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Canada passport photo size
The Canada passport form takes a photo of 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 px, 200 KB–5 MB, as JPG/JPEG. A file of 5,000,000 bytes or less passes whether the portal counts 1 MB as 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes.
Canada passport photo
JPG · 200 KB to 5 MB (204,800-5,000,000 bytes) · 1200x1800 px · white background
PixelFit aims between 204,800 and 5,000,000 bytes, so the file passes whether the form counts 1 KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes and 1 MB as 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes.
Fit, background and padding crop to fill · white background · padding off
Saving presets is part of Pro.
The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.
The batch kit (one ZIP for up to 500 photos, several photos merged into one PDF) is part of Pro.
Canada passport upload specifications
Values for the Canadian passport digital photo, copied from Canada.ca: Passport photo requirements, checked 31 October 2026; "not stated" means the source gives no figure for it.
| Upload | Pixel size | Print size | File size | Format | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 px | not stated | 200 KB–5 MB | JPG/JPEG | plain white or light-coloured |
Canada passport sizes in pixels and millimetres
Print sizes become pixels at a resolution (pixels = mm ÷ 25.4 × DPI); pixel sizes become print sizes the other way round. Computed for the Canada passport uploads at 200 and 300 DPI.
| Upload | Aspect ratio | Megapixels | At 200 DPI | At 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 0.67 (W/H at both limits) | 2.16–13.50 MP | 152.4–381 mm wide | 101.6–254 mm wide |
What the Canada passport KB limits mean in bytes
The Canada passport photo range of 200 KB–5 MB is 204,800 to 5,000,000 bytes if you want a file that passes whether the portal counts a KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes and an MB as 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes: a window of 4,795,200 bytes to aim for.
Estimated JPG file size for Canada passport uploads
Estimated from sizes measured with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on public-domain sample images (31 October 2026), interpolated to each target size. Your own scan can land 30-50% either side, which is why the tool measures the real file.
| Upload | Pixel size used | Quality 60 | Quality 75 | Quality 85 | Quality 95 | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 1,200 × 1,800 px | 136 KB | 187 KB | 266 KB | 544 KB | 200 KB–5 MB |
Will the Canada passport photo fit the limit?
For the Canada passport photo at 1,200 × 1,800 px, even quality 95, the highest setting estimated here, stays under 5 MB at about 544 KB, and quality 85 (266 KB) clears the 200 KB minimum.
Canada passport rejection checklist
Upload checks computed from the Canada passport specification; a file that fails any one of them is usually refused at upload or flagged later.
- Photo: File type is JPG/JPEG (a PNG or HEIC renamed to .jpg is still rejected).
- Photo: The Canada passport photo file is no larger than 5 MB (5,000,000 bytes is safe whether 1 MB is read as 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes).
- Photo: The Canada passport photo file is at least 200 KB (204,800 bytes or more); files under the minimum are rejected even when they look sharp.
- Photo: Pixel size is 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 px (the smallest and largest sizes accepted).
- Photo: Background: plain white or light-coloured.
How to resize your photo for Canada passport
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Take or scan the photo
Use a recent colour or black and white photo (background: plain white or light-coloured).
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Load the preset
Drop the file into the tool at the top of this page. The "Canada passport photo" preset is already set to 1,200 × 1,800 px (the form accepts 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 px) and 200 KB–5 MB, as JPG/JPEG.
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Check the result
Read the before and after sizes: the Canada passport photo must end between 204,800 and 5,000,000 bytes. If it ends under 200 KB, open "Fit, background and padding" and tick the option to pad a file that ends up below the minimum. Download it.
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Upload and preview
Upload the file on the Canada passport form and check the preview before you submit; verify the figures with the official notice first.
What the Canada passport source also says
- Photo: Taken by a commercial photographer; not a scan of a printed photo.
Canada passport compared with similar forms
Of these 5 forms, the Canada passport photo limit of 5 MB is the same for every form here that sets one; a file made for a stricter form usually passes a more generous one only if it also meets the minimum and the pixel size.
| Form | Photo size | Photo file size | Signature file size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada passport (this page) | 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 px | 200 KB–5 MB | none |
| Canada IEC | at least 420 × 540 px | at least 60 KB | none |
| Hong Kong passport | at least 1,200 × 1,600 px | at most 5 MB | none |
| Kenya eCitizen | 207 × 207 px | no file-size limit stated | none |
| Taiwan passport | at least 413 × 531 px | at most 5 MB | none |
Where the Canada passport figures come from
Verify with the official Canada passport notice before you submit: forms change between application cycles and the check on the live portal is final.
Sources
- Canada.ca: Passport photo requirements, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Passport Program, checked 31 October 2026: canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/ca…
- Measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026, interpolated to each Canada passport target size, on this sample: head-and-shoulders portrait, Pete Souza (Official White House photo), public domain: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Barack_Obama.jpg
Frequently asked questions
What is the photo size for Canada passport in KB?
The Canada passport photo must be 200 KB–5 MB (keep it at or under 5,000,000 bytes to be safe), 1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 px, as JPG/JPEG.
What is the signature size for Canada passport?
The Canada passport source sets no separate signature upload; only the photo is uploaded.
How do I resize my photo to 5 MB for Canada passport?
Open the tool on this page with the Canada passport photo preset, drop the file and download the result: it searches JPG quality until the file is under 5 MB and over 200 KB; at 1,200 × 1,800 px expect about 266 KB at quality 85. Nothing is uploaded.
What pixel size should the Canada passport photo be?
1,200 × 1,800 to 3,000 × 4,500 px.
Can I upload a PNG or PDF for the Canada passport photo?
Only JPG/JPEG; PNG, PDF, HEIC are not listed. The tool can turn a PNG, WebP or (in Safari) HEIC file into JPG while it resizes.
Related
Similar forms
- Canada IEC photo size at least 60 KB
- Hong Kong passport photo size at most 5 MB
- Kenya eCitizen photo size no file-size limit stated
- Taiwan passport photo size at most 5 MB
- Canada citizenship photo size at most 4 MB
- Canada PR card photo size at most 4 MB
Compress to the Canada passport limits
- Compress an image to 5 MB Canada passport photo limit 200 KB–5 MB
Resize to the exact size
Change the file format
- PNG to JPG Canada passport accepts JPG/JPEG
- WEBP to JPG Canada passport accepts JPG/JPEG
- HEIC to JPG Canada passport accepts JPG/JPEG