head 71–80 %no glasses
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceAustralian Passport Office
Verified
Quick answer: A Australia passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. White or light uniform background. Head occupies 71–80% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 71–80% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | White or light uniform background. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses prohibited, except for rare medical exceptions. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No retouching or digital enhancement. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; face and shoulder line must be clearly defined. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
Australian passport photographs are set by the Australian Passport Office (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and checked when the application is lodged and again during assessment; if a photo does not meet the guidelines, the office may ask for a new one. The guideline asks for two photos, each 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high, with the face from chin to crown 32–36 mm, less than 6 months old, as good-quality colour prints made by dye sublimation (not inkjet) on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm.
The background must be plain white or light and contrast with the face, the lighting uniform with no shadows or reflections, the head straight, the face centred with its edges visible, and the picture unretouched. Anyone over 3 must have a neutral expression with eyes open and mouth closed; no glasses unless they cannot be removed for medical reasons.
The Australian embassy in Geneva lists the commonest causes of rejection: poor print quality, blur from portrait mode, uneven light, distortion from standing too close, edited backgrounds and faces, damaged prints, expression, pose, glasses and old photos.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Australia passport applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Australian Passport Office publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Poor print quality: inkjet print or matte or thin paper | Have the photos printed by dye sublimation on heavy-weight glossy colour photo paper (200 gsm minimum) at a photo lab or post office. |
| Uneven light, shadows or reflections; edges of the face, head or ears not visible against the background | Light the face evenly with no flash on the background, keep the background plain white or light so it contrasts with the face, and make sure ears and the outline of the head show. |
| Distortion from standing too close, or portrait-mode blur | Shoot from at least 1.2 m with the camera at eye level and turn portrait mode off so the whole face and the surrounds stay sharp. |
| Edited photo: background removed or lightened, skin smoothed, marks or creases removed | Do not retouch: leave moles, wrinkles and scars as they are and use a real plain background rather than one that was cut out or lightened afterwards. |
| Expression or pose not neutral, head tilted or turned, ears not visible | Relax the face with the mouth closed, no smile or frown and eyes open; look straight at the camera with the head level and both ears clearly visible. |
| Glasses, photo older than 6 months, a photo used in an earlier application, or a damaged print | Take a new photo without glasses (unless a medical reason prevents it) within 6 months before you apply, and bring clean prints with no scratches, ink, paperclip marks or printing lines. |
How to take it
Background: white or light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 71–80 % of the photo height (32–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Glasses prohibited
Take them off before the shot.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glassesTake your glasses off — this document's rules require it.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
An Australian passport application is lodged in person at a participating post office in Australia, or at an Australian embassy, high commission or consulate abroad. Bring two printed photos and the original identity documents; some applications must always be lodged in person.
Complete the online form in the application portal (print it) or take a paper form from a post office
Two photos, original identity documents and the form. Paper form: a guarantor signs the back of one photo; online form: a referee confirms your identity if contacted. Staff of Australia Post cannot be your referee or guarantor.
Authority pageThe mission that covers your country — see its passport page
Geneva asks for two printed photos and says poor-quality photos are the most common reason for rejection or delay; it advises sending an unedited digital image by email before lodging. Some applications, such as a first adult passport, must be lodged in person.
Authority page| Authority | Australian Passport Office |
|---|---|
| Source | Australian Passport Office — Passport photos |
| Verified |
Questions
Between 35 and 40 mm wide and between 45 and 50 mm high, with the height of the face from chin to crown 32–36 mm. A 35 × 45 mm print fits that range. You need two prints, each less than 6 months old.
Two colour prints made by dye sublimation on heavy-weight glossy paper (200 gsm minimum), clear and in focus. A plain white or light background that contrasts with the face, even lighting with no shadows or reflections, the face centred and looking straight at the camera with the edges of the face visible, no retouching, no tilt. Anyone over 3: neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed. No glasses unless they cannot be removed for medical reasons.
No, unless you cannot remove them for medical reasons. The Passport Office states that vision impairment alone is not an acceptable reason. If you do have a medical reason, the frames must not obscure your eyes and the lenses must not reflect; you may also need a medical certificate or a B-11 form explaining why you cannot meet the guideline.
No. The Australian Passport Office asks for colour prints produced using dye sublimation, not from an inkjet printer, on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. The Australian embassy in Geneva lists poor print quality — inkjet or matte paper — first among the reasons passport photos are rejected. Order the prints from a lab that uses dye sublimation.
Two passport-sized photos. On the paper application form, your guarantor signs the back of one photo with a black pen and writes «This is a true photo of [your full name]». On the online form you need a referee instead; the referee signs nothing and only has to confirm your identity if the office contacts them. Neither may be a relative, a partner, someone living with you, or an Australia Post employee.
The Australia passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 71–80% of the photo height.
White or light uniform background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat, plain wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the Australia biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the Australia authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Glasses prohibited, except for rare medical exceptions. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: citizenship application, refugee travel document, visa.