If you are preparing for a trip abroad and applying for a passport, then a photo of yourself is needed. However, a photo for passport can’t be a random one. There are certain requirements for passport photos and failing to meet them may stall your application process. Canadian passport photo has strict requirements such as the photo’s width(which should be exactly 50 mm) and height(which should be 70mm). So in this article, we will show you two ways to get a qualified Canadian passport photo visiting London Drugs stores or using online passport photo makers.
Option 1: London Drugs
If you live in one of the four provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, then London Drugs must be familiar to you. London Drugs is Canadian biggest drugstore chain, which now provides customers not only drugs and prescription services but also other services such as photography and insurance. Thus at any of the 79 London Drugs shops across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, you can get passport photo service.
image resource: https://www.londondrugs.com/
It is always easy and quick to get a passport photo at any London Drugs shops since its service has been refined all these years. Now, photos will be processed automatically to suit requirements of the government. To get a perfect passport photo, 3 steps is quite enough:
Step 1:
Check out the nearest store around you by StoreLocator offered on London Drugs website.
Step 2:
Check out the opening hours of the store you are planning to visit. Since no appointment is needed, you can walk in at anytime.
Step 3:
Wear something dark before you go and no other preparations are needed.
And for those who already have passport photo in electronic version and need a printed one, London Drugs also provides printing services. To print your photo, 2 steps is enough:
Step 1:
StoreLocator offered on London Drugs website will help you find a store aorund you that provided printing service.
Step 2:
There is no need of any appointment and you can walk in at anytime and have your passport photo printed.
And it’s not just passport photo! London Drugs also print other kinds of photos such as Canadian Citizenship Photo or Permanent Resident Card Photo.
Price
Since price differs from one area to another, customers won’t find price list on the website. However, according to customers’ feedback, most of them spent around CAD$12-16 for taking passport photos. And you are welcome to visit any of their store and get more information.
Opening hours
Most London Drugs across the four provinces are open at 8am and close at 9pm from Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 8pm on weekends or holidays. Some stores may be different, customers can check it out on StoreLocator) And customers can go to a store at any time for passport photo service.
FAQ
Q: Can children take their passport photos at London Drugs?
A: Of course they can. London Drugs passport photo service is not limited to adults. The rules and pricing are the same as those of adults and new born babies get an allowance.
Q: Before I going to a store, what preparation should I make?
A: Customers can go to our website to find out Canadian Passport Photo Tips to know what to do before they go in, which may save them much time.
Q: What if the passport photo I got from London Drugs was declined by the passport office?
A: London Drugs is confident in its photography service. However, if this did happen, customers can retake the photo for free and get a $50 store gift card.
Option 2: Online photo tool
For people who want to save more time and money, you can try AiPassportPhotos, an online tool that provides making Canadian passport photo service which is very quick and convenient, especially for customers who need to submit an online Canadian passport photo in a short time. AiPassportPhotos has been developed and improved by a group of experts who apply Artificial Intelligence to the operation process. A few steps would be quite enough to for you to get a passport photo at home.
Steps to Take a Passport Photo at Home
- Put on your dark clothes.
- Find a light-colored background without any other objects such as a clean wall.
- Take out your smartphone and take a picture of yourself.
Steps to Crop a Passport Photo Online
- Visit AiPassportPhotos.
- Upload the photo you take and AiPassportPhotos will automatically crop the photo for you according to rules of Canadian passport office.
- Get your passport photo within seconds.
Steps to Print a Passport Photo
- The Canadian Passport Photo will be automatically saved in your computer or phone. Check the photo to see if there is any errors.
- Walk in any shops or stores that provide printing service.
- Print the photo with no further alterations.
Tips:
Do not forget to sign up first. And for every customer who registers for the first time, AiPassportPhotos offers 2 credits for free (and even 5 more if you invite a friend to sign up). Credits are a virtual currency that you can use to have AiPassportPhotos services.
For example, services like photo retoucher cost 1 credit for each image. And services like passport photo cost 2 credits for each image.
FAQ:
Q: Is the Canadian passport photo given by AiPassportPhotos printable?
A: AiPassportPhotos provides two forms of passport photo: digital version and printable version. Printable version can be directly printed.
Q: What else can I get from AiPassportPhotos?
A: AiPassportPhotos can make global-compliant photo for visa, PR card, PAL license, ID card and more. No manual editing is needed. Simply upload a photo and let AiPassportPhotos do the rest of work. It can automatically resize photo, change photo background and check compliance.
Which is better for getting Canadian passport photo?
The main differences are cost and convenience vs quality. London Drugs is more expensive but ensures passport photos meeting official requirements. It comes with professional photography setup with good lighting and you need to visit the store during opening hours. While online passport photo maker can be more cost-effective but requires you to take compliant photos yourself. Upon uploading your photos, AI system can automatically resize your photo to right size and change photo background in seconds. For those who save time and cost, online photo tools can be your go-to choice.
Summary
Different governments set different requirements for passport photos and to get a correct photo has been tricky since those requirements are very strict indeed. This could be time-consuming and cost more in the past. However, stores like London Drugs in Canada and online tools like AiPassportPhotos have helped to make it a lot easier for customers to have a passport photo.
Erin Lo