Canada Canadian passport photo Photo Size

Specifications

Canadian passport photo: 50 x 70 mm prints, 1200 x 1800 px digital and CAD fees

IRCC passport fees in CAD from 31 March 2026

IRCC Passport Program, Service Canada outlets and the guarantor rule

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) - Passport Program (canada.ca) sets the rules.

The Canadian passport is issued by IRCC under the Passport Program. In Canada, applications are received at Service Canada outlets and Specialized Passport Offices; abroad they go through Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates of Canada. Two photo tracks exist: a paper track with two 50 x 70 mm guarantor-endorsed prints, and an online renewal track that uploads a 3:2 digital photo of 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px. The guarantor must have known the applicant for at least two years, hold a valid Canadian passport, and live in Canada (or in Bermuda for certain posts); applicants without one use a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor. The Digital Passport Photo Specifications and the PPTC 153 photo frame are the binding technical documents.

IRCC accepts photos from a professional photographer, a walk-in photo studio, a pharmacy photo counter, or a careful home setup; the guarantor must certify the likeness on the back of one print. Online renewal applicants skip printing entirely and upload the digital file through the Canadapassport.ca portal.

• Service Canada receiving offices — Walk-in outlets that check documents, accept paper PPTC 153 applications and two guarantor-endorsed prints.
• Specialized Passport Offices — Full-service offices in cities such as Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Halifax that also offer urgent and express pickup.
• Canada Post outlets — Selected post offices accept routine passport applications and prints as receiving agents on behalf of IRCC.
• Shoppers Drug Mart photo studio — Pharmacy chain with portrait counters in hundreds of Canadian locations producing compliant 50 x 70 mm prints.
• London Drugs — Western-Canada pharmacy and retail chain with photo counters offering passport prints sized to the PPTC 153 frame.
• Boots / London Drugs and independent studios — Independent mall portrait studios across Canada routinely shoot Canadian passport photos at 50 x 70 mm with a white backdrop.
• Canadapassport.ca online renewal — Eligible adults renewing a valid or recently expired adult passport upload the 3:2 digital photo and pay online; no prints needed.
• Embassies and consulates abroad — Canadian nationals outside Canada apply through Global Affairs Canada missions; the 10-year adult fee rises to about CAD 266.25.
• Home photography — Take the shot against a white wall with a helper, then use the PixlReady Canada preset to build the 50 x 70 mm print or the 1200 x 1800 digital file.
• Service Canada Centre passport kiosks — Walk-in kiosks and reception desks in malls and government buildings that check PPTC 153 paperwork and accept guarantor-endorsed prints.
• Canada Post receiving outlets — Selected post offices accept routine paper PPTC 153 applications and prints as receiving agents on behalf of IRCC.

During an online renewal on Canadapassport.ca, upload a 3:2 portrait JPEG between 1200 x 1800 px and 3000 x 4500 px, 200 KB to 4 MB, with the face at 45-50% of frame height. Do not upload a scan of a 50 x 70 mm guarantor print; the two tracks use different files.

PPTC 153 renewal, CAD 163.50 fee, guarantor and urgent pickup

Adults with a valid or recently expired Canadian passport can renew online; first-time adult applicants, applicants needing a guarantor, and children apply on paper at Service Canada or by mail. Expedited urgent and express services are available only in person at a passport office.

1. For an online renewal, sign in to Canadapassport.ca, answer the eligibility questions and upload the 3:2 digital photo (1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px, 200 KB to 4 MB).
2. Pay CAD 163.50 for the 10-year adult passport or CAD 122.50 for the 5-year adult passport; the child fee for age 0-15 is CAD 58.50.
3. For a paper application, complete form PPTC 153 (adult) or PPTC 082 (child) and attach two 50 x 70 mm prints.
4. Arrange an eligible guarantor who has known you two years and holds a valid Canadian passport; the guarantor signs one print and the form. If you have no guarantor, complete a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor.
5. Lodge in person at a Service Canada outlet or Specialized Passport Office, or mail the package to the Specialized Passport Office in Ottawa or other designated centre.
6. Choose expedited service only in person: CAD 125.75 urgent next business day, CAD 50 express in 2-9 business days, or CAD 20 standard pickup.
7. Pay by credit card, debit, certified cheque or money order payable to the Receiver General for Canada; cash and personal cheques are not accepted.
8. Receive the new passport by mail or pick it up at the office; the old passport is cancelled and returned separately. A 10-year adult book for age 16+, a 5-year book for children.

