Australian passport photo requirements

Last checked 23 October 2026 against official sources

This is a plain-English summary of the Australian Passport Office photo guidelines. Rules change, so check the official page linked below before you get photos printed.

Size

• 35–40 mm wide.
• 45–50 mm high.
• Face height from chin to crown: 32–36 mm.

Photo quality

• Less than 6 months old.
• Good quality colour prints, produced using dye sublimation (not from an inkjet printer).
• Printed on heavy-weight, glossy paper (minimum 200 gsm).
• Clear and in focus, with no marks or red-eye.
• Plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face.
• Uniform lighting showing your natural skin tone; face centred and looking straight at the camera; edges of the face clearly visible.

Not allowed

• Retouching, such as removing moles, wrinkles or scars.
• Shadows or reflections.
• Head tilted in any direction, or hair covering the edges of the face.
• Anyone else visible in the photo.

Expression, glasses and accessories

Anyone over 3 years old must face the camera straight on with eyes open and a neutral expression; children under 3 may have their mouth open. Glasses must not be worn unless you can't remove them for medical reasons — vision impairment alone is not an accepted reason. Religious head coverings are allowed if plain and worn so the whole face from chin to forehead and both edges are visible. Hearing aids are allowed; AirPods and other wireless earbuds are not. Jewellery must not obscure the face or reflect light.

Who should take the photo

The Passport Office recommends a professional passport photo provider (for example, camera stores and some pharmacies and chemists) and says it does not recommend online passport photo services or mobile apps because they may put you at risk of identity fraud. If you can't meet a rule because of a medical condition, the official page explains the medical certificate or B-11 form option.

Checking framing yourself

If you want to check whether an existing photo is framed correctly before visiting a photo lab, our Australian passport photo size tool shows the 35 × 45 mm crop with chin and crown guides. It runs in your browser and does not upload the photo.