Free · Fast · Privacy-first

Crop Passport Photo

Passport photos have strict size and composition requirements that vary by country.

⚡

US 2x2 inch preset

🔒

UK 45x35mm preset

✨

EU Schengen preset

⚡

No watermark added

Cost: Free tier
Sign-up: Not required
Processing: Tool-specific
Privacy: Clearly disclosed

IframeResponsiveAttribution included

Add this Image Cropper to your website

Drop the Image Cropper into a blog post, product docs, intranet, or school portal with one iframe. Processing, privacy, and usage limits are the same as on the full tool page.

One copy-ready line of HTML
Responsive — adapts to any container width
No API credentials are placed in the snippet

Embed code

<iframe
  src="https://www.fixtools.io/image-tools/image-cropper?embed=1"
  width="100%"
  height="780"
  frameborder="0"
  style="border:0;border-radius:16px;max-width:900px;"
  title="Image Cropper by FixTools"
  loading="lazy"
  allow="clipboard-write"
></iframe>

<iframe
  src="https://www.fixtools.io/image-tools/image-cropper?embed=1"
  width="100%"
  height="780"
  frameborder="0"
  style="border:0;border-radius:16px;max-width:900px;"
  title="Image Cropper by FixTools"
  loading="lazy"
  allow="clipboard-write"
></iframe>

Attribution-friendly: a small "Powered by FixTools" link appears in the embed footer.

Country-specific passport photo specifications

US passport photos require 2 by 2 inches (51 by 51 mm) square dimensions at 600 by 600 pixels minimum when submitted digitally for the online passport application. The head must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm) from chin to crown, which is roughly 50 to 69 percent of the photo height. The background must be plain white or off-white. Eyes must be open, looking directly at the camera, with a neutral expression or natural smile. No hats, no sunglasses, no shadows on the face or behind the head. These specs are documented by the US Department of State and enforced strictly during passport processing.

UK passport photos require 45 by 35 mm (rectangular, taller than wide) printed at high quality. For digital submissions through the UK passport renewal online service, the photo must be 600 by 750 pixels minimum. The head from crown to chin must measure 29 to 34 mm in the photo. Background must be a light grey or cream colour, plain and free of patterns. Eyes open, looking at the camera, neutral expression, no glasses unless medically required. The UK spec is similar to the US in spirit but uses different exact dimensions and a slightly different background colour preference.

EU Schengen visa photos use 35 by 45 mm dimensions (rectangular, taller than wide) similar to UK. The head must be 70 to 80 percent of the photo height, measured from chin to crown. Background must be light, neutral colour (typically light grey or white). The specifications are coordinated across Schengen member states for visa photos, although individual member state photo specs for national documents may differ slightly. Always check the specific requirements of the destination country's consulate before submitting.

Other countries have their own specs. Canada uses 50 by 70 mm. Australia uses 35 by 45 mm. India uses 50 by 50 mm. China uses 33 by 48 mm. Japan uses 35 by 45 mm. Each country's spec is published by its passport authority or visa-issuing body. FixTools supports the most common specs as presets and accepts any custom pixel dimensions for less common requirements. Always reference the official source for the destination country before submitting; specs can change and outdated information may lead to rejected applications.

US Department of State: passport photo requirements UK Government: passport photo rules EU Schengen visa photo requirements

How to use this tool

💡

Select the passport photo preset for your destination country, position the head per official spec, and export at exact pixel dimensions for submission.

How It Works

Step-by-step guide to crop passport photo:

1
Photograph the subject against a plain background
Take the photo against a plain white, light grey, or cream background depending on the destination country's specification. Use even, soft lighting (natural daylight from a window works well) to avoid shadows on the face or behind the head. The subject should look directly at the camera with eyes open and a neutral expression. No hats, no sunglasses, no glare on glasses.
2
Load the photo into FixTools
Drop the source photo into FixTools Image Cropper. Higher resolution is better because passport specs require sharp detail; a phone photo at full resolution typically has enough pixels for cropping to passport dimensions with quality to spare.
3
Select the country-specific preset
Open the passport photo presets and choose your destination country: US 2x2", UK 45x35mm, EU Schengen 35x45mm, or another country preset. The crop selection locks to the corresponding aspect with exact pixel dimensions matching the official spec.
4
Position the head per official spec
Position the selection so the head occupies the official proportion of the photo height (50 to 80 percent depending on country). The eyes should be at roughly the middle of the upper half of the photo. Ensure the head is centred horizontally with even space on either side.
5
Export and submit
Click Crop and download the result at exact passport dimensions. Submit through the official passport or visa application portal, or print at the specified physical size for in-person submission. The cropped file matches the spec exactly, reducing the risk of rejection during application processing.

Real-world examples

Common situations where this approach makes a real difference:

US citizen applying for passport renewal online

A US citizen renews their passport online through the State Department portal. The portal requires a digital passport photo at 2 by 2 inches with specific composition. They photograph themselves at home against a white wall, crop in FixTools using the US 2x2 preset at 600x600 pixels with head centred per the spec, and upload through the portal. The application is accepted on first submission, saving a trip to a CVS or Walgreens for a paid passport photo service.

