Canada Visa Photo Requirements

Explaining photo requirements to apply for a Canadian visa

When you apply for a Canadian visa, you must fulfill some requirements. One of the visa requirements includes submitting photographs of the applicant. You must submit photos of yourself in order to fulfill the Canada visa requirements.

Why do I Need to Submit photos for Canada Visa?

If you want to go to Canada and obtain a Canadian visa, you must meet all the necessary requirements. All requirements need to be fulfilled in order for your application to be processed, so you must go through them one by one making sure you don’t make any mistakes.

It is important to know that if you submit all the necessary documents, but not include the required visa photos, your application will be rejected by the Canadian Embassy. So, submitting your photos is necassry if you are serious about getting your visa.

Where to take a Canada Visa Photo

Nowadays, there are many studios that can assist you taking your visa photos. You would be able to find one near your location for sure. It is important for you to pick the studio that knows how to make visa photos so they can comply with all the requirements.

Furthermore, the studio of your choice must be able to verify in writing and with signatures that the photo they took is a photo of you. Keep in mind that the Canadian Embassy will not accept a photo that has not been verified by the photographer, so you must choose the studio that can certify the identity of your photo.

What Are the Types of Canada Visa Photos?

As we know that there are different types of Canada visas, so the photo requirements are different too. Speaking generally, there are two major Canada visa categories:

Temporary Resident Visas;
Permanent Resident Visas/Citizenship Requirements;

The photo requirements are set by the Canadian Embassies around the world based on these two types of visas.

Canada Visa Photo Requirements for Temporary Residents

If the visa you want to obtain falls in the category of Temporary Residents Visas, alongside all the required documents, you must submit visa photos.

In your visa application, you must include two (2) photographs of yourself. If you choose to ignore this requirement or forget to submit the necessary photos, you will be asked to re-submit them. Your application will be rejected if you do not re-submit your photos and you will have to start all over again, including paying the Canada visa fees.

Following are the requirements for the 2 photos you must submit:

The photos must be taken within the last 6 months and be identical in order to provide a clearer idea of how you look like at the present time
The photographs must be printed on high-quality photographic paper
The photos must be sharp and without any blurriness in them
The photos can be in black and white and in color
The photos must not be altered digitally
The background of the photos must be white or light-colored. There should not be any design on the background.
The position of the face must be in the center of the camera, not too far and not too close, with top of your shoulders showing
You must have natural facial expression and with your mouth closed, neither smiling nor frowning
You are not allowed to wear sunglasses, and if you wear eye-glasses they must not be tinted in any way that hides your eyes
Your normal appearance must not be disrupted by cosmetic accessories or headpieces
If you wear a headscarf for religious purposes it must not cover any part of your face
In terms of Canada visa photo size, the frame must be at least 35mm (millimeters) with 45 mm (1 3/8” x 1 ¾”)
The size of your head in the photo must be between 31 mm and 36mm (1 ¼” and 1 7/16”) from the top of your head to your chin

After you have taken the photos of yourself, you must write information on the back in order to verify your identity. The back of the photo must include the following:

Your name (Applicant’s name)
The location name and address of the place where the photo was taken. The photographer is allowed to use a stamp or provide handwritten information
The photographer must write the following: “I certify this to be a true likeness of (Applicant Name)” and sign it with their name and surname.

Canada Visa Photo Requirements for Permanent Residents and Citizenship Applications

If you want to become a Canadian Permanent Resident by applying for an Immigration visa or you are applying for Canadian citizenship you also must submit photos. The requirements for this application share similarity with the Temporary Resident Visa photo requirements with few differences. Following are the requirements for Permanent Resident visa photographs:

You must submit one (1) photo if you are applying for Renunciation
You must submit two (2) identical photos if you want to apply for Permanent Visa or Citizenship
The photos must be taken within the last 6 months and be identical in order to provide a clearer idea of how you look like at the present time
The photographs must be printed on high-quality photographic paper
The photos must be sharp and without any blurriness in them
The photos can be in black and white and in color
The photos must not be altered digitally
The background of the photos must be white or light-colored. There should not be any design on the background.
The position of the face must be in the center of the camera, not too far and not too close, with top of your shoulders showing;
You must have natural facial expression and with your mouth closed, neither smiling nor frowning;
You are not allowed to wear sunglasses, and if you wear eye-glasses they must not be tinted in any way that hides your eyes;
Your normal appearance must not be disrupted by cosmetic accessories or headpieces;
If you wear a headscarf for religious purposes it must not cover any part of your face;
In terms of Canada visa photo size, the frame must be at least 35mm (millimeters) x 45 mm (1 3/8″ x 1 3/4″)
The size of your head in the photo must be between 31 mm and 36mm (1 ¼” and 1 7/16”) from the top of your head to your chin;
You must have your name at the back of the photo
The back of the photos must include the location name and address of the place where the photo was taken. The photographer is allowed to use a stamp or provide handwritten information;
The photographer must write the following: “I certify this to be a true likeness of (Applicant Name)” and sign it with their name and surname at the back of the photograph.
If your photos do not meet these requirements, your application will be rejected and you will have to submit new ones.

Canada Visa Photo Requirements for Babies and Children

If your children or infants are applying with you for a visa, the photograph requirements also apply to them. As we mentioned the photograph requirements can vary from one visa to another from the specified requirements above.

The requirements for photos from children and babies are more lenient, just because Canadian Embassies recognize that is more difficult to take photos of them. However, they expect you to comply with them. There are few simple tips on how to get a photo of the infant or child that will fulfill all the necessary requirements:

The background must be clear or white, so it best if you put a white sheet under the infant or over the car seat;
You are allowed to put the baby laying down or in a car seat;
Try to have the baby’s face in the middle of the photo and with their mouth closed;
If you decided to hold the baby, your hands should not be visible in the photos.

What is the Cost of Canada Visa Photo?

The cost of the photographs can vary from the studio you choose. You should expect that your costs will be from at least $10 to $20 for each photo at commercial photographers or you can choose a cheaper option that will provide bundles of photos for a similar price.

When you apply with your dependents, such as your children and souse, the cost of the photos will be around $100 in total. The costs for the photographs might seem high, but it will be worth it just because they will be in good quality and you will not have to re-submit again and pay twice for the same procedure.