Passport & ID Photo Statistics 2026

27.3 million

The U.S. Department of State issued 27,348,416 passports in fiscal year 2025, including 4,544,022 passport cards — up 11.6% from 24,515,786 in fiscal year 2024 and the highest total in its published series.

“U.S. Passports Issued by Fiscal Year (1996-2025) … 2025 27,348,416 (includes 4,544,022 passport cards) 2024 24,515,786 (includes 3,737,228 passport cards)”

Note: The +11.6% change is our calculation from the two published totals.

23.3 million

The State Department received 23,308,976 passport applications in fiscal year 2025, 14.1% more than the 20,437,207 received in fiscal year 2024.

“Many customers apply for both documents at the same time, which means that the number of passports issued each year will be higher than the number of applications received. … 2025 23,308,976 2024 20,437,207”

Note: The +14.1% change is our calculation.

183.2 million

There were 183,170,240 valid U.S. passports in circulation in fiscal year 2025, up from 169,915,821 a year earlier.

“Some customers may have more than one valid passport. For example, a customer who has both a passport book and card has two valid passports. … 2025 183,170,240 2024 169,915,821”

Note: Counts documents, not people: a passport book and a passport card held by one person count as two.

7.1 million

HM Passport Office received 7,110,404 British passport applications in 2025, 8.8% fewer than the 7,800,233 received in 2024.

“PCCR_01: Passport application intake volumes by month … 2024 … Annual Total 7,800,233 … 2025 … Annual Total 7,110,404”

Note: Includes applications from overseas. The −8.8% change is our calculation.

17.0 million

Germany's federal printer Bundesdruckerei produced and delivered 17.0 million passports, national ID cards and electronic residence permits in 2025, down from 18.1 million in 2024.

“In total, 17.0 million units of the main products [passport, identity card and electronic residence permit] were produced and delivered (previous year: 18.1 million units).” (translated from German)

Note: Germany publishes one combined figure, not separate counts per document.

2.3 million

The Australian Passport Office issued over 2.3 million passports in 2024–25, around 9,000 every business day.

“We issued over 2.3 million passports – that’s around 9,000 each business day.”

56%

Over 15 million Australians hold a current passport — more than 56% of the population.

“Over 15 million Australians have a current passport - that’s over 56% of the population.”

3.9 million

Canada's Passport Program issued 3,890,257 passports to Canadians living in Canada and the United States in fiscal year 2025–26.

“Last year's application processing statistics, from April 2025 to March 2026. … 3,890,257 … Passports issued to Canadians living in Canada and the United States.”

67%

About 67% of Canadians hold a valid passport, and more than 27 million Canadian passports are in circulation.

“Approximately 67% of all Canadians hold a valid passport and there are over 27 million passports in circulation.”

933,121

Ireland's Passport Service issued 933,121 passports in 2025.

“Issued 933,121 passports ( 93% of applicants used Passport Online, which is now available to 100% of citizens globally)”

410,122

New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs issued 410,122 passports in the 2024/25 financial year.

“Delivery snapshots 59,865 births registered 19,902 marriages registered 410,122 passports issued”

14.6 million

India issued 1.46 crore (14.6 million) passports in 2024, up from just over 91 lakh (9.1 million) in 2014.

“from just over 91 lakh passports in 2014, we have reached 1.46 crore passports in 2024.”

10%

Only about 10% of India's population holds a passport, according to a Ministry of External Affairs official.

“Every effort is being made to make passport services more accessible and simple, as only 10% of the Indian population has a passport.”

4.59 million

Poland produced 4,593,798 identity cards (dowód osobisty) in 2025, 14.4% more than the 4,017,223 produced in 2024.

“The resource contains data on the number of personalised identity cards in each quarter of 2025, broken down by the number of identity cards produced for each voivodeship.” (translated from Polish)

Note: The dataset has no national total row: the total and the +14.4% change are our sums of the 16 voivodeship rows.

3.77 million

In January–September 2026 Poland produced 3,774,198 identity cards, 6.9% more than in the same months of 2025 (3,532,205).

“No., Voivodeship, Q1, Q2, Q3, Total — … 7, Mazowieckie, 174,733, 181,975, 179,417, 536,125” (translated from Polish)

Note: Our sum of the 16 voivodeship rows of the 2026 file.

2.30 million

Poland produced 2,300,464 passports in 2025, including 224,983 for consulates abroad — 5.6% fewer than the 2,437,682 produced in 2024.

“Consulates (total): Q1 63,620; Q2 55,308; Q3 52,346; Q4 53,709; year 224,983.” (translated from Polish)

Note: Our sum of the 16 voivodeship rows and the consulates row.

