What is the standard passport photo size?

In the US, it's 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51mm), a square 1:1 ratio. Requirements vary by country — the UK and Schengen area use a 45mm x 35mm rectangle instead of a square.

How do I crop a photo to passport photo size for free?

Use pixeltools.io/crop, choose the aspect ratio preset closest to your country's requirement (1:1 for a US-style square), center your head and shoulders in the frame, and download. No account needed, and nothing is uploaded to a server.

Can I take a passport photo with my phone?

Yes, as long as you use a plain light background, even lighting with no shadows, a neutral expression, and crop the result to your country's required ratio afterward. Many rejections come from the crop or background, not the phone camera quality.

Does the aspect ratio matter more than the exact pixel size?

For printed passport photos, yes — the physical size in inches or millimeters is what's checked, and a print service will size your correctly-cropped photo to that physical spec. If you're uploading digitally to a government portal, check that portal's own pixel requirements separately.

Why was my passport photo rejected?

The most common reasons are an incorrect aspect ratio, the head not centered or too small/large in the frame, a non-plain background, shadows, or a photo older than the country's allowed age limit (often 6 months).

Passport Photo Size: Requirements by Country + How to Crop One Correctly

Quick answer

US passport photos must be 2x2 inches (51x51mm) — a square, 1:1 ratio. The UK requires 45x35mm (a 9:7 rectangle). The Schengen area (most of the EU) requires 35x45mm. To get the right shape before printing: crop your photo to a square (or the correct rectangle) with PixelTools' free crop tool using the matching preset ratio, keeping your head centered and taking up 50-70% of the frame's height.

Passport photo size by country

United States: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51mm), square, 1:1 ratio. United Kingdom: 45mm x 35mm, a 9:7 ratio. Schengen area / most of the EU: 35mm x 45mm, a 7:9 ratio (portrait). Canada: 50mm x 70mm, a 5:7 ratio. Australia: 45mm x 35mm, same as the UK. Always check your specific country's current passport office guidance before submitting, since requirements can change and some agencies also specify head size and background color separately from the overall photo dimensions.

Cropping your photo to the correct ratio

Getting the aspect ratio right is the part people most often get wrong — a photo that's square when it should be a 9:7 rectangle (or vice versa) gets rejected regardless of how good the photo looks. Use PixelTools' free crop tool and select the aspect ratio preset closest to your country's requirement (1:1 for US-style square photos, 4:3 or 3:4 as the nearest built-in match for rectangular formats like the UK/Schengen/Canada sizes) as your starting point, then fine-tune the crop so your head and shoulders are centered in the frame.

How to frame your face correctly

Most passport photo rules require your face to occupy roughly 50-70% of the photo's height, measured from chin to top of hair, with your head centered horizontally and your eyes roughly at the frame's vertical center. Crop with some margin above your head rather than cutting it close — you can always crop tighter, but you can't add back space you cropped out. Keep your expression neutral and both eyes open, and use a plain, light-colored background if you're taking the photo yourself, since most passport offices reject photos with textured or dark backgrounds.

Physical print size vs. digital pixel dimensions

Passport requirements are usually specified as a physical size (inches or millimeters) rather than an exact pixel count, because the photo is ultimately printed or evaluated at that physical size. If you're printing the photo yourself or through a print service (a pharmacy, photo lab, or online print service), get the aspect ratio right in your crop and let the print service handle sizing it to the exact physical dimensions at print time. If you're uploading a digital photo directly to a government portal, check that portal's specific pixel and file-size requirements separately, since these vary by country and aren't part of the physical print spec.

Common reasons passport photos get rejected

Wrong aspect ratio or the head positioned off-center are the most common issues, followed by a background that isn't plain white or light gray, shadows on the face or background, glasses with glare or tinted lenses, and photos that are too old (most countries require a photo taken within the last 6 months). Re-cropping to fix ratio and head position is quick and free; lighting and background issues usually mean retaking the photo.