Get Canadian Visa Photos Online [In 3 Mins From Home]

Prepare a perfect biometric photo with guaranteed acceptance!

1M+
approved
ID photos
200%
Guarantee of
acceptance
Get Canadian Visa Photos Online [In 3 Mins From Home]
1M+
approved
ID photos
200%
Guarantee of
acceptance

How does it work?

Get the perfect biometric photo in 3 minutes or less.

Check out just how simple it is!

Snap or upload a photo

Snap or upload a photo

That's the only thing you need to do. Snap or upload a photo - we'll take care of the rest.

AI prepares the photo

AI prepares the photo

Artificial Intelligence will check your photo, crop it to the right size and remove the background.

Expert verification

Expert verification

Our Photo Expert will make additional verification to check if your photo meets the official requirements.

Digital or print photos

Digital or print photos

You can download a digital version and order a printout which we will send within 2-4 days. Delivery is free!

Why?

Take a biometric photo conveniently without leaving home

You save time and money

Convenience

Don't waste time, effort or money. You can take your passport photo without leaving home.

Professional service

Over 1 million people have used our services within the past 11 years. Our Photo Experts are available 24/7.

Money-back guarantee

We guarantee the authorities will accept your photo(s) or we will refund double your purchase cost!

Satisfaction guarantee

Take as many photo shots as you want - you pay only when you are satisfied.

How to take a photo?

Taking a photo for your ID has never been so easy.

Follow these simple instruction to take the perfect ID photo.

1

Body-camera distance

The distance between the face and the camera should be about 40 cm. Ideally the photo should be taken by the other person.

2

Posture: Straight ahead

Place your face in front of the lens. Hold the camera at eye level and keep neutral face expression.

3

Lighting

Stand facing the light source, for example an exposed window. The background will be cut out, don't worry about it.

Canadian visa photos—specifications

Canadian Visa Photo: Requirements for a Flawless Submission
Size
Width: 35 mm
Height: 45 mm
Resolution
300 dpi
Is it suitable for online submission?
Yes
Image definition parameters
Head height: 34.7 mm
Top of the Photo to Top of the Hair: 3 mm
Is it printable?
Yes
Background Color
Show more

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Votes: 349

Canadian Visa Photo - All You Need to Know

Need to get Canadian visa photos, but you’re not sure what the requirements are? Look no further—

Here at Passport Photo Online, we’ve compiled all the necessary information you need to know about pictures for Canadian visas, including official requirements, sizing details, and more—all with image examples.

Read on to get a grasp of what picture you should submit with your visa application and how to get your photos.

Understanding Canadian visa photo requirements

If you plan on staying in the Great White North for longer than 90 days, you’ll most likely need to obtain a visa. Aside from a number of documents you’ll need to collect, you also need to attach 2 identical photos meeting all requirements.

What are those requirements?

We went through the information stated by the Government of Canada and compiled all guidelines in the handy sections below.

Note: If you’re unsure whether you need a visa to enter Canada, check it on the IRCC website under this link.

No time to study stringent requirements? Get your Canadian visa photo from anywhere you are—in 3 minutes. Download our Passport Photo Booth App for iOS or Passport Photo Maker App for Android and get compliant biometric pictures or a refund.

Canadian Visa Photo Requirements List

Requirement

Prints & Digital

Size

35x45 mm (3.5x4.5 cm or 1.38x1.78 inch)

Head must fill 70–80% of the whole image

Color

In color or black and white

Recency

No older than 6 months

Image clarity

Clear image of your face, not blurry, grainy, or pixelated, with uniform lighting

Filters

Do not use filters commonly used on social media. The image must reflect your natural look

Background

Plain white or light-colored background

Print Quality

Printed on matte or glossy paper

Resolution

300–600 DPI

Digital Alterations

Any alterations are prohibited

Important: For digital visa photos, the size must be 420x540 pixels at minimum. 

The fine details: Canadian visa photo specifications

Your photo may be rejected for various reasons, not only its size or unacceptable background. Have a look at these specific guidelines to ensure your picture meets even the finest Canadian visa photo requirements.

