Passport photo dimensions: millimetres, pixels and country rules

Quick reference

Step by step

1. Open the issuing authority's instructions for your application. Do not use a social-media size chart or another country's passport requirements.
2. Obtain an appropriate source photo. France requires a qualified professional or approved booth; a resized casual photograph is not a substitute.
3. Separate the rules for physical size, face position, background and expression from any digital upload requirements.
4. If your application permits you to resize a digital file, use an already correctly composed photo and keep its proportions locked. Avoid filters, face retouching and background replacement.
5. Check the finished file against the issuing authority's instructions. For printing, verify the final measured size and disable automatic fit-to-page scaling in the print workflow.

Two countries, different requirements

France specifies a 35 × 45 mm photograph and a face height between 32 and 36 mm. The background must be plain and light, but white is prohibited. The US printed format is 2 × 2 inches with a white or off-white background. These examples show why a generic passport preset cannot establish compliance.

Both examples are summaries of the linked authority pages. Read the complete instructions for your own application, including photograph age, pose, accessories and submission method. ResizeFox does not perform biometric checks or certify acceptance.

How to calculate pixels from millimetres

Use pixels = millimetres ÷ 25.4 × pixels per inch. At a chosen 300 PPI, 35 mm corresponds to about 413 pixels and 45 mm to about 531 pixels. This is a mathematical print example, not an official digital-upload specification. Rounding can produce a tiny difference in ratio.

Changing a file's pixel dimensions does not necessarily set its print density metadata. A print application can still place it at the wrong size. Measure a test print, or use the approved photographer's supplied print rather than assuming an on-screen ruler is accurate.

A smaller file can still be unacceptable

Meeting a 100 KB upload limit does not prove that a face is the correct height, the background is allowed or the photo is recent. Excessive compression can damage the edges around eyes and hair. If an official portal specifies pixels and bytes, both conditions must hold at the same time.

The size-target tools can reduce dimensions and convert an oversized PNG to JPG with white background. That makes them inappropriate as an automatic identity-photo compliance step, particularly when white is not allowed. Work from the authority's instructions and retain the approved original.