Australian Citizenship Photo (digital, online application): size and requirements
The Australian Citizenship Photo size is 1200 x 1600 pixels for online upload (minimum 600 x 800), file under 3.5 MB. Neutral or light grey coloured background that contrasts with your face; head 64 to 72 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against Department of Home Affairs.
For the digital photo uploaded with an online Australian citizenship application in ImmiAccount. Not for a paper citizenship form, which takes a 35 x 45 mm print, and not for an Australian passport.
Home Affairs recommends a professional passport photo provider such as Australia Post; if you photograph at home, upload the unedited original and keep the background a plain light grey. See all Australia documents.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 1200 x 1600 pixels for online upload (minimum 600 x 800), file under 3.5 MB
- Head height
- Head 64 to 72 percent of the photo height (derived from the paper rule: the size of the face from chin to crown can be up to a maximum of 36 mm, with a minimum of 32 mm, applied to a 50 mm high (3:4) frame; digital preferred resolution 1200 x 1600 pixels)
- Background
- neutral or light grey coloured background that contrasts with your face
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 1200 x 1600 px , under 3584 KB, plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckHome Affairs says it does not recommend online passport photo services or mobile apps, and that the image must be unedited, including no background removal. We therefore keep your original background for this document.
- CheckThe file must be a JPEG between 70 KB and 3.5 MB; Home Affairs prefers 1200 x 1600 pixels. A scan of a print or a photo of a photo is not accepted.
- CheckThe background is neutral or light grey, not white. Home Affairs' unacceptable examples include a background that is 'not a neutral or a light grey colour that contrasts with the face'.
- CheckGlasses must be removed; vision impairment alone is not an accepted medical reason.
Source and verification
Read from the official page. Last checked 2026-10-07 at Department of Home Affairs.
If applying online the photo should be in digital JPEG format between 70 Kb and 3.5 Mb. The preferred resolution is 1200 x 1600 pixels.
A scan of a photo or a photograph of a photo is not acceptable.
be unedited (do not remove background, moles, wrinkles, scars or red eyes)
taken against a neutral or light grey coloured background that contrasts with your face
be no more than 6 months old
We don't recommend using online passport photo services and mobile apps as images produced may not meet our image quality requirements.
Read directly from immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. Home Affairs states only a preferred resolution; the 600 x 800 px minimum in this spec is ours. It gives no head proportion for the digital photo: the 0.64 to 0.72 range is derived from the paper rule (face 32 to 36 mm) on the 3:4 frame we render (equivalent to a 37.5 x 50 mm print). The page mentions religious head coverings only and lists no medical exception; our data type has no religious-only value, so 'religious-medical-only' is used.
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.
Frequently asked questions
