Australian Passport Photo: size and requirements
The Australian Passport Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches). Plain white or light background that contrasts with your face; head 71 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-07 against Australian Passport Office (DFAT).
For the two printed photos lodged with an Australian passport application (adult or child, paper form or online portal with in-person lodgement). Not for an Australian visa or citizenship application, and not for a state driver licence.
The APO prefers a professional provider such as Australia Post; if you use our file, have it printed by dye sublimation on 200 gsm glossy paper. See all Australia documents.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches)
- Head height
- Head 71 to 80 percent of the photo height (the height of your face, from your chin to your crown, must be 32–36 mm, on a photo 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high)
- Background
- plain white or light 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
- Prints needed
- 2
- We deliver
- 827 x 1063 px (600 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckThe Australian Passport Office says it does not recommend online passport photo services or mobile apps because they may put you in danger of identity fraud; it does not ban them, and judges the printed photo against the rules on this page.
- CheckPrints must be dye-sublimation on heavyweight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. An inkjet print, even on photo paper, is explicitly not accepted, so take our file to a lab or pharmacy kiosk.
- CheckThe face has to fill 32 to 36 mm of the height, larger than UK or US framing. Reusing a UK 45 x 35 print with a 29 to 34 mm head will be too small.
- CheckNo retouching of any kind: the APO lists removing moles, wrinkles or scars as grounds for rejection.
- CheckOn a paper application the guarantor writes 'This is a true photo of [your full name]' on the back of one photo in black pen. Online portal applications use a referee instead and nothing is signed.
Source and verification
Read from the official page. Last checked 2026-10-07 (archived copy dated 2025-09-15) at Australian Passport Office (DFAT).
Your photos must be: 35–40 mm wide 45–50 mm high.
The height of your face, from your chin to your crown, must be 32–36 mm.
less than 6 months old
good quality colour prints, produced using dye sublimation (not from an inkjet printer)
We do not recommend using an online passport photo service or a mobile app. These may put you in danger of identity fraud.
You must not wear glasses in a passport photo unless you can't remove them for medical reasons.
Anyone over 3 years old must have a neutral expression, eyes open, and mouth closed.
passports.gov.au refuses automated connections; the page was read from the Internet Archive snapshot of 2025-09-15. The guarantor wording is from the APO 'Guarantors, referees and witnesses' page (snapshot 2025-10-06). We print 35 x 45 mm, the smallest size in the APO's 35–40 by 45–50 mm range. Head coverings: religious coverings are allowed; medical exemptions from any photo guideline need a medical certificate or a B-11 form, hence 'religious-medical-only'. Neither saved APO page says the application asks where the photo was taken, so no such claim is made.
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
