Passport & visa
Visa photo size guide: pixels and file limits
Visa applications often need exact pixel sizes and a maximum file size. Here are common requirements and how to meet them.
Why visa photos are stricter online
Online visa forms validate your upload automatically. A photo can be rejected for being a few pixels off, for the wrong shape, or for being over the file-size limit, even if it looks fine.
| Country | Document | Photo size | Digital size | File size | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Visa (DS-160 upload) | 2 × 2 in | Square, 600–1200 px | ≤ 240 KB | travel.state.gov |
| Canada | Visa / permit (IRCC) | 35 × 45 mm | Digital photos at least 420 × 540 px | — | canada.ca (IRCC) |
| Schengen area | Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | — | European Commission – Home Affairs |
| India | e-Visa | — | Square, 350–1000 px | 10–1024 KB | indianvisaonline.gov.in |
| China | Visa | 33 × 48 mm | 354–420 px wide, 472–560 px high | 40–120 KB | visaforchina.cn |
Compiled from publicly available guidance and may be out of date or wrong. Always confirm with the official source before you apply.
Match the shape first
Crop to the required shape before anything else. A US visa photo must be square; a Chinese visa photo is taller than it is wide. The visa photo maker locks the crop to the chosen document’s shape.
Then meet the file size
When a form sets a maximum, such as 240 KB, the visa photo maker automatically finds the best JPEG quality that fits and shows the real file size before you download.
Keep an unedited original
Always keep your original photo. If a form rejects the upload, you can start again from the original instead of compressing an already compressed copy.
Frequently asked questions
Why was my visa photo rejected?
Common reasons are the wrong pixel size or shape, a file over the size limit, a shadowed or coloured background, or the head being too small or too large in the frame.
What format should a visa photo be?
JPEG is by far the most commonly required format for visa uploads.
Passport & visa photos
Visa photo maker
Pick a visa type to set the photo size, pixel dimensions and upload limit, then crop. Free, and your image never leaves your browser.
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