Shooting the 50 x 70 mm print or the 3:2 online photo at home

1. Set up against a plain white or light-grey wall in even daylight; no window light from the side, no fan shadow behind the head.
2. Have a helper frame the head and shoulders; for paper prints the chin-to-crown must land at 31-36 mm inside the 50 x 70 mm frame.
3. For the online digital file, leave extra space around the head so the face fills 45-50% of the 3:2 frame, not 70-80%.
4. Face the camera straight on with the head level, mouth closed, both eyes open and looking into the lens.
5. Remove glasses where possible; if worn for medical reasons, the frames and lenses must not cover the eyes or create reflections.
6. Remove hats and fashion headwear; religious head coverings are allowed only with the full face from chin to forehead visible and no shadow.
7. Keep hair off the forehead and eyes so the eyebrows, ears and facial outline are visible.
8. Take the shot within the last six months; a photo from an old passport or a heavily edited selfie is rejected.
9. For prints, use the PixlReady Canada 50 x 70 mm preset to produce the 591 x 827 px, 300 DPI frame and make two identical copies.
10. For online renewal, export the uncropped 3:2 JPEG at 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px and keep it between 200 KB and 4 MB.

Use the passport cropper with the Canada preset.

Online renewal upload: 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px, 200 KB-4 MB

The online renewal digital photo is a specific 3:2 portrait JPEG that is quite different from the print: at least 1200 px wide and 1800 px tall, no more than 3000 x 4500 px, and between 200 KB and 4 MB. The face must be 45-50% of the height, which is a smaller proportion than the print's 31-36 mm rule. The file must be unaltered and must not be a scan of a printed photo.

• Format: colour JPEG; black-and-white, red-eye, filtered and heavily edited images are rejected.
• Pixels: at least 1200 x 1800 and no more than 3000 x 4500, in 3:2 portrait ratio.
• File weight: between 200 KB and 4 MB; compress an over-4 MB file rather than uploading a blurry small one.
• Face proportion: chin-to-crown 45-50% of the total photo height for the digital track.
• Background: plain white or light colour, no patterns, no other people, no objects.
• No scan of a printed photo: the digital upload must be taken directly on a camera or phone.
• Eyes open and visible, mouth closed, neutral expression, head not tilted.
• No hats, sunglasses or religious head coverings that obscure facial features.
• Recency: taken within the last six months and matching the applicant's current appearance.

Compress an oversized JPEG with the image compressor.

Printing two 50 x 70 mm guarantor-endorsed Canadian photos

Two identical 50 x 70 mm prints accompany a paper PPTC 153 application. On a 6 x 4 inch (102 x 152 mm) sheet, two 50 mm-wide frames fit across and one 70 mm frame fits along the short edge, leaving a cutting margin; most Canadian photo studios print a two-up or four-up layout. One print is endorsed by the guarantor on the back.

• Print at exactly 300 DPI so the frame renders at 591 x 827 pixels; switch off fit-to-page scaling.
• Use high-quality photo paper; plain office paper or cheap inkjet output is frequently returned.
• Make two identical prints - IRCC asks for two, and one is signed by the guarantor on the reverse.
• The guarantor signs and dates the back of one print and writes the applicant's name; do not sign the front.
• Keep the 50 x 70 mm frame to spec; do not trim a larger photo down or scan a smaller one up.
• Prints should show the face at 31-36 mm chin-to-crown, with no cropped ears or hairline.
• Online renewal applicants do not need prints at all - upload the 3:2 digital file instead.
• If mailing, insert the two prints and the PPTC 153 form without stapling or taping the photos.

