Canadian Visa Photo: Requirements for a Flawless Submission [And a Hassle-Free Visa Photo Tool]

Canada visa photo

If you come from the many countries that need a visa to enter the territory of Canada, this article may be of use to you. We will provide you with the necessary information on how and where you can take your visa pictures for Canada.

Canadian visa photo requirements

• Neutral facial expression
• The photo must be in colour
• You should face forward with your full face in view
• Wear normal clothing - extravagant outfits or uniforms might cause your photo to get rejected. Religious clothing, however, is allowed
• The background should be white or light coloured
• Glasses, headphones, and other items should not be worn
• The required photo size is 35x45 mm (3.5x4.5 cm)

Canada Visa Photo Size

Official requirements state that the photo size must be at least 35mm x 45mm (1 3/8" X 1 3/4"). It means that in theory, the submitted photo can be bigger than 35x45 mm as long as the image stays true to the ratio. However, we recommend you to get a picture that has the size of exactly 35x45mm. It seems to be the new size trend for biometric photos in the Western World. For example, most European Union countries introduced this photo size as the official standard for documents such as ID, passport, driver’s license, and visas.

Another Canadian visa picture requirement that may not be clear is that the head size (from the chin to top of the head) must be between 31mm (1.2") and 36mm (1.4"). Basically, this means that the face needs to occupy a specific amount of space in the picture. But don’t worry, our Online Photo Resizer will easily take care of that. Keep reading to learn how the application crops the photos using Artificial Intelligence.

Our online photo tool

Passport Photo Online is a digital cropping tool that will easily and quickly prepare your photo for your Canadian visa application documents. Our AI-enhanced photo cropper uses a facial recognition module that checks whether your photo is compliant with the official requirements of the Canadian visa photo. Since there cannot be any objects visible in the background that needs to be white or light-coloured, our photo editor will remove the background automatically.

Instructions on how to take a visa photo online with our photo editing software are extremely simple. All you have to do is to take a picture where your whole face is in full view and both sides of your face are evenly lit. The background removal and photo cropping will be done by our photo editing tool. If the image does not meet all the official requirements, our photo maker will let you know how to fix the errors, for example, if you wear a hat or your face is partially covered by your hair.

Canadian visa photo near me

Can’t find any photography studio or photo booth near you to take a photo for your visa? Don’t worry, there are online photo editors that you can use to get your visa photo right away, regardless of where you are. The advantage of mobile photo tools is that you can take your document photos at any place and at any time.

Also, remember that during uncertain times such as pandemics, taking pictures using online applications is a 100% safe option. Photo booths and photography studios are visited by lots of people every day, and using online apps might be a more comfortable option. 

Canadian visa photo printouts

If you need a Canadian visa photo printed, our online photo maker will get you a universally printable visa photo template. You will be able to print it as a 10 x 15 cm (4x6 inch) photo at any photo-copying location. You will get two photos and the only thing you’ll need to do is cut them out. Not only is it a much cheaper option (the printout costs 30¢ or less), but you’ll also be able to print out as many visa-size photos as you want!

If you don’t have any store that offers printing services in your area, you can order visa photo prints delivered to your home using our Premium Passport Photo Service. 

Additional information about Canadian Visa Photo

Visa photos differ primarily in size. Some countries allow only a specific photo format, while others accept few other options. We encourage you to visit the Canadian embassy in Washington, or their website to get familiar with current information for tourists and immigrants.

If you’ve been looking for a photography studio in New York, L.A., or Washington and don’t have time to visit them or your plans have changed, you can take a visa photo using our application. Our photo app involves a two-step photo verification process - first by our AI system, and then by a human expert. 

Pay only once you’re happy with final results! In the unlikely scenario of your photo getting rejected by the passport authorities, we will give you a double refund.

Last update: 6/7/23