passport photo dpi

Passport photo DPI — 300 vs 600, and why it matters

Passport photo DPI (dots per inch) measures how many pixels are printed per inch on the physical document. The global default is 300 DPI — at the standard 2×2 inch US passport size this equals 600×600 pixels. New biometric passports issued by Italy, France, Germany and the new ePassports in Asia require 600 DPI for crisp printing on the data page; at 35×45 mm this means about 827×1063 pixels. Lower DPI causes the photo to appear pixelated on the printed passport. Higher than 600 DPI is allowed but doesn't improve quality further (the printer resolution is the limit). complypic outputs at the correct DPI for each country's spec automatically.

What DPI means

DPI is the printing resolution — the number of dots of ink per inch of paper. For a 2×2 inch photo printed at 300 DPI, the file needs to be 600×600 pixels (2 × 300 = 600). At 600 DPI, the same physical photo needs 1200×1200 pixels.

Higher DPI means more detail per inch of print. The human eye stops resolving additional detail around 600-800 DPI at normal viewing distance, so going above this doesn't visibly improve print quality.

300 DPI is the global default

Most countries' passport photo specifications require 300 DPI. The US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, Schengen states (most of them), and most Latin American countries all default to 300 DPI.

At 300 DPI:

- US 2×2 inches → 600×600 pixels

- Schengen 35×45 mm → about 413×531 pixels

- UK 45×35 mm → about 531×413 pixels

- Canada PR 35×45 mm → about 413×531 pixels

600 DPI for the new biometric passports

Italy (passaporto elettronico), France (new ANTS specs), Germany (new Bürgeramt requirements 2025), Switzerland (fedpol) and the newer Asian ePassports require 600 DPI for the photo printed on the data page. This is to support higher-quality printing on the polycarbonate data pages of next-generation passports.

At 600 DPI, a 35×45 mm photo needs to be about 827×1063 pixels — roughly 4× the file size of the 300 DPI version. complypic outputs at 600 DPI for these countries automatically.

How to verify a photo's DPI

On macOS: open the file in Preview, choose Tools → Show Inspector. DPI shows in the General tab.

On Windows: right-click the file → Properties → Details tab. DPI shows under Image.

Online: most photo metadata viewers (e.g., metapicz.com) will show DPI without download.

Note: 'DPI' is metadata embedded in the JPG file. A 600×600 pixel JPG can be tagged as 72 DPI, 300 DPI or 600 DPI — same file, different metadata. The actual visual quality only depends on the pixel count. Passport portals check both the pixel count AND the DPI tag — submit a file with matching dimensions and DPI.

FAQ

Does the DPI of my file matter, or just the pixel count?

Both. The pixel count determines visual quality; the DPI metadata is what some portals validate against. complypic sets both correctly for each country's spec.

Why does Germany now require 600 DPI?

The new German biometric passport uses polycarbonate data pages with higher-resolution laser engraving; the photo is engraved rather than printed and requires the higher source resolution for clean output.

Can I just use a 1200×1200 pixel photo for everything?

Higher pixel counts work, but the DPI metadata may not match. If the portal validates DPI strictly, a 1200×1200 file tagged as 300 DPI would imply a 4×4 inch physical photo — which is wrong for a 2×2 spec. Use the exact pixel count for the target DPI.

US Passport

Exactly 2x2 inches, plain white background, head 1 to 1⅜ inches. Validated against State Department specs before you pay. Works for new passport, renewal, and minors.

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Last reviewed 2026-05-23Official complypic page →