1.75 million

In January–September 2026 Poland produced 1,754,866 passports (186,396 of them for consulates), 4.3% fewer than in the same months of 2025.

“17, Consulates (total), 65,980, 64,055, 56,361, 186,396” (translated from Polish)

Note: Our sum of the 16 voivodeship rows and the consulates row.

3.66 million

About 3.66 million Polish identity cards expire in 2026, according to Ministry of Digital Affairs data reported by the daily Fakt.

“According to Ministry of Digital Affairs data published by Fakt, about 3,662,200 identity cards will lose their validity in 2026.” (translated from Polish)

Note: The ministry has not published this number itself; see the register average in the next row.

3.15 million a year

According to Poland's ID card register, an average of 3,148,962 identity cards a year lose validity on expiry in 2023–2033.

“Statistical information obtained from the Register of Identity Cards shows that in 2023–2033 an average of 3,148,962 identity cards per year lost or will lose validity because their validity period expired.” (translated from Polish)

11 million

More than 11 million mobile ID cards (mDowód) had been issued in Poland's mObywatel app by January 2026, 2.4 million more than a year earlier.

“The number of mDowód documents issued has exceeded 11 million! That is 2.4 million more than a year ago.” (translated from Polish)

12 million

By May 2026, Poland's government app mObywatel had more than 12 million users.

“By May 2026, the application had surpassed 12 million users, confirming its role as Poland’s leading digital public services platform.”

35×45 mm

A Polish ID card photo must be a 35×45 mm colour photo on a uniform light background, with the face filling 70–80% of it, taken no more than 6 months before the application.

“A colour photograph measuring 35×45 mm, taken against a uniform light background (…) so that the face occupies 70–80% of the photograph (…) The photograph must be taken no earlier than 6 months before the date of the application.” (translated from Polish)

492×633 px

A photo attached to an online ID card application in Poland must be at least 492×633 pixels and no larger than 2.5 MB, in 35×45 mm proportions.

“If you apply online, attach a colour photo in electronic form with a minimum resolution of 492 x 633 pixels and a maximum size of 2.5 MB, so that the photo keeps the proportions of a 35 x 45 mm photo.” (translated from Polish)

23 Sep 2025

Since 23 September 2025, people applying for a Polish ID card in the mObywatel app can take the photo with their own phone; the app does not check the background, so applicants must make sure it meets the rules themselves.

“Users applying for an ID card through mObywatel can take the ID photo with their phone (…) The app does not verify, for example, the photo’s background – applicants must make sure it meets the guidelines themselves.” (translated from Polish)

1 May 2025

Since 1 May 2025, German authorities accept only digital biometric photos for passports, ID cards, electronic residence permits and travel documents for foreigners — taken at the authority or sent by a registered photographer through an encrypted cloud.

“From 1 May 2025 (…) when applying for passports, ID cards, electronic residence permits and travel documents under aliens law (…), only digital biometric photos will be permitted.” (translated from German)

9,000 terminals

For the switch, Bundesdruckerei offered its PointID photo terminals free of charge to every German municipality: around 9,000 systems for about 6,000 municipalities during 2025.

“Bundesdruckerei GmbH is offering the PointID® capture systems to all municipalities in Germany free of charge. The rollout of around 9,000 systems to approximately 6,000 municipalities will take place over the course of the year.” (translated from German)

No AI edits

The U.S. State Department does not allow passport photos changed with computer software, phone apps, filters or artificial intelligence.

“Do not change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence.”

Note: The page has mentioned artificial intelligence since at least its March 2024 version; the Department gives no separate start date.

2×2 in

A U.S. passport photo must be a colour photo taken in the last 6 months and printed at 2×2 inches (51×51 mm).

“Submit 1 color photo taken in the last 6 months. … The correct printed size of a passport photo is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm).”

1 Nov 2016

Since 1 November 2016, eyeglasses have not been allowed in new U.S. visa photos, except in rare cases when they cannot be removed for medical reasons.

“Effective November 1, 2016, eyeglasses are no longer allowed in new visa photos, except in rare circumstances when eyeglasses cannot be removed for medical reasons”

12 Dec 2025

Since 12 December 2025, USCIS no longer accepts photos that applicants take themselves; only photos taken by USCIS or other authorized entities are used.

“Additionally, self-submitted photos will no longer be accepted. Only photos taken by USCIS or other authorized entities will be used.”

3 years

USCIS now reuses only photos taken within three years of the date a form is filed, and certain forms always require a new photo.

