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Taking a photo for your ID has never been so easy.
Follow simple instruction to take a perfect ID photo.
The distance between the face and the camera should be about 40 cm. Ideally the photo should be taken by the other person.
Place your face in front of the lens. Hold the camera at eye level and keep neutral face expression.
Stand facing the light source, for example an exposed window. The background will be cut out, don't worry about it.
E-passport, electronic passport or biometric passport are synonyms and define the international travel document that can be scanned and read by special devices used by immigration services and not only. Every e-passport contains an electronic chip with encrypted data of the document’s holder, such as their name, surname, nationality, and date of birth. The passport number and the biodata (such as fingerprints, photo and signature) is also stored in the microprocessor. For this reason, this is crucial to submit a biometric photo applying for the e-passport. This photo must satisfy the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, in other words: it must be biometric. What are these standards? Read our article and you will know everything about the requirements for a photo to a Hong Kong e-passport.
The exact requirements about the size, crop or validity of the photo are different for different countries. So, even if you may have a photo you used for a visa or other document, in most cases it is not suitable for the passport. Before capturing a picture for a Hong Kong e-passport, learn about the demands in order to upload a correct picture.
After reading our article you will know:
There is no requirement of taking a passport photo in a professional photography studio, so you can do it yourself. At home, in the office, in the park or wherever you wish! Just make sure that you know all the requirements and rules such as:
So, there is no need to drive anywhere, to wait in a queue and waste time. Instead of 2-3 hours spent outside of your place, you can take your picture in a couple of seconds!
Another good news is that you do not need to overpay for your photos! You can create a professional-quality picture for your passport for just a part of the price that you would pay in a photography studio or a photo booth.
The Hong Kong passport photo must be recent - it means that it must have been taken within the last 6 months. Moreover, it must be original. Are you asking yourself, what exactly does it mean?
Obviously, the photo must present you. But also that the photo cannot be cut out from the larger picture. The photo must be taken and created intentionally for a passport application.
Refrain from interfering in your photo with any computer software too. Everyday we use special filters, Photoshop and other graphic programs to retouch our pictures and make them more attractive, but this is prohibited when it comes to a document photo. And this is strictly verified by artificial intelligence scanning photos and detecting any alteration. Photos verified as altered in any way are automatically rejected.
The background in the Hong Kong passport photo must be unique and white. Moreover, it must be plain, free of patterns and shadows. Only your face, neck and the upper part of your shoulders must be visible in the picture - no other people or objects.
So, how is it possible that you can take your passport picture everywhere? You can do it thanks to an advanced background removing photo tool. This tool removes all the wrong background in one second and exchanges it into a required, white one.
The demanded dimensions for a passport photo in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR) are 40 mm x 50 mm (width x height). Its digital size must be at least 1200 pixels of width) x 1600 pixels of height). There must be 3-5 mm space left between the top of the head and the edge of the photo. The head image cannot be too big or too small. The correct size of the head from the chin to the crown is 32 mm minimum and 36 mm maximum.
Do you feel overwhelmed by all these details?
The great news is that you do not even need to think about them. Just pick up the template for a chosen document (here: Hong Kong Passport) and upload the picture, our App automatically resizes and crops the passport image to the demanded dimensions.
The en-face view is mandatory and the head must be positioned in a central spot of the image. Do not tilt your head nor in any other direction, look straight ahead. The camera lens should be on the level of your eyes. Relax your face muscles - the closed mouths are required. You can smile slightly and naturally but without showing the teeth, but the neutral facial expression is a “safer” option for a biometric picture. Your eyes must be open but without an exaggeration.
There is no dress-code for Hong Kong passport pictures. Just keep in mind that in this type of photograph you must not have your head covered by a fashion headgear, for example, a cap, a hat or a headband. However, if you wear headgear for religious reasons and you travel internationally with that head covering, you may keep it while capturing a photo to passport. Just make sure that your hijab, headscarf or other head covering does not obscure your face or drop shadows on the skin. Do not wear white headgear in order to not blend into the background.
Eyeglasses are not forbidden in the HK passport photo. It is up to you - you may keep them while capturing a photo or not. If you do, make sure that your pupils are clearly visible and the frames of the glasses do not cover your eyes or give any glare. You must not wear tinted glasses and sunglasses. The same applies to wireless devices, headphones, etc. They are forbidden in the Hong Kong passport photo.
You must submit 3 prints of your photo. But don’t use a home inkjet printer. E-passport digital photos must meet certain technical requirements. It must be:
As selfies are not accepted, the best idea is to ask somebody for help or use a tripod. The best option is to stand or sit down facing the window, taking a 1,5-2 m distance.
Your face must be evenly illuminated, and for this reason, our advice is to use daylight. Do not use a flash lamp because it may cause unnatural effects such as “the red eyes effect” or glares on your skin. Both of them disqualify the picture.
