Photo Guidelines

What are the guidelines for passport photographs?

Size

• Minimum: 35mm x 45mm
• Maximum: 38mm x 50mm

Lighting and focus

• Photos must be in sharp focus and correctly exposed
• Shadows from the head must NOT appear in the background
• Good colour balance and natural skin tones are essential
• 'Red eye' in photographs is not acceptable
• A clear contrast is needed between facial features and background

Photo quality

• Photos must be printed on photo-quality paper at a high resolution
• There should be no ink marks or creases
• Digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable
• The reverse of the photos must be white and unglazed
• Black and white photos are recommended as they're digitally printed onto the passport in black and white, but we also accept colour photos

Passport photo do's and don't's

Pose

• Do centre your head in the photo
• Do look directly at the camera
• Do make sure your facial features are clearly visible, from the bottom of your chin to the crown of your head
• Don't tilt your head up/down or left/right

Expression

• Do keep your facial expressions neutral (no raised eyebrows, frowns)
• Do keep both eyes open and your mouth closed
• Don't smile

Glasses, head covers and clothing

• Do wear your glasses (if you normally wear them) but make sure there's no reflection on the lenses and the frames don't obscure your eyes
• Don't wear sunglasses or glasses with tinted lenses, unless they're prescription
• Don't wear a head covering unless it's for religious or medical reasons
• Don't wear a uniform, civil or military (e.g. showing epaulettes, insignia)

Infants

Infants or very young children who can't support themselves should be photographed lying down on a plain, white surface. No one else should appear in the photo, so make sure that hands or arms used to support the child are not visible.

People with disabilities

If you have a disability that prevents you meeting all of these requirements, contact us and we will offer you further advice.