Passport photo sizes in mm, cm and inches

A photograph that fits one form can be the wrong shape for another. Start with the exact width and height in the receiving organisation's instructions, then choose the print size. The term “passport size” on its own is not a complete specification.

Three sizes that are easy to confuse

Print dimensions	Equivalent in cm	Shape
35 × 45 mm	3.5 × 4.5 cm	Vertical
51 × 51 mm	5.1 × 5.1 cm	Square; commonly described as 2 × 2 inch
20 × 25 mm	2 × 2.5 cm	Small vertical stamp photo

Two inches is exactly 50.8 mm; official instructions often round this to 51 mm. A square photograph cannot be made into a correct vertical portrait just by changing a print label. Its crop also changes.

Match the application, then the product

Passport Seva's instructions for certain physical-photo cases, including children below four, specify a 4.5 × 3.5 cm white-background photograph. This does not mean every Indian passport applicant needs mailed prints. Check the applicable Passport Seva instructions.

The US Department of State specifies a 2 × 2 inch printed passport photograph. Its official photo requirements also cover composition and other conditions. Size alone does not establish compliance.

Ordering a custom dimension

On the passport photo product, choose the size that matches your form. If selecting Custom Size, write width, height and units in Print instructions—for example, “30 mm wide × 40 mm high”. Do not enter only a document or country name. Keep head and shoulder detail in the source image so the required crop remains possible.

For smaller photos, compare stamp photo packs. A different product is useful when the physical size or pack is different; it does not change the authority's requirements.