The quick reference table

These are the most-quoted official requirements as of September 2026. Rules change and consulates interpret edge cases differently — treat this table as a solid starting point, then confirm against the issuing authority’s own page before submitting.

Requirement	US passport & visa	UK passport	Schengen / EU visa	China visa	India passport (since Sept 2025)
Print size	2×2 in (51×51 mm)	45×35 mm	35×45 mm	33×48 mm	35×45 mm
Head size (crown→chin)	25–35 mm (50–69%)	29–34 mm (64–76%)	32–36 mm (71–80%)	28–33 mm (58–69%)	face fills 80–85% of photo
Digital pixels	600–1200 px square	≥600×750 px	usually ≥400×514 px	354–420 × 472–560 px (COVA)	exactly 630×810 px
File limits	≤240 KB JPEG (DS-160)	50 KB–10 MB	varies by consulate	~40–120 KB JPEG (COVA)	≤250 KB JPEG
Background	plain white / off-white	plain light grey or cream	plain light	white	white
Photo age	≤6 months	≤1 month (online)	≤6 months	≤6 months	≤6 months
Glasses	not allowed	allowed, no glare	discouraged	not allowed	not allowed
Expression	neutral, mouth closed	neutral, mouth closed	neutral, mouth closed	neutral	neutral, mouth closed

India changed spec on 1 September 2025. Under the MEA’s GPSP 2.0 rollout, passport applications require an ICAO-compliant photo: 35×45 mm, exactly 630×810 px JPEG, ≤250 KB, with the face filling 80–85% of the photo on a white background — the old 2×2 in square is no longer accepted for passports. The India e-visa upload is a separate spec that stayed square: JPEG, 10–300 KB, minimum 350×350 px, height equal to width. Older guides (and older photos) quoting a 2×2 in India passport photo are now a year out of date.

How to read the head-size column

“Head size” means the vertical distance from the crown (top of the head, hair included) to the bottom of the chin — not the whole photo and not just the face. On a US 2×2 in photo the head must measure 25–35 mm, which works out to roughly half to two-thirds of the photo height. Schengen’s 32–36 mm on a shorter 45 mm frame means the head fills noticeably more — about 71–80%. This is why a photo cropped for one country’s spec routinely fails another’s, and why our checker makes you pick the preset before measuring.

The digital rules people miss

Print rules describe the paper photo; online applications add a second layer of pixel and byte limits. The ones that produce real rejections:

• US visa (DS-160 / CEAC): square JPEG, minimum 600×600 px, maximum 1200×1200 px, ≤240 KB. A 4000-px phone photo fails the maximum — bigger isn’t automatically better.
• UK online renewal: at least 600×750 px, 50 KB–10 MB, JPEG. The minimum file size trips up heavily compressed photos.
• China COVA upload: JPEG, commonly quoted 40–120 KB and roughly 354–420 × 472–560 px. Note the digital window is ≈3:4 — wider than the 33×48 mm paper ratio; for the online application the pixel window is what the portal enforces.
• India passport (since 1 Sept 2025): JPEG, exactly 630×810 px, ≤250 KB, face filling 80–85% of the photo.
• India e-visa: JPEG, 10–300 KB, minimum 350×350 px, height equal to width — a different, still-current spec from the passport one.

Other countries, same families

Many requirements reuse these sizes: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France and Germany all sit in the 35×45 mm / 32–36 mm head family (small national variations apply). Canada is the outlier — 50×70 mm with a 31–36 mm head — so a standard US or EU crop won’t fit. Brazil uses 5×7 cm. When in doubt, find the two numbers that matter — print size and head height — and the rest of the rules usually follow the ICAO pattern: plain light background, neutral expression, recent photo, no retouching.

What this site checks

The checker on the homepage encodes six presets for the specs above (US, UK, Schengen/EU, China, India passport and India e-visa) and measures the five things a file can reveal: proportions or pixel window, resolution, head height, background tone and file size. The things it can’t measure — expression, shadows, recency, glasses glare — are exactly what the rejection reasons page is for.

Frequently asked questions

Are passport photo rules the same in every country?

No — they converge, but they don't match. Most of Europe and much of Asia use 35×45 mm with the head filling roughly 70–80% of the frame, while the US uses a 2×2 in square. China is different again at 33×48 mm, and India switched its passport photo from 2×2 in to the ICAO 35×45 mm format in September 2025. Even when the size matches, head-size bands and file rules differ, so always check the specific document you're applying for.

What does 'head size' actually measure?

Crown-to-chin: the vertical distance from the top of the head (including hair) to the bottom of the chin, expressed either in millimetres on the printed photo or as a percentage of the photo's height. US rules want 25–35 mm of a 51 mm photo (about 50–69%); Schengen visas want 32–36 mm of a 45 mm photo (about 71–80%).

Do digital upload rules differ from print rules?

Yes — this catches people out. A printed passport photo has no file size, but the online application that precedes it often does: US visa (DS-160) wants a 600–1200 px JPEG under 240 KB, the UK portal wants 600×750 px minimum between 50 KB and 10 MB, an India passport upload (since Sept 2025) is exactly 630×810 px JPEG under 250 KB, and India's e-visa wants 350×350 px minimum between 10 and 300 KB. Both dimensions and bytes have to be right.

Is a white background always required?

Nearly always. The US, China and India specify plain white or off-white; the UK allows light grey or cream; Schengen visa guidance calls for a plain light background. What's universally banned is patterns, textures, scenery and shadows — a busy background is among the top rejection triggers everywhere.

How recent must the photo be?

Typically six months old or less — that's the rule for US passports/visas, Schengen visas and most others. The UK requires less than one month for online applications. If your appearance has changed (new glasses you must wear, major weight change, facial surgery), take a new photo regardless of the calendar.

Can I reuse the same photo for different countries?

Only when the specs overlap, which is rare: a 2×2 in US photo can't become a 35×45 mm Schengen photo without re-cropping — and even then the head-size bands differ enough that the same framing may fail. Shoot once, then crop separately for each requirement and re-check each version.