How to resize a photo to exact pixels for a passport, visa or ID form

Crop the photo to the shape the form wants, then open Resize image, choose Pixels, type the width and height, keep Crop to fill and download. If the form also has a file size limit, finish in Compress image. Before you start, read the form's own photo rules: some services do not accept a photo that has been changed by software at all.

Steps

1. Note the form's numbers: width × height in pixels, the file size range, and the format (usually JPG).
2. In Crop image, pick the matching ratio: 1:1 for a square such as 600 × 600, 3:4 or 4:5 for a portrait photo. Place the box so the head and shoulders sit where the form's example shows them. Set Save as to JPG and download.
3. Open Resize image and drop in the cropped photo.
4. Under Resize to, choose Pixels and type the width, then the height.
5. Under When the shape differs, keep Crop to fill. Check the size line under the preview shows the exact numbers.
6. Under Save as, choose JPG, then press Download.
7. If the file is over the form's KB limit, open it in Compress image and set the target just below that limit.

Why crop before resizing

Resizing changes how many pixels a picture has; it does not choose what is in it. If you resize a 3:4 phone photo straight to a 1:1 square with Crop to fill, the tool trims evenly from the top and bottom, which may cut the chin or the top of the head. Cropping first lets you decide the framing, and the resize then only scales.

The three fit choices matter here:

• Crop to fill gives the exact width and height and trims what does not fit. With a photo already cropped to the right ratio, nothing extra is trimmed.
• Fit keeps the whole photo inside the size, so one side may come out smaller than you typed. Forms that check exact pixels will reject it.
• Fill stretches the photo to the numbers. On a face this is easy to spot.

Examples of what forms ask for

Each authority sets its own rules and changes them from time to time, so treat these as examples and check the form you are filling in.

The UK passport service also says a digital photo must be unaltered by computer software. If your form has a rule like that, have the photo taken at the right size rather than editing it. Cropping and resizing are still useful for forms that only state pixels and KB.

Getting under the KB limit

Fewer pixels already means a smaller file. A 600 × 600 JPG of a face against a plain wall is often well under 100 KB, so you may not need to compress at all; the size shows under the preview before you download. If it is over, compress it with the target set a little under the limit. A guide to getting a photo under 20 KB covers the tight limits some exam forms use.

If the form has a minimum file size (the UK one starts at 50 KB) and your file is under it, do not compress. Save the resize as JPG from the original photo rather than from an already compressed copy.

Troubleshooting

• The output is smaller than the numbers I typed. Your photo is smaller than the target, and the tool does not enlarge by default. Tick Allow enlarging past the original, or start from a larger photo, which is the better fix.
• The face looks squashed. Fill is selected. Switch to Crop to fill.
• The form rejects a PNG. Set Save as to JPG.
• The photo is sideways. Turn it with Rotate & size in the photo editor, download, then resize.

Questions

Is my ID photo uploaded when I resize it?

No. The photo is resized in your browser and stays on your device.

What does "passport size" mean in pixels?

There is no single answer. It depends on the country and the form; the printed size (for example 35 × 45 mm) and the digital size are separate rules. Use the numbers on the form you are filling in.

Can I resize a signature the same way?

Yes. Crop close around the ink first, then resize to the form's pixels with Crop to fill.