What size is the Canada citizenship photo?

Printed, 50 x 70 mm. As a digital photo, at least 420 pixels wide, at least 540 pixels tall. The file: JPEG; up to 4,000 KB. The head takes 44% to 51% of the photo's height, from the chin to the top of the head. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.

Can I wear glasses in my Canada citizenship photo?

Yes, but only with no tint and no glare, and with your eyes clearly visible.

Can I smile in my Canada citizenship photo?

Neutral: eyes open and clearly visible, mouth closed, no smiling or frowning.

Can I wear a head covering in my Canada citizenship photo?

Only hats or head coverings worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons; full face clearly visible, no shadows on the face.

How recent must my Canada citizenship photo be?

Taken in the last 6 months. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.

Can I take my Canada citizenship photo myself?

No: the official rules ask for a commercial photographer or photo studio. This page checks the photo they give you.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. The photo is read and checked in your browser. The page tells our server only that a photo was checked, that it passed, or that a file was saved; never the photo, your face or any measurement. It finds where your face is in the photo; it never recognises who you are.

How is the head measured?

The page finds your chin and eyes in the photo and estimates the top of your head from your forehead, since hair hides it: the dashed line shows the estimate. If it is not at the top of your head, move it with Top of head and the checks follow.

Will my photo be accepted?

Only the issuing authority decides. A photo that passes every check here meets the published size, head and background rules as checked on 4 November 2026; you confirm the rest, such as glasses, expression and how recent the photo is.

What does the Detail check add?

Detail check for your Canada citizenship photo, €6.99: the Detail check of your own photo against the official rules (opt-in; it never changes your photo), unlimited re-checks and the whole family's photos for this document for 30 days. No file and no print sheet: the rules don't allow us to change this photo. Pay only once your photo passes. Refund if the authority rejects a photo that passed. Paid once, with no subscription. In the Detail check our AI model, run in the EU, checks glasses, expression, shadows and more in the file you chose, if you choose to send it, and never changes it. Without buying you can check any photo here and save the acceptance report, free.

Passport, visa and ID photos · Canada

Canada citizenship photo: check yours

Check your Canada citizenship photo against the official rules before you send it. We never change it. Official size: 50 x 70 mm. Digital photo: at least 420 pixels wide, at least 540 pixels tall. Background: plain white or light-coloured, with a clear difference between the face and the background. Rules read on canada.ca on 4 November 2026.

Choose the photo file you were given
We check it against the official rules, without changing it
If it passes, send that same file

Choose your photo file

Free check. Once it passes, our Detail check, €6.99: unlimited re-checks for 30 days, and we never change your photo. Refund if the authority rejects a photo that passed.

Your photo

Your photo stays on your device: nothing is uploaded, and no face is recognised.

What a passing photo needs

Stand a step in front of a plain light wall, with nothing behind you.
Face a window or soft light: even light on the face, no shadows on it or behind.
Have it taken by a photo studio or commercial photographer, as the rules ask.
Glasses only with no tint and no glare on them.
A neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open.

Check your photo

Drop your original photo file here, or choose it As the photographer or the camera gave it

The first photo loads the face finder and the background outline from this site, about 15 MB, once.

Guide lines Dashed: top of head. Solid: chin.

Adjust the top-of-head line

Top of head The top of your head is an estimate: move the dashed line to it. This moves the line only; your photo is not changed.

See every measurement

Check	Measured	Result

Before you send it: our Detail check

€6.99

Detail check of your own photo against the official rules: glasses, expression, shadows and more (opt-in: our AI model, run in the EU)
It never changes your photo: you send the same file you checked
Unlimited re-checks and the whole family's photos for this document, for 30 days
Refund if the authority rejects a photo that passed

Choose a photo first.

Pay only once your photo passes: the button turns on once it passes every check. One payment, no subscription. No file and no print sheet: the official rules don't allow us to change this photo. Rejected by the authority after it passed here? Email us the rejection within 30 days and we refund you in full. While you pay, your photo waits in this browser on this device for up to 24 hours: it is never uploaded.

Before you send it, confirm

Only you can see these: we never judge them from the photo.