  • Facial expression: Don’t smile or frown. Keep a neutral facial expression
  • Head position: Keep your eyes open and mouth closed, looking straight at the camera. The top of your shoulders should be visible
  • Clothing: Avoid uniforms and colors blending with the background. Plain dark-colored clothes are recommended
  • Facial hair: Allowed
  • Head covering: Only head coverings for religious reasons are allowed, but your facial features must be clearly visible. You can wear hairpins or other cosmetic accessories if they don’t disguise your natural appearance
  • Glasses: You can wear prescription glasses but only if your eyes clearly show through the lenses and no reflections are visible. If you need your glasses for medical reasons, you may need to provide a medical statement signed by a doctor

Hair: Your whole face (including eyebrows) must be clearly visible. Consider tucking your hair behind the ears and tying longer bangs with hairpins

Canadian visa photo sizing details

The Canadian visa photo size is 35x45 mm (1.37x1.77 inches). Additionally, the image you submit must comply with the following specifications:

  • The size of your head (from the bottom of the chin to the top of the crown) must be 31–36 mm (or 1.25–1.43 inches)
  • Your head must be centered, with equal spaces on both sides

Are you planning to apply online? Ensure your digital photo meets these specs:

  • The frame size of the image is at least 420x540 pixels
  • The applicant’s head (from the bottom of the chin to the top of the crown) must be between 372–432 pixels
  • You must submit your photo in a JPG or JPEG format
  • The size of the file should be between 60kb and 240kb

Remember that submitting an unacceptable photo will result in its rejection. You have to provide compliant photographs for the application process to go through.

You don’t have to stress about detailed size specifications. Use our Canada visa photo tool, Passport

Photo Online, to get a perfectly cropped and resized image for your application. Upload your image,

and let our biometric experts convert it into a compliant Canadian visa photograph.

Online services for Canadian visa pictures

Local providers such as CVS or Walmart are known for their passport photo services, so you may try to get your Canadian visa photos there. But can you be sure they’ll get the country’s requirements right?

Don’t risk wasting time and money to find out—there’s a better solution.

You can take your own photo for a Canadian visa with online tools (browser-based & mobile apps). Check out the table below comparing the essential features of 5 popular providers. And to get detailed reviews on these 2x2 passport photo apps, check out this article!

Provider

User-

friendliness

Essential features

Large country database

Compliance guarantee & refund

Printing service

Price

Passport Photo Online

5/5 

$16.95

Passport Photo & ID Maker

5/5

$6.99

ID Photo For Passports And IDs

4/5

Free

iVisa Passport Photo

3/5

Unclear 

Passport Photo-ID Photo

4/5

$6.99

In a few clicks, Passport Photo Online will provide you with a perfectly compliant Canadian visa photo straight into your inbox—it’ll take as little as 3 minutes.

The best part? Our biometric photo experts verify all photos, and we provide an acceptance guarantee. So, you can rest assured your visa photo will be accepted—or we’ll refund 200% of your purchase cost.

Join over 6,000 Trustpilot customers who trusted us with pictures for their official documents—like this Canadian citizen living in the US!

Last update: 9/24/23

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Where to get a digital photo for a Canadian visa?

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Most big-box retailers don’t provide digital photographs. If you need one for your visa application, using Canadian visa photo apps like Passport Photo Online is the best. In 3 minutes, you’ll have a government-compliant digital visa picture in your inbox—acceptance guaranteed.

Where can I take a picture for a Canadian visa?

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Your best bet is to google “Canada visa photo near me.” A handy map with the nearest locations will pop up. In the US, pharmacy chains like Walgreens or CVS are well-known for their photo-taking services, but it’s best to contact them and see if they offer Canada visa photos.

Are Canadian and US visa photos the same size?

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No, they’re not. The size of a photo for a Canadian visa is 1.37x1.77 inches (35mm x 45mm), while a US visa photo is 2x2’’ (51mm x 51mm).

You can easily do it with your phone and using software dedicated to biometric photos. Here you can read our step-by-step guide on taking passport photos at home. Even though it was written for passport pictures, the process looks the same for all ID photographs.

Yes. If you’re certain your photograph meets the requirements mandated by the authorities, you can crop and resize it online with tools like the Passport Photo Booth App for iOS or Passport Photo Maker App for Android. It’s free to download a digital template.