Canada Visa Photo — official specs and free maker

Canada uses different photo formats for a visa and for a passport — mixing them up is the classic mistake. This page sets out both, from the official canada.ca pages. Works on your phone; nothing is uploaded.

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Visa and passport are not the same photo

A temporary resident visa (TRV) photo and a Canadian passport photo follow different rules. The passport format is a fixed 50 × 70 mm; the visa format is only specified as a minimum frame of 35 × 45 mm. The glasses rules differ too, and the child/newborn allowances exist only on the passport side:

	Visa (TRV)	Passport — paper	Passport — digital
Frame size	At least 35 × 45 mm (the official wording is “at least” — a minimum, not a fixed size)	50 × 70 mm (fixed)	≥ 1200 × 1800 px, ≤ 3000 × 4500 px, portrait 3:2
Head height (chin→crown)	31–36 mm	31–36 mm	45–50% of the image height
How many	Two identical photos	Two identical, unaltered photos	One digital file
Taken within	6 months	6 months	6 months
Background	Plain white or light-coloured	Plain white or light-coloured, contrasting; avoid white clothing	Plain white or light-coloured; avoid white clothing
Expression	Neutral, mouth closed, face square to the camera	Neutral, mouth closed, eyes visible	Same as paper
Glasses	Non-tinted prescription glasses are allowed (eyes clearly visible, frame not covering the eyes); sunglasses are not	Tinted lenses are not accepted, even prescription ones; plain glasses are fine if there is no glare	Same as paper
How it is produced	Printed on quality photographic paper (no commercial-photographer requirement stated)	Commercial photographer + professional printing — home prints and heavyweight paper are not accepted	Saved directly from the camera — no scans, no editing
Child / newborn allowances	None documented on the visa page	Newborns may have a range of expressions; car-seat method with a white blanket	Same as paper

Official canada.ca guidance notes that Canadian passport photo requirements are different from those of other countries — so don’t reuse a Schengen or US crop.

Visa (TRV) photos in detail

Two identical photos, taken within the last six months; colour or black-and-white.
Frame at least 35 × 45 mm — the official specification gives a minimum, not a fixed size.
Head 31–36 mm from chin to crown, full front view of the head with the top of the shoulders included.
Plain white or light-coloured background; neutral expression, mouth closed, face square to the camera.
Non-tinted prescription glasses are acceptable if your eyes are clearly visible and the frame does not cover them; sunglasses are not.
Religious headwear is allowed as long as the full face remains visible. Digital visa photos must not be altered in any way.

Passport photos in detail

Paper: 50 × 70 mm, two identical unaltered photos, head 31–36 mm. They must be taken by a commercial photographer and professionally printed — photos printed at home, or on heavyweight paper, are not accepted. Avoid white clothing, and leave no shadows, glare or flash reflection.
Digital (only for an online passport renewal): JPEG/JPG, portrait orientation with a 3:2 ratio, at least 1200 × 1800 px and at most 3000 × 4500 px, 200 KB–5 MB, head 45–50% of the image height, saved straight from the camera. Scans of a printed photo are not accepted, and the file must not be modified.
What counts as “modified”: the official list covers changing colour, brightness, contrast or sharpness; cropping the head and shoulders; changing facial features; improving your appearance (removing glare, red-eye, scars or birthmarks); changing clothing colour; or changing the background — including removing shadows.

Children and newborns (passport side)

The relaxed rules are written for passport photos, not visas. A newborn’s expression may vary, and you can photograph a baby in a car seat provided a white blanket is placed over the seat behind the head and there are no shadows. No hands — yours or the child’s — may appear in the frame. The size stays the same as an adult’s: 50 × 70 mm.

If you are giving biometrics, you may not need a paper photo

Where you are required to provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photo), you generally do not need to attach a separate paper photograph to the application. Check your document checklist in your IRCC account for your specific case.

How it works

Tap the button — the Canada format is pre-selected.
Upload a photo taken against a plain wall (see the home photo guide).
Face detection frames the crop; download, then print on quality photo paper at 300 DPI or upload the digital file.

Everything runs locally in your browser — the photo never leaves your device.