head 64–72 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceImmigration Department, Hong Kong SAR
Verified
Quick answer: A Hong Kong passport photo must be 40 × 50 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 64–72% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 40 × 50 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 64–72% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Hong Kong passport → |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | No headwear. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing, shoulders visible, without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPG |
| File size | max 5 MB Compress photo to 2 MB — Hong Kong passport → |
| Millimetres | 40 × 50 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 4 × 5 cm |
| Inches | 1.57 × 1.97″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 472 × 591 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 945 × 1181 px |
Hong Kong passport photos go through two sequential checks. First, a human reviewer confirms physical dimensions, background and general composition. Second, an automated biometric face-match system compares the submitted image against the ICAO 9303 template — the international standard used in chip-based passports worldwide. The automated layer catches what human eyes often miss: head tilts below five degrees, eye-line offsets of a few pixels, and uneven shoulder positioning that throws off the centring algorithm.
The passport photo is embedded digitally into the travel document and stays bound to it for the full validity period — typically five or ten years depending on the applicant's age. A photo that barely passes at submission tends to produce poor biometric match scores during border-control checks years later, leading to secondary screening. Submission routes that print directly into the booklet require higher digital resolution than routes that scan a printed copy, because no interpolation can recover detail that was never captured.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Hong Kong passport applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
How to take it
Background: plain white
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: 64–72 % 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 40 × 50 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
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 glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 6 (3 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 28 (4 × 7) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
| Authority | Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR |
|---|---|
| Source | Photograph Requirements for Travel Document |
| Verified |
Questions
The Hong Kong passport photo must be 40 × 50 mm. The head must occupy 64–72% of the photo height.
Plain white 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 Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. 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.
40 × 50 mm = 4 × 5 cm = 1.57 × 1.97 inches. At 300 dpi that is 472 × 591 pixels; at 600 dpi, 945 × 1181 pixels.