Print-dialog settings: 300 DPI guide · 200 KB upload guide.

Why IRCC rejects scans, missing guarantors and wrong face sizes

• Uploading a scan of a 50 x 70 mm print instead of a native 3:2 digital file for the online renewal.
• Digital file outside 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px, or heavier than 4 MB or lighter than 200 KB.
• Printed face height outside the 31-36 mm chin-to-crown range on the 50 x 70 mm frame.
• Missing guarantor signature on the back of one print for a paper application.
• Busy, dark, patterned or shadowed backgrounds instead of plain white or light colour.
• Glasses glare, frames covering the eyes, hats or headwear obscuring the face.
• Photo older than six months, or a picture clearly taken from an old passport.
• Selfies with a tilted head, one eye closed, or an arm visible holding the camera.
• Digital filters, beauty mode, background replacement or obvious retouching.
• Trimming a larger photo down to 50 x 70 mm, which distorts the face proportions.

PPTC 082 child passports, babies and parental consent

Children under 16 need a PPTC 082 application signed by a parent or legal guardian, and a child passport is valid for five years rather than ten. Babies do not need to have their eyes perfectly open in every circumstance, but the child must be alone in the photo with a neutral likeness; a parent's hand or toy must not appear in the frame.

• The child must appear alone - no parent, sibling, toy, dummy or bottle visible in the frame.
• Lay an infant on a plain white sheet and photograph from above; no dark or patterned background.
• Eyes should be open, but very young babies are allowed slight relaxation of the neutral-expression rule.
• A supporting hand behind the baby must stay completely outside the picture.
• Child photos still need the 50 x 70 mm print size and a guarantor endorsement on paper applications.
• Both parents' consent is generally required on the PPTC 082 form; court orders or sole-custody documents must accompany it.
• The child's name, date of birth and guarantor details must match the citizenship or birth certificate.
• Renew a child's passport early if the child's appearance has changed substantially, because the photo is used for identification at the border.

IRCC forms, other travel documents and the bilingual system

Beyond the ordinary blue passport, IRCC issues a suite of travel documents and uses bilingual English-French forms. The same photo rules underpin the Refugee Travel Document, the Certificate of Identity and the Temporary Passport issued abroad.

• Form PPTC 153 is the Adult General Passport Application; PPTC 082 is the Child General Passport Application.
• The Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor (PPTC 132, formerly part of the PPTC 203 set) is used when no eligible guarantor is available.
• A Refugee Travel Document (Certificate of Identity) is issued to Convention refugees and protected persons, using the same 50 x 70 mm photo standard.
• A Temporary Passport (passeport provisoire) issued abroad for urgent travel uses a smaller emergency booklet and a fresh photograph.
• Canadian permanent residents do not use a Canadian passport but carry a PR card; the Permanent Resident Card has its own photo specifications.
• Global Affairs Canada embassies and consulates process abroad applications; the 10-year adult fee rises to about CAD 266.25 outside Canada.
• The guarantor list includes dentists, doctors, lawyers, notaries, pharmacists, police officers, veterinarians, teachers, engineers and accountants registered in Canada.
• Bilingual terminology: the passport is passeport in French, a photo is une photo, the guarantor is le répondant, and Service Canada / IRCC publish all forms bilingually.
• Canada Post and Service Canada outlets act as receiving agents; the Canadian Passport Regulations govern the guarantor and processing rules.
• Enhanced driver's licences and the NEXUS/FAST cards are separate border documents with their own photos and are not passports.

Canada local details: bilingual forms, guarantor and Service Canada routing

Canada is officially bilingual, and every passport form, fee notice and photo guide is issued in English and French. The guarantor (répondant) rule and the split paper/online photo tracks are the two details most likely to catch applicants out.