A commercial photographer or photo studio took the photo. If I wear glasses, they have no tint and no glare, and my eyes are clearly visible. My expression is as the rules ask (Expression, below). My eyes are open and clearly visible. The light on my face is even, with no shadow on my face or behind me. The photo was taken in the last 6 months.

If your photo passes, send the same file you checked here, unchanged.

Free: every rule your file was checked against, with the official words, made on this device.

The face finder and the background outline run in this page from files served by this site (sources and licences). They find where a face is in the photo; they never recognise who it is.

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government.

This page only checks your photo: it never crops, edits or re-saves it.

Canada asks for citizenship photos taken by a commercial photographer or studio, original and not altered in any way: no cropping, background change or retouching, and an online file saved straight from the camera. So this page checks the studio's photo as it is and never changes it. Citizenship photos are 50 x 70 mm and do not follow the passport photo rules.

The rules at a glance

For the Canadian citizenship application photo (citizenship grant, proof of citizenship certificate, renunciation), as the official rules state them.

Size: 50 x 70 mm
Background: Plain white or light-coloured, with a clear difference between the face and the background.
Head size: 44% to 51% of the photo's height, chin to top of head
Glasses: Allowed only with no tint and no glare, your eyes clearly visible
Expression: A neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open.
Taken by: A commercial photographer or photo studio
Taken: In the last 6 months
Edits: None: this page only checks your photo, it never changes it. The official rules say: “be an original photo and not altered in any way”

All the official rules and sources

Printed size: 50 mm wide, 70 mm tall (50 mm x 70 mm (2 x 2 3/4 inches))
Digital photo: at least 420 pixels wide, at least 540 pixels tall
File: JPEG; up to 4,000 KB
This page: Checks your photo as it is; it makes no file
Head height: 44% to 51% of the photo's height, from the chin to the top of the head
Background: plain white or light-coloured, with a clear difference between the face and the background
Taken by: A commercial photographer or photo studio
Glasses: Allowed only with no tint and no glare, your eyes clearly visible
Expression: neutral: eyes open and clearly visible, mouth closed, no smiling or frowning
Head covering: only hats or head coverings worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons; full face clearly visible, no shadows on the face
Taken: In the last 6 months
Colour: Colour only

taken by a commercial photographer or studio
original and not altered in any way: no colour, brightness, contrast or sharpness changes, no cropping around head and shoulders or cutting onto a white background, no retouching, red-eye or glare removal, no background change or shadow removal
online: JPG/JPEG with minimal compression, saved directly from the camera without changes, at least 420 x 540 px, about 240 kB and at most 4 MB
online grant only: if the photographer can't give a digital file, a scan or picture of the printed studio photo is accepted
paper: professionally printed on plain, high quality photographic paper; back shows the person's first and last name, the studio's name and full address, and the date taken
online proof of citizenship: the same studio details on the receipt or in a separate text file
face and shoulders straight-on to the camera, centred and squared; uniform lighting, no shadows, glare or flash reflections
glasses only with eyes clearly visible, frames not covering the eyes, no glare; no sunglasses or tinted lenses, even prescription
children: head and shoulders only, no hands; newborns may sit in a car seat with a white blanket behind the head
medical headwear or nasal cannula: eyes clearly visible and a signed letter of explanation

For: citizenship grant (becoming a citizen): paper 2 identical printed photos; online 1 digital photo; proof of citizenship (citizenship certificate): paper 2 identical printed photos; online 1 digital photo; renouncing citizenship: 1 printed photo.

Official source: www.canada.ca, checked on 4 November 2026.

You must provide 1 colour digital photo (preferred) or 1 digital black-and-white photo.

If the photographer can’t give you a digital file for some reason, you can also either scan or take a picture of a printed photo from them.

Go to a commercial photographer or studio to have your photo taken.

50 mm wide X 70 mm high (2 inches wide X 2- 3/4 inches long)

The height of the face measures between 31 mm (1- 1/4 inches) and 36 mm (1- 7/16 inches) from chin to crown of head (natural top of head)

be an original photo and not altered in any way

An altered photo is any photo that was edited or changed in any way, by any means.

cutting and pasting the subject against a white background

changing the background, including eliminating shadows

JPG or JPEG file format with minimal compression

It must be saved directly from the camera without any changes to the original file

at least 420 by 540 pixels

approximately 240 kB in file size, but no more than 4 MB

mouth must be closed, with no smiling or frowning

This means it must be taken no more than 6 months before you submit your application.

a plain white or light-coloured background

there is no glare on the lenses

hats and head coverings worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons if

sunglasses or tinted eye glasses

Official source: www.canada.ca, checked on 4 November 2026.