“Effective immediately, the new guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual limits the use of photos to those that were taken within three years of the date a person files a USCIS form.”

3 Aug 2026

EU national ID cards that do not meet ICAO minimum security standards or have no functional machine-readable zone stopped being valid on 3 August 2026, if they had not expired earlier.

“identity cards which do not meet the minimum security standards set out in part 2 of ICAO document 9303 or which do not include a functional MRZ (…) shall cease to be valid at their expiry or by 3 August 2026, whichever is earlier;”

3 Aug 2031

All other EU ID cards that do not meet the new security requirements — including a chip holding the facial image and two fingerprints — cease to be valid by 3 August 2031 at the latest.

“Identity cards which do not meet the requirements set out in Article 3 shall cease to be valid at their expiry or by 3 August 2031, whichever is earlier.”

Note: Article 3 requires a highly secure storage medium with “a facial image of the holder of the card and two fingerprints”.

12 Oct 2025

The EU Entry/Exit System started on 12 October 2025; it records the passport data, facial image and fingerprints of non-EU nationals at the border.

“The EU’s new digital border system, the Entry/Exit System, became operational on 12 October 2025 […] non-EU nationals will have their passport data, biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) and entry or exit data registered in the system.”

10 Apr 2026

Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System has been fully operational at all EU external border crossing points except in Cyprus and Ireland.

“Starting today, the EU’s new border management system is officially fully operational at all external border crossing points of the EU, except for Cyprus and Ireland.”

1 month

For an online UK passport application, the digital photo must have been taken in the last month, and a new photo is needed for every new passport even if the applicant looks the same.

“You must get a new photo when you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed. Your photo must have been taken in the last month.”

No. 1

The U.S. State Department says unacceptable photos are the number one reason it puts passport applications on hold.

“Unacceptable photos are the number one reason why we put passport applications on hold.”

Note: The Department publishes no count or rate of photo-related holds.

−50%

After the State Department added photo guidance to its Online Passport Renewal service, photo errors tied to background, head position and image quality fell by nearly 50% within months.

“Error rates tied to background, head position, and image quality — most of them by the do-it-yourself customers — fell by nearly 50% within a matter of months.”

7 million

About seven million people apply online for a UK passport each year; the first check of whether their photo meets the international standard is done by an algorithm from a technology provider.

“The initial check to guide if a photo meets the internationally agreed standards for passports utilises an algorithm provided by a leading technology provider. […] the approximately seven million people who apply online for a passport each year”

86,811

In 2018/19, 86,811 people in New Zealand had an online passport photo rejected at least once for technical reasons alone (file format, size or orientation), against 457,507 online applications.

“The Department received almost half a million (457,507) online passport applications in the 2018/2019 year. […] How many people in a year have their photos rejected, at least once, only because of the initial hurdle? Number of people 86,811”

Note: About one in five (our calculation); the two numbers count different things — people with a rejection and applications received.

19%

New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs rejected 9,497 of nearly 50,000 passport photos it assessed in April 2023 — 19% — with similar rates in the three months before.

“Internal Affairs assessed nearly 50,000 photos in April and rejected 9,497, or 19% of all the Passport Office saw, with similar rejection rates in the previous three months.”

93,365

New Zealand rejected 93,365 passport photos in the 12 months to the end of April 2025; the most common reasons were the camera too close to the face, selfies, shadows, a head that looked too small and a background that was not plain.

“In the 12 months to the end of April, a total of 93,365 passport photos were rejected. … the most common reasons for this were the camera being too close to the applicant’s face, applicants using selfies, shadows being behind the head or on the face, the applicant’s head being “too small”, or the background not being plain.”

31%

31% of photos that customers paid for at IDPhotoBy failed the strict compliance check on the first attempt (23 of 74 paid orders).

Note: The strict check is IDPhotoBy’s automated check against the official rules of each document, not a government decision.

43%

A head tilted or turned too far was a reason in 43% of those first-attempt failures (10 of 23).

Note: One photo can fail for several reasons, so the reasons add up to more than 100%.

43%

Too few pixels — webcam frames, screenshots, cropped or compressed copies, photos of a printout — was a reason in 43% of first-attempt failures (10 of 23).

39%

A photo cropped too tightly — no room above the head or below the chin at the required size — was a reason in 39% of first-attempt failures (9 of 23).

26%

A smile, an open mouth or visible teeth was a reason in 26% of first-attempt failures (6 of 23).

6 of 9

In 6 of 9 head-pose failures the chin was raised — usually a selfie taken with the phone below eye level.