As a Hong Kong citizen, you have the inalienable right to have a Hong Kong passport. So, even if you fulfil your application incorrectly or attach an incorrect photograph, it doesn’t mean that you will be refused to grant a passport. But such a situation will extend the process of issuing your passport and you will wait longer for it.
To avoid this last situation, complete the application form carefully and check it twice before submitting it. Moreover, make sure that your passport photo is 100% correct. As we have been informed in many passport offices in the world, the most often disqualifying mistakes are:
Have you just typed the question “where can I take a Hong Kong passport photo near me?” to your browser? Many people do it.
The good news is that you can take the HK passport photo there where you want!
With our smart Hong Kong passport photo app, you are able to create an absolutely correct photo for the HK passport in 3 seconds. Your photo will be resized, cropped, and adjusted to all the requirements and you will save your money and time for what you want!
If you want to create a perfect photo for official documents, check the online photo tool and have your picture perfectly resized, cropped and adjusted to the requirements. Thanks to artificial intelligence, your photo will be verified immediately and you will have a guarantee of approval. The ordered photo will be sent to your email address in the JPEG file. Don’t risk that the photo in your application will be rejected, use the HK passport photo app!
Last update: 7/6/2023
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is a metropolitan area belonging administratively to the People’s Republic of China. This special administrative region is bordering the South China Sea and this is known for its first place in the ranking of the most densely populated countries of the world and iconical skyscrapers.
It is a sovereign state of the People’s Republic of China but Chinese law does not apply in Hong Kong - all the region is treated as a separate jurisdiction. That means, inter alia, that HSKAR issues its passports to its permanent residents but only under the condition that they hold Chinese citizenship too.
The Hong Kong passport has a navy-blue cover, whereas a Chinese passport is red. Hong Kong passport is printed bilingually in both official languages of HKSAR: Chinese (traditional characters) and English.
All currently issued passports are biometric passports, called also e-passports, digital passports or electronic passports. It does not mean that this type of document is only digital. No, it has a paper form of a booklet, but it is machine-readable. In order to facilitate immigration services scanning and reading passengers’ data, e-passports are equipped with contactless chips. The chip in a Hong Kong passport contains the following data:
Currently, fingerprints and iris scans are not included. The holder’s signature is visible on the personal data page.
The passport of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is issued only to people who satisfy 3 conditions at the same time. The candidates must:
The important thing is that Hong Kong permanent residents who do not have Chinese citizenship cannot get a Hong Kong passport. They must travel internationally with the passport issued by their country of origin. If they are stateless, they can apply for a Hong Kong Document of Identify for Visa Purposes, but not for a passport.
The same document might be issued to the people who are Chinese nationals and reside in Hong Kong but are not yet permanent residents.
If you want to get your first Hong Kong passport or replacement (except for the replacement of a passport that has been lost/damaged/defaced), you can apply for this document online.
However, in any case, you must collect your new passport in person.
You have another option too. You can schedule an appointment at the Immigration Headquarters or any of the Immigration Branch Offices. You may do it via the Internet or by phone.
If you are an adult (18+), in order to apply for your passport online, you need to complete an application form, and upload your recent colour photograph meeting the requirements.
If you apply for the Hong Kong passport for your underage child aged 11+, you need to satisfy the same requirements as for adults and, additionally, upload a copy of the consenting parent or legal guardian's valid travel document (if they are not a Hong Kong resident).
Moreover, if your child was not born in Hong Kong, you are obliged to upload a copy of their birth certificate in order to prove the relationship between you and your consenting parent. It might also be a copy of the court order, if appropriate, to prove that the consenting legal guardian has custodial rights in respect of the child.
Parental or legal guardian's consent and items are not required only if the underage citizen is married. In such a case a copy of your marriage certificate must be attached to the documentary.
If you - as the consenting parent or legal guardian - apply for an HK passport for a child aged below 11 with and the child holds a Hong Kong permanent identity card, upload all documents needed for an underaged person and additionally a copy of the child’s latest school document bearing the child’s photograph authenticated by the school (e.g. student’s handbook or school record, bearing the child’s name, date of birth and photograph) or other proof of identity of your son or daughter. If you are not able to obtain this proof of identity from the school, submit the Form for Countersignature together with a photocopy of an identity document of the person countersigning the form.
Usually, the passport application is being processed within 5 working days, but only in cases when all the required documentary was submitted. Application via the Internet is a bit longer - the application process takes 7-8 working days in order to handle formalities.
Collecting the passport in-person is mandatory. In order to collect your passport, you must present your Hong Kong permanent identity card and the original supporting documents, the copy of which you have submitted in the application.
The child must be accompanied by a consenting parent or legal guardian at the moment of the collection of passport in person, for appending their signature on the application form.
During the collection meeting in the office, the child’s consenting parent or legal guardian is obliged to confirm the correctness of information furnished upon application submitted online.
The period of the collection will be specified in a “collection notice” sent to you. Wait for it and give the office 1 or 2 extra days because in some specific periods and situations the applicants must wait a bit more than indicated above time.