Photo for the Irish Passport

Guidelines for Irish passport photos

When you are applying for your Irish passport, Irish passport card, or an Irish passport book online, you must submit a digital passport photo. This is the most important Irish passport requirement, and pay attention to it, because it will increase your chances to get this document. To submit a correct application, you must meet some strict photo requirements, of which you will learn from this article.

Irish passport photo requirements

What size are passport photos? Irish passport photos online cannot be larger than 9MB and smaller than 715 pixels in width and 951 pixels in height. If you apply with printed photos, they must be a minimum 35 x 45 mm, and maximum 38 x 50 mm in size. Technical specifications – digital passport photo in Ireland The photo must be in a JPEG format (if applying online) and it cannot be a scanned photo. It should show a close up of your face and the top of your shoulders so that your face takes up between 70% and 80% of the frame. General photo requirements

• It cannot be a selfie, so you will need someone to help you with the photo
• It cannot be taken with the zoom function on a smartphone
• It must be in color
• It must be taken in the last 6 months before applying
• If applying on a paper form, you must submit 4 identical photos (2 of them must be signed at the back)

The quality of a passport photo Bad quality photos that do not meet specific Passport service requirements, are the main reason why passport applications get rejected. Remember, that the online passport photo must be in color, in focus, clear, and not digitally changed. Do not make it blurry or damaged in any way – a high-quality digital photo is required. Background and shadows Background of the photo must be white or off-white (light grey, light blue). No other objects or people are allowed in the photo. Try to take a well-contrasted photo with balanced lighting and color. Avoiding shadows is a very important thing – they cannot be on your face, neck, or in the background. Irish passport photo must show the natural color of your skin, hair and (if possible) eyes. How to make a digital passport photo from the good distance? The best way to do it yourself, is to use a digital camera, smartphone, or iPhone and ask someone for help with taking a picture of you. We recommend taking a photo from 1.5 m. away from the face. It should 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
• Opened and visible eyes, without the ‘red eye’ effect
• Facing front (both ears visible)
• Looking directly into the camera

Do not:

• Let the hair cover your face
• Smile and show teeth
• Wear piercing that covers your face

Head and clothing The head should take up between 70% and 80% of the frame. Wearing head covering, hats, or head bangs is not allowed (unless you have medical or religious reasons for that). Headphones and glasses are not accepted (if they cover your eyes), neither are tinted and colored lenses. Clothing must be casual and not very colorful; you cannot wear any kind of uniform or camouflage.

How to take a Irish passport photo at home?

If you ask: 'where to get passport photos?', our answer is: 'at home with a help of our Passport Photo App!' To create a passport photo, you can follow our instructions.

Preparation

Use some kind of digital camera, smartphone, or iPhone. Prepare yourself, do not let the hair cover your face, take off headphones, hat, or facial piercing. Choose a good background and good lighting, especially daylight, because natural light will show your natural skin tone.

Action

Ask someone for help with taking a picture of you. Place the camera 1.5 m away from you, and take as many shots as you like – just to choose the best one. Remember to avoid shadows, and any face grimaces.

Submitting your Irish passport photo

Use our passport photo tool, which will help you prepare the perfect Ireland photo. Our digital passport photo editor will create professional passport photos in less than 3 minutes! After taking an accurate photo, just upload it on our site – we will take care of the rest!

• Passport photo maker will remove existing background from the photo and replace it with the correct one, if necessary. This tool sets the white background in a professional way, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore.
• Our editor will also crop your photo to a proper size and prepare the frame – basically resize your photos for you, so you are able to use them in the future.
• Photo checker also verifies facial exposition, presence of the glasses, head coverings and facial piercings. It checks the color, lightning and quality of the photo.

In case of any mistake, you can take another shot and try again. After uploading it online, you will enjoy the perfectly prepared Irish passport photo waiting for you on your e-mail. Learn with us how to avoid the most common mistakes.

Irish passport photo at home – most common mistakes

Do not worry about being rejected with your application, as you can see, we will help you as much as we can. It is an easy way to avoid basic mistakes. Let’s see them:

• Not white or off-white, totally plain background
• Too old photo
• Headphones, head coverings or other objects in the photo
• Shadows and bad lighting of the photo

Remember about the right photo size – minimum 35 x 45 mm, and maximum 38 x 50 mm. The photo cannot be too old (not taken in the last 6 months), damaged or be taken as a selfie. With all that knowledge you will easily avoid these common mistakes and you will be fully prepared for taking a homemade photo on your own.