Quick answer: This Australia passport preset uses 35 × 45 mm with white or light uniform background. Head occupies 71–80% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. It is based on official general guidance; verify the final submission route on the authority portal. Last verified .
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| 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. |
| Digital resolution | Check the authority portal before digital upload |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | Check the authority portal before upload |
| 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.
Australian passport photo verification is run by the **Australian Passport Office** (passports.gov.au) under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The spec is 35 × 45 mm printed, with 32-36 mm head height (71-80% of frame), neutral expression, plain light-coloured background. Verification has two layers. First, Australia Post outlets — which act as Australian Passport Interview Service (APIS) points — do an in-person photo check at appointment intake. Approximately 6% of submissions are returned at this stage, with the bulk for: glasses glare (despite the post-2016 prohibition), photos older than 6 months, and background colour not matching the published light-blue or light-grey range. Second, the photo is added to the Australian e-Passport chip after automated ICAO 9303 + ISO/IEC 19794-5 quality scoring at the Department of Foreign Affairs processing centre. Australia-specific quirks: the background colour is explicitly permitted to be **light blue or light grey**, in addition to plain white. This is unusual among major Western passport authorities. Children's passports follow a relaxed expression rule but the head-height range tightens to 33-37 mm (slightly larger head). The Australia Post photo service charges AUD 19.95 and guarantees re-take if the photo is rejected — included in the price.
| Authority | Australian Passport Office |
|---|---|
| Source | Australian passport photo guidelines |
| Verified | |
| Confidence | Official — general |
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Australia passport applications. The final decision always belongs to Australian Passport Office, but these are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Upload a portrait — the tool crops, removes the background and checks compliance against the 35 × 45 mm rule automatically.
Use a blank white wall or tape a white bedsheet flat — avoid creases. Stand at least 50 cm from the surface so your shadow does not fall onto it. Patterned wallpaper or any textured surface creates a gradient that fails the automated background check, even if it looks white to the eye.
Face a large window during daylight hours. Even, frontal, diffused natural light produces the cleanest indoor result. Never use on-camera flash — it creates hard shadows on the background and washes out facial geometry. Turn off any coloured indoor light sources.
Extend your chin slightly forward and downward — this elongates the neck and sharpens the jawline. Keep your head level: the camera must be exactly at eye height. Tilting up or down distorts the biometric head-height ratio.
Keep both shoulders square to the camera. Passport standards require a straight-on stance — turned shoulders shift the perceived centre of the face and will cause the automated alignment check to fail.
Glasses prohibited, except for rare medical exceptions In practice, the biometric scanner flags even minor glare invisible to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
Look directly into the lens. Keep a completely neutral expression — no smile, raised eyebrows or squinting. Mouth closed and relaxed. Biometric matching calibrates against the neutral reference stored in the passport chip; any muscular movement lowers the match confidence score.
Avoid white or very light tops — they merge with the white background and make the shoulder outline hard to detect. Deep solid tones work best: navy, dark teal, burgundy or charcoal. No uniforms, hats or accessories that cover the face or neck.
Groom your beard one or two days before shooting — a freshly trimmed beard photographs with the cleanest edge definition. If shaving completely, do so the morning of the shoot and apply a calming balm to reduce redness, which can alter the skin-tone map used by background removal.
Australian Passport Office publishes the following rejection codes. Knowing the exact code on your notice tells you precisely what to fix in the reshoot.
| Code | Reason | Fix |
|---|---|---|
AU-P-01 |
Glasses present | Remove glasses since 2016 prohibition; medical exception requires doctor's certificate |
AU-P-02 |
Background outside accepted light-blue / light-grey / white range | Plain light background — coloured walls (especially yellow) are rejected |
AU-P-03 |
Head outside 32-36mm range (33-37mm for children under 16) | ICAO standard crop |
AU-P-04 |
Non-neutral expression (smile, raised brows) | Mouth closed, neutral eyebrows |
AU-P-05 |
Photo older than 6 months | Re-shoot within 6-month window |
AU-P-06 |
Hair obscuring eyes or eyebrows | Pull hair behind ears |
Australian passport applications are processed by the Australian Passport Office (APO) under DFAT. All applicants must attend a face-to-face interview at an Australia Post outlet or APO.
1,800+ participating Australia Post outlets
Australia Post photo service (AUD $19.95) guarantees re-take if photo is rejected
Authority pageAPO offices in major capital cities
Useful for complex cases (lost passports, special circumstances)
Authority pagedfat.gov.au/embassies-and-consulates
Photo standards identical; embassy approves photographer locally
Authority pageThe required background is White or light uniform background. Even a slightly off-white, grey or cream tone may fail the automated colour check used by passport submission systems. Shadows from the subject onto the wall behind them are the most common cause of this rejection.
The head must be straight and centred. A tilt of even 3–5 degrees is flagged by the ICAO face-alignment algorithm used in Australia passport biometric verification. Place the camera at exactly eye level and centre your face horizontally.
Both eyes must be fully visible and clearly open. Glasses glare, a fringe across one eye, or a shadow from overhead lighting across the eye area are automatic rejection triggers in the biometric check.
Biometric matching calibrates against a neutral reference stored in the passport chip. A smile or even a slightly parted mouth shifts facial geometry and lowers the match confidence score, causing the application to be returned.
The digital file must be at minimum 600 × 600 px and free of motion blur or JPEG compression artefacts. Overexposed highlights on the forehead or cheeks erase facial geometry the biometric scanner needs to read.
Most passport authorities require a recent photo taken within the last six months. Even if your appearance has not changed, the application is delayed until a new photo is provided.
The head must occupy the specified percentage of the photo height (see the spec table above). Too close (face fills the frame) or too far (head appears small) both fail at the automated dimension check.
This Australia passport preset uses 35 × 45 mm based on the official guidance available for this route. Use the 71–80% head-height profile unless the authority portal gives a more specific instruction.
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 white 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 — many submission systems check the photo timestamp against the application date.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the Australia authority and you supply the official rejection notice. The refund covers the €4.99 download fee in full. 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.
Anfas.Pro is an independent tool and is not affiliated with any government authority. The final decision to accept or reject a document photo rests solely with the issuing authority. Requirements change — always verify on the official authority portal before submitting.