Head size is where most self-cropped photos fail, because centring your face in the frame is not the same thing as meeting a head-height rule. Authorities measure from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, including hair, and the accepted band differs by country: 25 to 35 mm for the US, 29 to 34 mm for the UK, 32 to 36 mm for Schengen.
A document photo is a measurement, not a portrait. Authorities specify how tall the head must be within the frame, because biometric comparison depends on the face occupying a predictable proportion of the image.
That is why a photo can look perfectly composed and still fail. Centring your face is not the same as sizing it.
| Document | Head height, chin to crown |
|---|---|
| US passport and visa | 25-35 mm, or 50% to 69% of image height |
| UK passport | 29-34 mm |
| Schengen visa | 32-36 mm |
| Canada passport | 31-36 mm within a 70 mm tall photo |
| China visa | 28-33 mm |
From the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, including hair. Not to the hairline, and not to the eyes. This is why hairstyle changes the crop: volume on top pushes the crown higher and forces a wider crop, which shrinks the face within the frame.
Some documents add a second constraint on eye height. US visa photos want the eyes between 56 and 69 per cent of the image height measured from the bottom edge, which can be satisfied or missed independently of the head height.
Selecting a country in the passport photo tool locks the aspect ratio for that document and positions the guide so the head lands inside the accepted band. Align the chin and the top of the head to the guide rather than judging by eye.
US passport head and eye position · Why the Canadian crop is looser
From the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, including hair. It is not measured to the eyeline or the hairline, which is why tall or voluminous hair changes the crop.
Usually because the photo was cropped to frame the face pleasantly rather than to a measurement. Document photos want visible space above the head and the shoulders in frame, closer to a head-and-shoulders shot than a portrait crop.
No. The bands overlap but they are not identical, and a crop that satisfies one may fall outside another. Select the country in the crop tool so the guide matches the document you are applying for.
Yes, for some documents. US visa photos specify the eyes between 56 and 69 per cent of the image height from the bottom edge, which is a separate constraint from head height.
Measure to the top of the hair as it sits naturally. Avoid styles with height on the day, since a tall style pushes the crown outside the guide and forces a wider crop that shrinks the face.