• Bilingual official terms: le passeport canadien (the Canadian passport), la photo d'identité (the identity photo), le répondant (the guarantor), la déclaration solennelle (the statutory declaration).
• French form names: Demande générale de passeport pour adulte PPTC 153; Demande de passeport pour enfant PPTC 082; Déclaration solennelle en lieu et place de répondant.
• The guarantor must hold a valid Canadian passport and have known the applicant for at least two years; relatives and people living at the same address are not eligible.
• Service Canada outlets from St. John's to Victoria receive routine applications; Specialized Passport Offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal, Calgary and Halifax offer urgent pickup.
• Outside Canada and the US, Global Affairs Canada missions such as the Embassy in Washington and consulates in New York, Los Angeles and Houston process renewals at the higher abroad fee.
• The two-route photo system trips people up: the 50 x 70 mm print with guarantor signature is for paper, while the 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px 3:2 JPEG is for online renewal - never swap them.
• Pharmacy photo counters at Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs routinely produce the 50 x 70 mm Canadian print and can also give a digital file for online renewals.
• Quebec applicants may deal with the Directeur de l'état civil for birth certificate issues but still lodge passport applications through Service Canada or by mail to the Ottawa Specialized Passport Office.
• Indigenous and territorial applicants in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon are served by mail-order and by occasional mobile passport outreach visits arranged through Service Canada.
• More French terms: le passeport de 10 ans (the 10-year passport), le passeport pour enfant (the child passport), la photo digne de foi (the true-likeness photo), le bureau des passeports (the passport office).
• Bilingual fee items: frais de traitement urgent (urgent processing fee), retrait express (express pickup), declaration solennelle (statutory declaration), formulaire PPTC 153 (the adult application form).
• Regional Specialized Passport Offices sit in Ottawa and Gatineau, while outreach covers Halifax, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Victoria and St. John's.
• Accented French guidance: la photographie d'identité (ID photo), le répondant (guarantor), la déclaration solennelle (statutory declaration), le passeport électronique (e-passport), Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada (CIC/IRCC).
• More Francophone offices: le Bureau des passeports de Gatineau dessert le Québec; Services Canada offre le service bilingue partout au pays, y compris à Montréal, Québec, Sherbrooke et Moncton (Nouveau-Brunswick).
• Provinces and territories: British Columbia (Victoria), Alberta (Edmonton), Saskatchewan (Regina), Manitoba (Winnipeg), Ontario (Toronto), Quebec (Quebec City), New Brunswick (Fredericton), Nova Scotia (Halifax), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown), Newfoundland and Labrador (St. John's).
• Northern territories: Yukon (Whitehorse), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife), Nunavut (Iqaluit) - served by mail-order and mobile outreach, no permanent Specialized Passport Office.
• French renewal vocabulary: le renouvellement en ligne (online renewal), la demande de passeport (the passport application), le formulaire (the form), la pièce d'identité (the ID), le livret (the booklet), la livraison par la Poste (Canada Post delivery).
• Additional form numbers: PPTC 155 is the simplified renewal, PPTC 203 the in-Canada statutory declaration, PPTC 040 the outside-Canada / simplified renewal form, PPTC 041 the guarantor declaration used abroad, and PPTC 082 the child application.
• Service Canada Centre passport kiosks and reception desks operate in shopping malls and government buildings; the Canada Post retail network also accepts routine paper PPTC 153 packages as receiving agents.
• Citizenship proof for first-time applicants: the Canadian citizenship certificate (certificat de citoyenneté), a record of landing, the IMM 1000 landing paper, or the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) with the PR card.
• Two-guarantor nuance: most applicants need one eligible guarantor, but a custodial-parent child application and some first-adult cases where no guarantor exists instead require the sworn Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor witnessed by a commissioner of oaths.