48%

48% of customers whose photo failed (11 of 23) passed with a new photo within 35 minutes, after a median of 6 minutes.

Note: Counting later attempts too, 13 of 23 (57%) eventually passed with a new photo.

22%

22% of customers whose photo failed (5 of 23) uploaded exactly the same file again.

7.6%

7.6% of uploaded photos (109 of 1,435) could not be turned into a document photo at all: in 51% of them no face was detected, in 30% the neck and shoulders were cut off.

61%

61% of photos uploaded to IDPhotoBy came from a desktop or laptop computer and 38% from a phone (1,399 uploads with a known device).

6 s

IDPhotoBy turned an uploaded photo into a cropped preview with the required background in a median of 6 seconds; 90% were ready within 9 seconds (1,326 previews).

9 million

About 9 million Americans had renewed their passports through the State Department's Online Passport Renewal service by September 2026.

“Approximately 9 million Americans have now renewed their passports through OPR”

>50%

More than half of all U.S. passport renewals are now completed online.

“more than half of all renewals today are completed digitally.”

Note: The share is of renewals only, not of first-time applications.

95%

About 95% of UK passport applications in 2024 were made online: 7,451,487 online against 364,792 on paper, according to HM Passport Office data released under the Freedom of Information Act.

“More than 7 million Brits did just that last year – but over 360,000 missed out on savings by using a paper form instead … Total 364,792 7,451,487”

Note: The 95% share is our calculation from the two totals.

93%

93% of Irish passport applicants used the online service Passport Online in 2025.

“In 2025, 93% of all applicants chose Passport Online when applying for their passport”

96%

By April 2026 over 96% of Irish passport applicants — renewals and first-time applicants alike — applied through Passport Online.

“Over 96% of applicants, both renewal and first time applicants, now use Passport Online to apply for their passport.”

90.4%

In 2024/25, 90.44% of New Zealand passport applications were submitted electronically.

“90.44% of passport applications submitted electronically”

$15

USPS charges $15 for a passport photo taken at a Post Office, on top of its $35 passport acceptance fee.

“$35.00 - Post Office acceptance fee $15.00 - Post Office photo fee (if needed)”

$16.99

Walgreens charges $16.99 for two printed passport photos, with a digital copy emailed at no extra charge.

“Walgreens passport photos cost $16.99 for two government-compliant printed photos, with a FREE digital copy sent via email at no extra charge.”

$17.99

CVS charges $17.99 for two 2×2-inch passport photo prints, plus $3.99 for a digital copy by email.

“Two 2x2” ID prints for $17.99 ... Get an additional digital photo delivered to your email for $3.99”

£12.99

Max Spielmann charges £12.99 for UK passport photos taken in its shops, and from £14.99 for photos for other countries’ passports.

“Passport photos are £12.99 for UK passports in our shops, the same price for adults and kids. International passport photos start at £14.99.”

£10

A passport photo from a Max Spielmann photo booth in the UK costs £10.

“It costs £10 to take a passport photo at our booths.”

€5.95

German drugstore chain dm advertises biometric passport photos taken in its stores for €5.95, sent to the authorities digitally.

“dm: passport photos near you for only €5.95 … At your dm store you can have digital biometric passport photos taken for your passport, your ID card or your residence permit.” (translated from German)

Note: The price appears in the page title.

€6

In Germany, a passport photo taken by the passport authority itself costs €6 on top of the passport fee.

“4. for a photo produced by the passport authority, in addition to the fees listed in number 1 letters a to f and h: 6 euros.” (translated from German)

Note: The Federal Ministry of the Interior gives the same fee of 6 euros per photo taken on the PointID system at the authority.

C$18.57

Walmart Canada's Photo Centre charges C$18.57 for two Canadian passport photos and C$23.97 for digital ID photos.

“Canadian Passport Photos (2) $18.57 ... ID Photos | Digital ID Photos Product Price Digital ID Photos $23.97”

A$23.50

Australia Post charges A$23.50 for a set of passport photos (six 35×45 mm prints or three larger ones) at participating Post Offices.

“6 photos: 35mm x 45mm OR 3 photos: larger photo dimensions $23.50 Pay by cash, Mastercard®, Visa or EFTPOS at a participating Post Office.”

< €10

Photomaton says a sheet of official ID photos from its booths in France — for ID cards, passports, visas, driving licences or residence permits — costs less than €10, depending on the format.

“Your sheet of official ID photos for your identity cards, passports, visas, driving licences or residence permits costs less than €10 (depending on the format you choose).” (translated from French)