Australian Passport Photo Requirements and Size Guide

Australian passport photos are not limited to one exact 35 × 45 mm measurement. The Australian Passport Office accepts photos between 35 and 40 mm wide and between 45 and 50 mm high.

The face must measure between 32 and 36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the crown of the head. The photo must also meet separate rules for background, lighting, expression, print quality and age.

Use a clear colour photo with a plain white or light grey background that contrasts with the face. The face should be centred and looking directly at the camera, with the eyes open, the mouth closed and a neutral expression.

Lighting should be even enough to show the applicant's natural skin tone without shadows or reflections. Hair should not cover the edges of the face and the head should not be tilted.

• Photo width: 35 to 40 mm
• Photo height: 45 to 50 mm
• Face height: 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown
• Background: Plain white or light grey with clear contrast from the face

A correctly measured image is not enough by itself. The Australian Passport Office requires good quality colour prints produced using dye sublimation rather than an inkjet printer, on heavy glossy photographic paper of at least 200 gsm.

This is one reason the Australian Passport Office recommends using an experienced passport photo provider. A browser tool can review image measurements but cannot certify how the physical photograph was printed.

• Two good quality colour photos are required.
• The photographic process must use dye sublimation.
• The paper must be heavy, glossy and at least 200 gsm.
• Inkjet printing does not meet the stated print requirement.

The Australian Passport Office recommends using an experienced passport photo provider, but any photo submitted still has to meet the same requirements. If you are taking the photograph yourself, keep the camera at least about 1.2 metres from the subject so the face is not distorted by being too close.

Use even lighting, keep the head straight and make sure the full edges of the face remain visible. If the photo needs substantial retouching or background repair afterwards, take another photo instead.

You can complete Australian passport application forms online, but the current general passport photo guidance still requires two physical photographs. Finishing the form through an online portal does not mean a normal JPEG upload replaces the passport photos.

Follow any different instructions issued by an Australian embassy or consulate if you are applying outside Australia, but do not assume that an online form creates a standard digital photo specification.

Children over three years old follow the normal expression and eye requirements. For a child under three years old, an open mouth can be accepted, but no parent, hand, toy or other object should appear in the photograph.

A religious head covering can be worn when it is normally worn for religious reasons. It must be plain, without patterns, and the entire face and both side edges of the face must remain visible.

Start with the reason given by the lodgement officer or Australian Passport Office. Check the physical photo size, face measurement, printing, background and visible photo quality against the current official guidance before replacing anything.

If the face is blurred, the lighting is poor or the image has been heavily edited, getting a new photograph is safer than trying to repair the existing one.

• Photo dimensions or chin to crown measurement fall outside the permitted range.
• The face is blurred, tilted, covered by hair or affected by uneven lighting.
• Glasses, reflections, shadows or another object interfere with the face or eyes.
• The photograph was retouched or printed using a method that does not meet Australian Passport Office requirements.

PassportPhotoBox can help explain the current measurements and review some visible image conditions. It cannot verify the physical paper, dye sublimation printing process, photo age or whether the Australian Passport Office will accept the photographs.

The Australian Passport Office recommends experienced passport photo providers and remains the final authority for acceptance. Use the measurement review as a preparation aid, not as a replacement for the official photo guidance.