Methodology

How we verify photo requirements

Passport photo advice is full of copied blog posts quoting rules from ten years ago. This page is the standard this site holds itself to — and where every “Requirements verified” claim leads.

We read the issuing authority's own guidance

Every spec starts from the published requirements of the authority that issues the document — the U.S. Department of State, HM Passport Office, IRCC, the Australian Passport Office, the consulates themselves. Each requirements guide links to the official pages it was checked against, so you can verify the numbers at the source.

Every number carries a named source

In the data the checker runs on, each measurement — head height, pixel dimensions, file-size limits, background colour — is tied to a named source: one of our dated guides, or an official URL when the guides are silent on that field. A number without a source is never presented as fact.

Every page shows when it was last checked

Requirements pages carry a “Requirements verified” date — the day that guide was re-read against the official sources. We re-check on a rolling basis, and when an authority changes a rule the guide and the checker's spec are updated together, so the two can never disagree.

When sources conflict or stay silent, we say so

There is no single Schengen photo spec — consulates differ on recency and background, so we hold the strictest common values and tell you the consulate's own checklist wins. U.S. online renewal publishes no pixel dimensions, so that field is marked unverified. We mark a spec unverified rather than fill a gap with a plausible guess.

We are independent — the authority decides

The Passport Photo Maker is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by any government agency, and it can't submit, approve or speed up an application. A pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check — the authority handling your application always makes the final decision.

When software can't meet the rule, we sell nothing

Canada requires prints stamped on the back by a commercial studio, with the file straight off that photographer's camera. Australia wants dye-sublimation prints on 200 gsm paper and the APO explicitly advises against photo apps. No website can supply either — including us. For those documents the product is a free pre-submission check, and there is nothing to buy.

Free check only: Canada and Australia

Some requirements can't be met by software. For a Canada passport, IRCC requires the photo to be taken in person by a commercial photographer, with the studio's name, full address and the date stamped on the back of each print. For Australia, the APO wants dye-sublimation prints on heavy glossy paper and says it does not recommend online photo services or apps. On those document pages we say so up front and offer only the free check — a pass/fail read on framing, tilt, background and lighting for the photo your studio or post office gave you.

Canada passport photo Australia passport photo

See the specs — and the sources

Every document page renders the same numbers the checker enforces, and each requirements guide ends with the official pages it was verified against.

Spot something out of date? Authorities do change their rules. Write to hello@thepassportphotomaker.com and we'll re-check the spec against the source.

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