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Editorial Standards

Every specification we publish — millimeters, DPI, background color, head-height ratio — is sourced from the issuing authority and dated. Here's how that process works.

Sourcing

We treat the issuing authority as the only authoritative source for any document photo specification. That means:

  • For US documents — the State Department, USCIS, and CBP photo requirement pages.
  • For Schengen visas — Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 (uniform format for visas) and the consulate-specific guidance published by each member state.
  • For UK visas — UKVI and the official "Get a digital photo" service documentation.
  • For Canadian documents — IRCC's Photo specifications technical requirements page.
  • For Indian documents — UIDAI (Aadhaar), DigiLocker, and the relevant ministry portals (PAN, Passport Seva).
  • For all other jurisdictions — the foreign ministry, embassy, or national police website that issues the document.

Each spec page lists the canonical source URL it was last verified against, plus the verification date. If a third-party "photo guidance" page contradicts the issuing authority, we go with the authority.

Verification

Before a new country page is published, the editor responsible reads the official requirement document end to end and records the following in the page's source file:

  1. Physical dimensions (mm and inches).
  2. Pixel dimensions at the recommended print DPI.
  3. Head-height range (chin to crown) as a fraction of photo height.
  4. Eye-line distance from the top of the photo.
  5. Background color, brightness range and any pattern restrictions.
  6. Acceptable file formats and maximum file size if specified.
  7. Any biometric, age, or wear-restriction (glasses, head covering).

Pixel and millimeter conversions are recomputed from the source values; we never copy them from another aggregator site.

Review cadence

Country specifications are reviewed at least once every 12 months and whenever a reader reports a change. Tool guides ("how to compress", "how to convert HEIC") are reviewed when the underlying browser API or upstream library changes.

Corrections

Spotted an outdated number, an incorrect background color, or a broken official link? Email hello@photofilesize.com with the URL of the page and a link to the official source you used. We aim to verify and publish corrections within 48 hours. Material corrections (a changed dimension, a changed background color) are annotated with a "Last updated" date at the top of the affected page.

What we do not publish

  • Specifications we cannot verify against an official source.
  • Affiliate or paid recommendations inside spec content. The free tool on every page does the job; the only commercial offer on the site is our own optional template pack, clearly labeled.
  • AI-generated text without human editorial review. Drafts may be assisted by AI, but every published page is read and signed off by the editor.

About the editor

Editorial decisions are made by Thomas Fenkart, managing director of Not Another Mate Software GmbH. Read more on the About page.