How to resize passport photos correctly

Resizing a passport photo is not the same as “crop square in the photos app.” Governments care about millimetres, head height, and background colour. Get those wrong and a sharp, well-lit picture still comes back rejected.

This is a straight session in Tokitool’s Passport Photo Resizer: pick the size, align the head guides, set the background, download JPEG. Country size pages live under passport photo sizes by country. Treat those pages as a fast start. Confirm the latest wording with the authority that will receive your application before you pay fees.

Step 1: Find the size for your country

Open the hub and pick your country. Common patterns:

35×45 mm for many Schengen, UK, India, Australia, and similar pages (examples: India, UK, Germany)
2×2 inches (51×51 mm) for the US and Philippines
50×70 mm for Canada and Brazil

Spain’s DNI/passport size is smaller (26×32 mm). Finland lists 36×47 mm. Do not assume every “Europe” booth print is 35×45 mm. Read the country page.

Step 2: Start from a decent photo

Front-facing, even light, both eyes open, mouth closed. Stand a bit away from the wall so you do not get a hard shadow behind the head. If the room behind you is busy, clean it with the Background Remover first, then come back to the resizer.

Step 3: Use the preset and the head guides

In the Passport Photo Resizer, choose the matching country preset when you have one. The overlay is there so chin-to-crown sits in the range your rules expect. Nudge the crop until the guides look right on your face. Do not export a holiday full-body shot squeezed into a passport frame.

Some country pages deep-link to the nearest built-in preset when the exact millimetres are uncommon. If the page tells you to set a custom size (Spain 26×32 mm, Hong Kong 40×50 mm, and similar), do that in the size fields before you download.

Step 4: Background colour

White is common. UK and some EU pages prefer light grey or cream. France and Germany often reject pure white. Match the background label on your country page, then confirm against the official checklist.

Step 5: Download JPEG, then compress only if needed

Most portals want JPEG. Download that. If the upload fails on file size, open the Image Compressor and hit the cap (50 KB and 100 KB are the usual suspects). Do not compress first and resize second. You will redo the crop anyway.

Common mistakes

US 2×2 square uploaded to an India or Schengen 35×45 mm form
Head too small in the frame
Busy curtain or window behind the shoulders
PNG sent to a JPEG-only portal
Home print used when the channel still wants a studio or guarantor photo

Official rules still win

Tokitool helps you hit published sizes in the browser. We do not stamp applications or guarantee acceptance. Lighting, expression, glasses, and “photo taken in the last X months” rules sit with the issuing office. For a shorter punch list, see the passport photo size checklist.

Related on Tokitool

Tokitool how-to for resizing passport photos with our resizer and country size hubs. Verify current rules with the authority for your application.