Australian Passport Photo: All Requirements & Rules

Australian passport photo

Did you know that Australian passport photos need to meet the international standards for biometric matching? This means that when submitting a passport application form and attaching 2 (two) photos (identical copies), the applicant is responsible for satisfying all the passport photo requirements. 

This guide will help you to understand the official guidelines for an Australian passport photo. 

Size of Australia passport photos (dimensions in mm)

The required dimensions for Australian passport photos are between 35 x 45 mm and 40 x 50 mm. The size of the applicant’s face (from the chin to the top of the head) must measure between 32 and 36 mm.

The rules specify that the entire neck and head needs to be visible, along with the upper part of the shoulders. In order to achieve this, we recommend that the person taking the photo stands a minimum of 1.20 metres away from the applicant. In order to take a compliant picture, we recommend either using a tripod or asking another person to help.

Lighting and colour in your Australian passport size photo

A photo for an Australian passport must be in colour, because the picture needs to accurately represent the colours of your eyes and skin. For this reason, if a photo has a “red-eye” effect, the passport services will automatically reject the application. 

The background needs to be white or light grey, no other colours are accepted. In addition, the background must be plain, without any patterns, shadows, other people or objects present in the image.

The light must be evenly distributed on both sides of the applicant’s face, as well as in the background. Make sure to adjust contrast and brightness whilst taking the picture, as the passport photo guidelines require the image to be focused,clear, and well exposed.

 Overexposed and underexposed images will not be permitted.

Shadows on the face are also not permitted. An applicant who wears glasses and cannot remove them for medical reasons needs to provide a medical certificate. They must still make sure the frames do not obscure the eyes or cause shadows on the face. 

The same rule applies to facial piercings. It’s not mandatory to remove them, but they must not cause any shadow or glare on the face. For this reason, we advise removing any larger items, and only use smaller earrings or studs.

Applicants who wear a head covering for religious reasons can take photos for their Australian passports wearing head coverings in a plain colour only (i.e. that is free of any patterns), and which do not cover their face or eyes. 

Passport photo requirements—Australia 

In the case of a digital camera,use a focal length of 90‐130 mm, or 35 mm film equivalent.

Applicants may also take a picture using a smartphone. Nowadays, such devices come equipped with high-quality lenses and can therefore produce high-resolution pictures. Moreover, the Passport-Photo.Online app can help with the process of cropping, resizing and adjusting the photo for Australian passport.

To take an Australian passport size photo on your own and wish to print images in a store, simply follow these guidelines:

• print only high-quality pictures on heavy‐weight, glossy prints (200 gsm minimum),
• do not use heavy back‐printing,
• use dye sublimation (photos from an inkjet printer will not be accepted),
• you must make sure that your photo closely follows the official composition and image requirements.

To take a perfect Australian passport photo, just follow these rules: 

• images need to have been taken within the last 6 (six) months,
• pictures must be printed in colour,
• you need to make sure you only provide original photos and you must make sure that you do not retouch passport photographs using any design tools such as Canva or Photoshop,
• you must avoid cutting photos for Australian passports out from other bigger images or files.

The head must be positioned in the centre of the image, and must not be tilted in any direction. Applicants need to look straight at the camera and keep their eyes open.

Keep a neutral facial expression in your picture for passport, with no smiling or frowning allowed, per the requirements for Australian official documents. 

Keep your mouth closed but relaxed. The whole face must be clearly visible, so make sure that the hair or head covering does not cover it, especially the eyes and eyebrows. 

Clothing and accessories in an Australian passport photo 

There are no specific passport photo guidelines regarding dress code. Applicants can wear their usual outfits, ideally in a casual style. As the passport will be valid for 10 (ten) years, you will need to make sure your picture for passport is satisfactory. 

Applicants who like wearing jewellery are permitted to do so, provided it is reasonably low-key, e.g. a pair of small earrings or a small necklace. Wearing massive earrings or hair decorations should be avoided, however, as jewellery can obscure the face line, which will cause your picture to be rejected by the authorities. 

Wearing glasses in Australia visa photos is, in general, not allowed. If applicants must wear glasses for medical reasons, they have to remember that the frames cannot obscure their eyes and reflection from the lenses is not allowed. Lenses must be transparent.

If you wear glasses for medical reasons, you will need to provide a medical certificate informing:

• about the reason you wear glasses,
• who signed the certificate, e.g. a registered medical practitioner,
• medical practitioner’s full name and registration number, as well as the address and phone number of the medical practice.

What is forbidden when taking an AU passport photo?

With only a small number of requirements regarding AU passport photos, the rules are clear and strictly enforced. If an Australian passport photo does not meet these rules, the images will almost certainly face rejection. 

It is easy to avoid this by becoming familiar with the most common mistakes that people make when taking passport photos for an Australian passport. 

Make sure that your Australian passport picture is NOT:

• retouched by any form of graphic software or filters,
• printed on an inkjet printer,
• overexposed or underexposed,
• blurry or otherwise unclear - you need to have a focused image.

In the picture for an Australian passport, applicants must avoid:

• tilting their head in any direction (downwards, upwards, or sideways),
• looking sideways,
• having their eyes closed,
• having their mouths open,
• smiling or raising their eyebrows,
• wearing glasses, except when they need them for medical reasons,
• wearing a head covering, except when worn for religious reasons.

Australian passport photo near me

You may be asking whether someone knows “where to get a passport photo near me”, and you will often get different answers. 

We have great news—there is no need to look for a place where to take a passport photo.. You can create an Australian passport photo online, using a smartphone, from your own home with our software!

All you will need is a good place to take the picture, a friend or family member who can take the picture, and a smartphone. Once the photo is taken,simply upload it to Passport-Photo.Online’s professional passport photo application.

Our software will size, crop, remove unwanted background, colour etc. within a few seconds and will notify you when your Australian passport photo is ready.

 If a photo does not meet certain requirements, our AI will inform you of what needs to be changed. 

Where to find an Australian passport photo maker?

Passport Online can help you get perfect pictures with only a smartphone. If you are wondering where to take a passport photo, with us, users can do it wherever they are! All you need is to use the app or software, take your passport pictures, and follow the instructions. We offer the digital file immediately and we can provide the passport photo print on demand.

All images that are edited by Passport Photo Online are guaranteed to be accepted by the authorities, or you will get double your money back!