tool crops to the exact 35×45 mm rectangle at 300 dpi, replaces the wall with even white, and checks ratio, head position and background before download. The 413×531 px digital file for online applications is in the same preset.
Why Canada Visa Photo gets rejected
Wrong photo format
US-format squares and Canadian passport rectangles both fail here, and both arrive regularly. The visa counter measures 35×45 mm first, so anything else never reaches the part of the review where the face is judged.
Heads outside the band
Under 31 mm or over 36 mm chin-to-crown, faces pushed to one side, hair cropped at the top edge. The band is a measurement reviewers can verify with a ruler in seconds, so it is usually the first thing returned.
Background problems
Off-white walls, shadows and gradients read as non-plain backgrounds; tinted glasses and tilted heads follow. The photo may look fine on a phone and fail on the desk where it is measured.
How it works
Photo tips
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Canada Visa Photo?
The standard size is 35 × 45 mm (413 × 531 px at 300 DPI). The tool crops and scales your photo to exact requirements automatically.
Can I smile in the photo?
Requirements call for: a natural expression. When in doubt, keep a neutral face with both eyes open.
How recent must the photo be?
Old photos are a common rejection reason.
Is my photo private?
Yes. Uploaded photos are encrypted in transit and automatically deleted within 24 hours. We never share or resell uploads.
Is the visa photo the same size as the Canadian passport photo?
No. The visa photo is 35×45 mm, while the Canadian passport format is 50×70 mm — a different rectangle. This page presets the correct one for the visa.
Can I take it with my phone?
Yes. A plain white wall, even light and an eye-level phone cover it; the tool handles the exact crop and background.