UK family renewing passports together

A UK family of four needs to renew all their passports. Photographing them all at home and cropping in FixTools to the UK 45x35mm spec saves a significant amount compared to a photography studio visit for four people. Each family member's photo is cropped to exact UK spec and submitted through the renewal portal. All four applications pass review without photo rejections.

Traveller applying for Schengen visa

A US traveller applies for a Schengen visa for a European holiday. The visa application requires a 35x45mm photo to EU specs, different from US passport photo specs. They use FixTools to crop their existing photo to the EU spec with the correct head proportions for Schengen requirements. The visa application is approved without photo-related delays.

Student applying for study abroad documents

A university student preparing for study abroad needs photos for multiple documents: visa application, university ID, and host country residence permit. Each document has slightly different photo requirements. They use FixTools to produce photos at each required spec from a single source photoshoot, saving multiple visits to a photography service.

Pro tips

Get better results with these expert suggestions:

Photograph against a plain wall in soft daylight

The lighting and background are as important as the cropping for passport photos. A plain white or light wall photographed in soft natural daylight from a side window produces a compliant result. Avoid direct sunlight (causes harsh shadows) and avoid lit indoor scenes with mixed colour temperatures. Daylight from a north-facing window is ideal: even, soft, and colour-neutral.

Take multiple photos and choose the best

Even with planning, the first photo may not match the spec exactly. Take several photos at slightly different angles and expressions, then choose the best one for cropping. Phone cameras make this cheap: there is no film cost, only seconds of time. Having three or four options to choose from significantly increases the chance of producing a compliant result on the first crop.

Verify head proportions before final export

Each country specifies the head size as a proportion of the photo height. Verify this proportion before exporting by measuring the head height in the crop preview and comparing against the official spec. A head too small or too large in the frame is one of the most common rejection reasons for passport photos. Adjust the crop size or repositioning until the proportion matches.

Keep the original photo for re-cropping

If the cropped photo gets rejected, you can usually re-crop from the same source with different framing rather than re-photographing. Save the original phone photo in addition to the cropped version. If rejection feedback specifies what was wrong (head too large, head off-centre, eyes too low), apply the correction to the original and produce a new crop.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

2 by 2 inches (51 by 51 mm) square. For digital submissions through the US State Department online passport service, the photo must be 600 by 600 pixels minimum at the 2x2 aspect. The head from chin to crown must measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches (25 to 35 mm), which is roughly 50 to 69 percent of the photo height. Background must be plain white or off-white. These specs are documented at the US State Department website and enforced during processing.

45 by 35 mm rectangular (taller than wide) for printed photos. For digital submissions through the online passport service, the photo must be 600 by 750 pixels minimum. The head from crown to chin must measure 29 to 34 mm in the photo. Background must be a light grey or cream colour, plain and free of patterns. The UK spec is documented by HM Passport Office and is similar in spirit to the US but with different exact dimensions.

35 by 45 mm rectangular (taller than wide) per the EU Schengen visa photo standard. The head must occupy 70 to 80 percent of the photo height from chin to crown. Background must be a light, neutral colour (typically light grey or white). Individual member state passport photos may differ slightly from the Schengen visa spec, so verify the specific country's requirements for non-Schengen-visa documents.

Yes, in most countries, provided the photo meets the official spec. Photograph against a plain wall in soft, even daylight with the subject looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Crop the result in FixTools to the exact country spec. The savings compared to a photography studio visit are significant, especially for families renewing multiple passports together. Some countries require studio-produced photos for specific document types; verify before relying on a home-produced photo.

Soft, even, natural daylight is the best lighting for passport photos. A north-facing window provides indirect daylight that illuminates the face evenly without harsh shadows. Avoid direct sunlight (causes shadows on one side of the face), avoid indoor lit scenes with mixed colour temperatures (produces unflattering colour casts), and avoid flash (causes red-eye and harsh highlights). Cloudy outdoor daylight also works well.

Plain, light, uniform colour. The US requires white or off-white. The UK prefers light grey or cream. EU Schengen visas allow light grey or white. Avoid patterned backgrounds, dark colours, multiple colours, or any background with visible texture. A plain wall painted in the right colour works. White paper or fabric can be used as a backdrop if no suitable wall is available.

Rejection feedback usually specifies the reason: head too large, head too small, head off-centre, eyes too low, shadows on the face, background not compliant, glasses with glare, expression too animated. Apply the specified correction by re-cropping from the original (if the cropping was the problem) or re-photographing (if the original was the problem). Most rejections can be resolved with a second submission from the same source photo with adjusted cropping.

FixTools produces crops at the exact pixel dimensions and aspect ratios specified by passport authorities. Whether a passport office accepts the result depends on the source photo meeting the official composition requirements (head size, background, lighting, expression). The cropping itself is compliant with the dimensional spec, but the source photo must also meet the visual requirements. We recommend reviewing the official photo guide for your destination country before photographing.

Yes. All cropping happens entirely in your browser using HTML5 Canvas; no photo data leaves your device. This is particularly important for passport photos because they are personally identifying images that you do not want passing through third-party servers. The cropping architecture prevents any data from reaching FixTools infrastructure, which means there is no copy of your passport photo anywhere outside your own device.