Is there one passport-photo size that works everywhere?
No. Photo rules differ by authority, country, application route and whether the submission is printed, uploaded or captured inside an official portal. A generic “passport size” label is not enough. Choose the exact route, read its official source, and only transform dimensions or file size when that route clearly permits it.
How to use the tool
Choose the exact application
Select the country, authority and route—not only a country name.
Compare measurable rules
Check file type, byte limit, pixel dimensions, aspect ratio and any published composition guidance.
Inspect what software cannot certify
Confirm identity, recency, expression, lighting, background and alteration rules yourself before submission.
At a glance
- Rule model
- Country + authority + application route
- Automatic checks
- Technical, measurable constraints only
- Acceptance guarantee
- No
- Evidence shown
- Authority link and review date
Why route-specific evidence matters
Nepal Police may ask for a recent passport-size colour photograph while its public instructions do not publish one universal pixel dimension. Nepal’s passport guidance also contains route and language-specific information. By contrast, the U.S. Department of State publishes detailed digital-image dimensions and composition rules for certain visa processes.
The safest product behaviour is to say what an authority actually publishes, identify what was observed only in a live portal, and leave fields unknown when no defensible value is available. Inventing a convenient size can lead to a rejected application even when the image looks reasonable.
- Treat printed-photo and digital-upload rules separately.
- Show conflicts between current official pages instead of silently choosing one.
- Do not remove or replace a background when alteration is prohibited.
- Check the authority again immediately before final submission.
What an in-browser checker cannot know
Software can measure width, height, file type and encoded file size. It cannot reliably certify that a person is the applicant, the photo was taken within the required period, the face is unobstructed, the lighting is acceptable, or the authority’s unpublished server check will accept the file.
Some authorities explicitly discourage third-party photo services or prohibit digital alteration. In those cases the guide should direct the applicant to the official capture or professional-photo route rather than promising an automatic fix.
Important limitations
- A green technical result is preparation guidance, not an acceptance guarantee.
- Authorities can change rules or use unpublished manual and server-side checks.
- Cropping, background changes and retouching may be prohibited for a particular route.
- The newest official instructions always take precedence over this guide.
Questions people ask
Why can two applications in one country need different photos?
Different departments and systems set their own capture, print, dimension and upload rules. The exact route determines the requirement.
Can the tool guarantee Nepal Police will accept my image?
No. It can apply published or observed technical limits, but Nepal Police can perform additional checks that are not public.
Should I remove the background automatically?
Only when the named authority permits that transformation. Some passport authorities reject digitally altered images.
Primary and project sources
- Police Clearance Report information — Nepal PoliceOfficial Nepal Police applicant guidance.
- ePassport process — Department of Passports, NepalOfficial Nepal passport-process guidance.
- Photo Requirements — U.S. Department of StateOfficial U.S. visa-photo requirements.
- Digital passport photos — GOV.UK / HM Passport OfficeOfficial UK digital-photo guidance.
- Passport photos — Australian Passport OfficeOfficial Australian passport-photo guidance.