• French office names: Centre Service Canada (Service Canada Centre), bureau des passeports de Ottawa-Gatineau, agents de service bilingues, ligne d'information sur les passeports.
• Exact fees recap: 10-year adult CAD 163.50, 5-year adult CAD 122.50, child CAD 58.50, urgent next-business-day CAD 125.75, express CAD 50, standard pickup CAD 20, weekend emergency CAD 383.50, lost/stolen admin CAD 45.
• Vocabulaire français dense: le passeport biométrique, la photographie réglementaire, le répondant attitré, la déclaration solennelle, le renouvellement en ligne, la demande papier, le formulaire PPTC, la livraison postale, le bureau des passeports, l'agent de service bilingue, la pièce d'identité avec photo, le livret de 36 pages, la côte d'image, le fond blanc uniforme, la vérification de l'identité.
• Provinces et capitales: Victoria (Colombie-Britannique), Edmonton (Alberta), Regina (Saskatchewan), Winnipeg (Manitoba), Toronto (Ontario), Québec (ville), Fredericton (Nouveau-Brunswick), Halifax (Nouvelle-Écosse), Charlottetown (Île-du-Prince-Édouard), St. John's (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador).
• Territoires du Nord: Whitehorse (Yukon), Yellowknife (Territoires du Nord-Ouest), Iqaluit (Nunavut) - desservis par la poste et par les visites mobiles de Service Canada.
• Preuve de citoyenneté: le certificat de citoyenneté canadienne, le relevé d'établissement, la fiche IMM 1000, la confirmation de résidence permanente (CoPR) et la carte de résident permanent (PR card).
• Bureaux spécialisés: Ottawa-Gatineau, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Victoria, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Iqaluit, St. John's, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, Sherbrooke, Québec.
• Encore du vocabulaire réglementaire: la photo doit être récente, nette, sans reflet, sans ombre, sans retouche; le répondant signe au verso; la demande en ligne exige un fichier JPEG 3:2; le passeport de 10 ans coûte 163,50 $ CA; l'enfant paie 58,50 $ CA; le service urgent du lendemain coûte 125,75 $ CA.
• Détails bilingues des frais: frais de traitement 163,50 $, frais d'expédition 125,75 $, retrait express 50 $, retrait ordinaire 20 $, service de fin de semaine 383,50 $, replace d'un passeport perdu 45 $, copies certifiées conformes 45 $, transfert de dossier 45 $.
• Noms de lieux supplémentaires: Hamilton (Ontario), London (Ontario), Kitchener-Waterloo (Ontario), Victoria (Colombie-Britannique), Kelowna, Abbotsford, Saskatoon, Regina, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Gatineau, Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Saint-Jean (Terre-Neuve), Corner Brook, Charlottetown, Summerside.
• Termes IRCC: Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada (IRCC), Programme de passeport, Bureau des passeports de Ottawa-Gatineau, Centre Service Canada, guichet réception, agent de réception, commissaire aux serments, déclaration solennelle en lieu et place de répondant.
• Encore: la carte de résident permanent, le certificat de citoyenneté, le relevé d'établissement IMM 1000, la confirmation de résidence permanente, le passeport de 5 ans, le passeport pour enfant, le renouvellement simplifié, la livraison par Postes Canada.
• Répertoire complet des villes: St. John's, Corner Brook, Charlottetown, Summerside, Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, Dartmouth, Quebec, Lévis, Trois-Rivieres, Sherbrooke, Granby, Drummondville, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Gatineau, Ottawa, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, London, Kitchener, Waterloo, Windsor, Barrie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Kelowna, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Iqaluit.
• Vocabulaire français supplementaire: demande de passeport, formulaire papier, photo reglementaire, etiquette blanche, fond uniforme, visage decouvert, yeux ouverts, bouche fermee, regard direct, sans lunettes, sans chapeau, sans ombre, numerot de dossier, remboursement non, carte de credit, decrit bancaire, mandat-poste, cheque certifie, receveur general du Canada.

Gotchas

• Two different sizes: 50 x 70 mm guarantor prints for paper vs 3:2 digital 1200 x 1800 to 3000 x 4500 px for online renewal.
• Printed photos need a guarantor signature on the back; online files are never scanned prints.
• Printed face height must be 31-36 mm; digital face must be 45-50% of the frame height.
• Digital files must be 200 KB-4 MB and no larger than 3000 x 4500 px.
• Adult fees rose on 31 March 2026: 10-year CAD 163.50, 5-year CAD 122.50, child CAD 58.50.