Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Canada permanent resident card photo requirements
A permanent resident card application made online takes one digital photo; a paper application takes two identical prints. The digital file must be .jpeg or .jpg, between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 pixels, and 4 MB or less. The print size is 50 mm wide by 70 mm high with the face 31–36 mm from chin to crown, on a background IRCC describes as plain, untextured and white.
The PR card guide publishes the reasons a photo comes back, and two of them are mechanical: the file size is above 4 MB, or the measurements are not between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 pixels. The rest — photo too dark, background not white, facial features not visible, glare — are judgements no file checker can make. One more difference catches people out: a PR card photo may be up to 12 months old, where a passport or citizenship photo must be no more than 6 months old, so the reverse mistake is real too — a 10-month-old photo that is fine for a PR card is too old for the other two.
IRCC requires an original photo, not taken from an existing photo and not altered in any way — technical corrections and cropping around the head and shoulders included. The tool below is therefore check-only. It reports file format, pixel dimensions and file size against the limits above and never resizes, crops, compresses, or re-encodes your file; it cannot judge background, lighting, head height, or whether IRCC will accept the photo.
Official source: canada.ca — Permanent resident photos
Official source checked on 2026-08-25. This records when we compared our summary to the linked government page — not when the tool was QA-tested. Requirements can change; always confirm the current rules on the official page before you apply.
Reviewed by the ExactPic Editorial Team against the official source above. See how we verify requirements.
Specifications
- Digital — file format
- .jpeg or .jpg
- Digital — dimensions
- Between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 px
- Digital — file size
- 4 MB or less (no minimum stated)
- Digital — aspect ratio
- Not stated by IRCC
- Number of photos
- 1 digital photo online; 2 identical prints on paper
- Print size
- 50 mm wide × 70 mm high
- Head height
- 31–36 mm from chin to crown
- Background
- Plain, untextured and white
- Age of photo
- Taken no more than 12 months before you apply
- Colour
- Colour or black and white
- Editing
- None — an original photo, not taken from an existing photo or altered in any way
- Source
- Commercial photographer or studio
- Back of printed photos
- Your name and date of birth, the studio's name and complete address, and the date the photo was taken
Every value in this table is summarized from canada.ca — Permanent resident photos (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)), checked 2026-08-25. Confirm the current values on the official page before you apply.
Check your photo
The tool below is set to the official digital limits. Drop your photo in to check it against each requirement — nothing is uploaded or altered.
Two IRCC pages disagree on format: the permanent resident photos page says ".jpeg or .jpg", while Guide 5445 says a professional digital photo in JPEG or PNG format. This checker is set to JPEG, which satisfies both. IRCC states no minimum file size and no aspect ratio for the PR card photo, so neither is enforced — note that 715 × 1000 px is not quite the 5:7 shape of the 50 × 70 mm print, which is why no ratio rule is applied. The file is never modified here; if a value fails, ask the studio for a corrected original.
Drop an image here, or click to browse
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC (Safari/iOS only) — or paste / take a photo
Publishers: embed this checker on your site with one iframe.
- Auto-checked
- File size, pixel dimensions, and file format.
- You must verify yourself
- Head size and position, background, lighting, expression, and colour profile — the tool cannot judge these.
Compliance note. This checks file format, pixel dimensions, and file size only. It does not judge whether the background is white and untextured, whether the photo is too dark, whether there is glare, or whether IRCC will accept your photo. PR card photos must be taken by a commercial photographer or studio and must not be altered in any way.
Reviewed by ExactPic editorial against the official source on 2026-08-25. Spotted something out of date or wrong? Report an incorrect requirement.
Step by step
Get the photo from a commercial photographer or studio
Ask for the permanent resident card specification: 50 mm wide by 70 mm high, face 31–36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain, untextured white background. Colour or black and white are both accepted.
Ask for the digital original within the pixel range
For an online application you need one .jpeg or .jpg file between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 pixels and 4 MB or less. For a paper application collect two identical prints instead, and have the studio write your name and date of birth, its own name and complete address, and the date the photo was taken on the back.
Check the file, then upload the original
Confirm the format, dimensions and file size below, then upload that same unaltered file. If it falls outside the pixel range or over 4 MB, ask the studio for a corrected original rather than editing it yourself.
Private by design. Any photo you check here is processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded. ExactPic is not affiliated with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and does not guarantee acceptance — always follow the official guidance.
Source change log
- 2026-08-25 — Page created from the IRCC permanent resident photos page: .jpeg or .jpg, 715 × 1000 to 2000 × 2800 px, 4 MB or less, 12-month recency, plain untextured white background, 50 × 70 mm prints with a 31–36 mm head. Recorded the format discrepancy with Guide 5445 (JPEG or PNG) and the 12-month recency difference from the 6-month passport and citizenship rules.
Other portals
Frequently asked questions
- What are the photo size requirements for a Canada PR card?
- For an online application, one .jpeg or .jpg photo between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 pixels and 4 MB or less. For a paper application, two identical prints 50 mm wide by 70 mm high with the face 31–36 mm from chin to crown. Either way the photo must be taken no more than 12 months before you apply, on a plain, untextured white background.
- Why was my PR card photo rejected?
- IRCC's PR card guide lists the reasons a photo is returned: the photo is too dark, the background is not white, facial features are not visible, there is glare, the measurements are not between 715 × 1000 and 2000 × 2800 pixels, or the file size is above 4 MB. Only the last two are mechanical — this page reports those; the rest you have to judge against the photo itself.
- How old can a photo be for a Canada PR card application?
- It must be taken no more than 12 months before you apply. That is more generous than the Canadian passport and citizenship rules, which both require a photo taken no more than 6 months before you submit, so a photo that still works for a PR card may already be too old for those.
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Official source checked: 2026-08-25