You must provide 2 identical colour (printed) photos.

Go to a commercial photographer or studio to have your photos taken.

be professionally printed on plain, high quality photographic paper

the name and complete address of the photographer or studio

This means it must be taken no more than 6 months before you submit your application.

Official source: www.canada.ca, checked on 4 November 2026.

You must provide 1 colour digital photo.

include the following information on the receipt or in a separate text file:

They must show the child's head and shoulders only.

Official source: www.canada.ca, checked on 4 November 2026.

We’ll return your application if your photos don’t meet these specifications.

Citizenship photos do not use the same specifications as passport photos.

Official source: ircc.canada.ca, checked on 4 November 2026.

if you’re applying on paper: 2 identical printed photos

if you’re applying online: 1 digital photo

renounce (give up) citizenship: 1 printed photo

Meets the published spec as checked on 4 November 2026. WinPhoto is not affiliated with any government. Rules change: check the official page before you apply.

How to use it

Use the original photo file, as the photographer or the camera gave it.
Choose it here. The page finds your face and checks the photo without changing it.
Move Top of head if the dashed line is not at the top of your head.
Fix what the page lists, and tick what only you can confirm.
If it passes, send that same file, unchanged.

Questions

What size is the Canada citizenship photo?: Printed, 50 x 70 mm. As a digital photo, at least 420 pixels wide, at least 540 pixels tall. The file: JPEG; up to 4,000 KB. The head takes 44% to 51% of the photo's height, from the chin to the top of the head. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.
What background does the Canada citizenship photo need?: Plain white or light-coloured, with a clear difference between the face and the background.
Can I wear glasses in my Canada citizenship photo?: Yes, but only with no tint and no glare, and with your eyes clearly visible.
Can I smile in my Canada citizenship photo?: Neutral: eyes open and clearly visible, mouth closed, no smiling or frowning.
Can I wear a head covering in my Canada citizenship photo?: Only hats or head coverings worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons; full face clearly visible, no shadows on the face.
How recent must my Canada citizenship photo be?: Taken in the last 6 months. These are the official rules as checked on 4 November 2026.
Can I take my Canada citizenship photo myself?: No: the official rules ask for a commercial photographer or photo studio. This page checks the photo they give you.
Is my photo uploaded?: No. The photo is read and checked in your browser. The page tells our server only that a photo was checked, that it passed, or that a file was saved; never the photo, your face or any measurement. It finds where your face is in the photo; it never recognises who you are.
How is the head measured?: The page finds your chin and eyes in the photo and estimates the top of your head from your forehead, since hair hides it: the dashed line shows the estimate. If it is not at the top of your head, move it with Top of head and the checks follow.
Will my photo be accepted?: Only the issuing authority decides. A photo that passes every check here meets the published size, head and background rules as checked on 4 November 2026; you confirm the rest, such as glasses, expression and how recent the photo is.
Why can't I save a new file here?: This page only checks your photo: it never crops, edits or re-saves it. Canada asks for citizenship photos taken by a commercial photographer or studio, original and not altered in any way: no cropping, background change or retouching, and an online file saved straight from the camera. So this page checks the studio's photo as it is and never changes it. Citizenship photos are 50 x 70 mm and do not follow the passport photo rules.
What does the Detail check add?: Detail check for your Canada citizenship photo, €6.99: the Detail check of your own photo against the official rules (opt-in; it never changes your photo), unlimited re-checks and the whole family's photos for this document for 30 days. No file and no print sheet: the rules don't allow us to change this photo. Pay only once your photo passes. Refund if the authority rejects a photo that passed. Paid once, with no subscription. In the Detail check our AI model, run in the EU, checks glasses, expression, shadows and more in the file you chose, if you choose to send it, and never changes it. Without buying you can check any photo here and save the acceptance report, free.