Canada PR photo size — 35×45 mm IRCC dimensions

Exact dimensions and pixel size

The Canada PR photo dimension is 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall — taller than it is wide, in portrait orientation. At the IRCC-recommended 600 DPI this scales to approximately 827×1063 pixels for digital submission. The PR Portal accepts JPEGs between 60 KB and 240 KB; printed copies on the 4×6 inch sheet are commonly required for biometrics collection at a VAC.

Crucially, IRCC uses the same 35×45 mm spec for visitor visas, study permits, and work permits — but a different 50×70 mm spec for the citizenship application and Canadian passport itself. Do not confuse the two: a 50×70 mm citizenship photo will be rejected at the PR Portal upload.

Head height and positioning

Head height measured chin to crown — including hair volume — must sit between 31 and 36 mm. That occupies roughly 69 to 80% of the photo's vertical dimension, which is noticeably tighter framing than the US 2×2 inch spec. Most selfie-based rejections come from heads framed too small.

The face must be centered horizontally with no head tilt; eyes must be open, facing the lens directly, on a roughly horizontal line. Shoulders should be visible. IRCC's visa officers check head position by overlay grid at biometric capture — even a 5 mm error in vertical placement is flagged.

Background and colour requirements

Background must be plain white or off-white, uniform across the entire frame. No textures, no patterns, no props, no second person. Shadows on the wall behind the head are the second-most common rejection cause; even lighting matters as much as the colour itself.

The photo must be in full colour with natural skin tone. IRCC's automated screening tools flag images with heavy beauty-filter smoothing or AI-generated skin texture as 'altered photograph', which can hold up an entire PR file for manual review.

Recency, glasses and expression

The photo must be taken within 6 months of submission. The reverse of a printed photo carries the photographer's name, address, and date of capture for IRCC reference, though digital uploads through the PR Portal don't require that annotation.

Glasses of any kind — clear prescription, sunglasses, or tinted lenses — are not permitted. IRCC eliminated the medical-exception clause in 2016, aligning with ICAO 9303. Expression must be neutral with mouth closed; natural micro-smiles where the lips remain closed are tolerated.

IRCC PR Portal upload requirements

The PR Portal expects a JPEG file with dimensions equivalent to 35×45 mm at 600 DPI. File weight between 60 KB and 240 KB passes consistently — files outside that window are rejected at upload. complypic delivers in the safe mid-range while preserving sharpness.

For biometric enrolment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) in countries that require it, you also need to bring two printed copies cropped to 35×45 mm. The 4×6 inch sheet from complypic prints two correctly cropped photos side by side for that purpose.

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