The exact Canada passport photo size in millimeters, centimeters and inches
If you are preparing a passport application for Canada, the single number that matters most is the printed dimension: 50 × 70 mm. This is the size enforced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Service Canada when you submit a physical photo at a Canada office or visa application centre. Express the same size in centimeters and you get 5.0 × 7.0 cm; express it in inches and you get 1.97 × 2.76 inches. Every Canada photo studio recognises one of these three notations.
Why does Canada insist on exactly 50 × 70 mm and not the closest standard size? Two reasons. First, ICAO Doc 9303 specifies a face-height range that only works when the print falls within tight millimeter tolerances — even being 1 mm off pushes the chin or crown out of the biometric template. Second, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Service Canada uses physical templates with a cut-out window of 50 × 70 mm; if your photo is even slightly oversized, a clerk simply cuts it back and the cropped image fails the face-height check.
Print at home or order a print online
If you print at home, use glossy photographic paper rated for inkjet or laser printing. Set your printer to "Best" or "Photo" quality at 300 DPI minimum and to "Actual size" — never "Fit to page", which silently rescales the print. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Service Canada regularly rejects home prints on plain paper because they lack the gloss layer that biometric scanners read. If you order from a print service, give them the exact figure: 50 × 70 mm, glossy finish, no border.
Crop digitally first, then print
The reliable workflow is: take the photo with a phone, crop it digitally to the correct pixel size, then send the digital file to print. ImageGates does the digital crop for free — open the Canada passport photo resize tool and your image lands at exactly 591 × 827 pixels (the 300 DPI equivalent of 50 × 70 mm). Then upload the JPEG to your local print shop or print at home on photo paper.
Common millimeter mistakes that get rejected
- Printing at 35 × 45 mm by default when Canada actually needs 50 × 70 mm. Auto print kiosks frequently default to the Schengen 35 × 45 mm size.
- Trimming with scissors after printing. Hand-trimming almost always shaves the head height below the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Service Canada minimum.
- Asking for "passport size" without specifying the country. Different countries mean different mm — say "50 by 70 millimetres for Canada" out loud.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Service Canada rule that catches most applicants
Two identical 50×70 mm prints are required, with one signed and dated on the back by your guarantor. This is on top of the size requirement and is the silent rejection cause for many Canada passport applications.