Irish Passport Photo

Guide to Irish passport photos

When you come to apply for your new Irish passport, Irish passport card, or an Irish passport book online, you will need to submit a digital passport photo. This is the most important Irish passport requirement, so take particular care over it as this will increase your chances of getting your application accepted the first time. To submit a verifiable application, you need to make sure to meet the guidelines for Irish passport photos, which you will learn about in this article.

Irish passport photo guidelines - dimensions

The Irish passport photo rules outline that your picture must not be larger than 9MB in file size, or smaller than 715 pixels in width and 951 pixels in height. If you apply with printed photos, they must be a minimum of 35 x 45 mm, and a maximum of 38 x 50 mm in size. 

Digital passport photo in Ireland - technical specifications

The photo must be in JPEG format (if applying online) and it cannot be a scanned photo. Your picture must show your face and the top of your shoulders, close up, so that your face takes up between 70% and 80% of the frame. 

General passport photo requirements

• It cannot be a selfie, so you will need someone to take the photo for you
• A photo cannot be taken using your smartphone’s zoom function
• An image must be in colour
• It needs to be a recent photo, ideally taken within 6 months of applying
• If applying on a paper form, you must submit 4 identical photos on photo quality paper (2 of them must be signed on the back)

The quality of a photo for Irish passport

Poor quality photos, that do not meet the specific Passport service requirements, are the main reason why passport applications get rejected. Remember - the online passport photo must be in colour (black and white photos will not be accepted), in focus, clear, and not digitally altered. Make sure it is not blurry or damaged in any way – a high-quality digital photo is required. 

Background and shadows 

The background of the photo must be plain white or off-white (light grey, light blue). Make sure no other objects or people can be seen in the photo. Try to take a well-contrasted photo with balanced lighting and colour. Avoiding shadows is very important – they cannot be on your face, neck, or in the background. Your Irish passport photos need to show the natural colour of your hair, skin and (if possible) eyes. 

How to take a digital passport photo from a good distance? 

The best way to produce your photo is to use a digital camera, smartphone, or iPhone and ask someone to take a picture of you. We recommend that you take your picture from 1.5 m. away. At this distance, it should be able to show your face, neck, and upper shoulders (from the top of your head to the mid-torso). There should be a space between your head and the edge of the photo. 

Facial expression 

What is required:

• Neutral facial expression
• Closed mouth
• Open and visible eyes, without the ‘red eye’ effect
• Facing front (both ears visible)
• Ensure you look straight into the camera lens

Do not:

• Let your hair cover your face
• Smile or show teeth
• Wear piercings that cover your face

Head and clothing 

The head should take up between 70% and 80% of the frame. Wearing head coverings, hats, or headbands is not allowed (unless for medical or religious reasons). Headphones and glasses are not accepted (if they cover your eyes), neither are tinted or coloured lenses. Clothing must be casual and not overly colourful; you cannot wear any kind of uniform or camouflage.

Passport photos for babies - Ireland

With babies and young children, there are slightly different passport photo requirements. Ireland’s Government states that, if your child cannot yet support themselves, you can lie them down on a plain white surface, like a sheet or pillowcase in order to take their picture. However, it is important to remember that there shouldn’t be anyone else in the photo, nor should there be toys or dummies.

How to take an Irish passport photo at home?

If you would like to know where to get your passport photo, our answer is 'at home with the help of our Passport Photo App!' To create a passport photo, just follow our instructions.

Preparation

We recommend that you use some form of digital camera, iPhone or other smartphone. Prepare yourself - do not let your hair cover your face, remove headphones, hats, or facial piercings. Choose a good background and good lighting, preferably daylight, because natural light will show your natural skin tone.

Action

Ask someone to take the picture for you. Place the camera 1.5 m away from you, and take as many shots as you like – then you can choose the best one. Remember to avoid shadows and any facial expressions.

Irish passport photo verification with Passport Photo Online

Use our online passport photo booth, and it will help you prepare the perfect Irish passport photo, every time. Our digital passport photo editor can produce professional-quality passport photos in under 3 minutes! After taking an accurate photo, just upload it to the Passport Photo Online site – we will take care of the rest!

• Our passport photo editor will remove the existing background from the photo and replace it with the correct one, if necessary. This tool professionally sets the plain white background, so you don’t have to worry about it.
• Our editor will also crop your photo to the required size and prepare the frame – basically, it will resize your photos for you.
• Passport Photo Online also checks for a neutral facial expression, that there are no glasses, head coverings or facial piercings. It checks the colour, lighting and quality of the photo.

If there are any problems, you can take another shot and try again. After uploading your photo online, you will receive the perfectly prepared Irish passport photo by e-mail. Read on to learn how to avoid the most common passport photo mistakes.

Taking your Irish passport photo at home – the most common mistakes

Do not worry about your application being rejected - we will help you as much as we can. Here are a few basic mistakes you need to avoid:

• Not using a white or off-white, totally plain background
• Using a photo that is too old
• Headphones, head coverings, like hats, or any other objects in the photo
• Shadows and bad lighting in the photo

Remember the correct photo size – minimum 35 x 45 mm, and maximum 38 x 50 mm. The photo cannot be too old (it must have been taken within the last 6 months), damaged or be taken as a selfie. With this knowledge, you will easily avoid the most common mistakes and you will be ready to take a passport photo at home. Photo requirements are available at: www.dfa.ie