head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceDepartment of Foreign Affairs of Ireland — Passport Service
Verified
Quick answer: A Ireland passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain white, light grey, or cream background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain white, light grey, or cream background. |
| Pose | Full face, looking directly into the camera, head and shoulders fully visible. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible. |
| Glasses | Glasses permitted only without reflections and without covering eyes; sunglasses prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No shadows, blurring, red eyes, or digital processing. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Hair must not cover the face; head covering permitted only for religious reasons. |
| Digital resolution | 715 × 951 px |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | max 9 MB Compress photo to 2 MB — Ireland passport → |
| 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 |
The Irish Passport Service asks for a photo taken in the last six months — «a requirement from the International Civil Aviation Organisation» — and the form depends on how you apply. Online, you submit a digital photo: in colour, a JPEG of at least 715 pixels wide and 951 pixels high and no larger than 9 MB, not scanned, not digitally enhanced and without compression artefacts or barrel distortion; a selfie is not accepted and the zoom must not be used, so someone helps you or you use a photo shop or a participating photo booth that gives a code. On a paper form you submit four identical printed photos of either 35 × 45 mm (the minimum) or up to 38 × 50 mm with the face taking 70–80 % of the frame, on photo-quality paper, the reverse white and unglazed; black-and-white is recommended because the photo is printed in black and white on the passport, though colour is accepted; two photos are signed and stamped by the witness. In both cases you stand in front of a completely plain light grey, white or cream background, with a neutral expression, no smile and the mouth closed, looking straight at the camera with the head not tilted.
You may wear glasses if the frame does not cover the eyes and there is no glare; dark glasses are not permitted; a head covering only for religious or medical reasons with the full facial features visible; uniforms and clothing with insignia are not permitted.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Ireland passport photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland — Passport Service publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A selfie, a zoomed photo, or one with barrel distortion | Have someone take the photo from a distance without zoom. |
| A digital file under 715 × 951 pixels, over 9 MB, scanned, compressed or enhanced, or not a JPEG | Use an unaltered JPEG of at least 715 × 951 pixels and no more than 9 MB. |
| A print outside 35–38 × 45–50 mm, a face outside 70–80 %, or fewer than 4 identical copies | Bring 4 identical prints of 35–38 × 45–50 mm with the face filling 70–80 %. |
| Shadows, red eye, glare on glasses, dark glasses, a smile or an open mouth | Use even light, no dark glasses, a neutral expression and the mouth closed. |
| A background that is not plain light grey, white or cream, or uniforms and insignia | Use a completely plain light grey, white or cream background and plain clothing. |
How to take it
Background: white, light grey or cream
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: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 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 and clearly visible
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″ | 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 Irish passport is applied for online (with a digital photo, or a code from a photo booth) or by paper form (with four identical printed photos, two of them signed and stamped by the witness).
ireland.ie — passports; photo booths of the participating providers give a code
Digital: JPEG at least 715 × 951 pixels, up to 9 MB. Paper: 4 identical prints, 35–38 × 45–50 mm.
Authority page| Authority | Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland — Passport Service |
|---|---|
| Source | Irish passport photo guidelines |
| Verified |
Questions
Taken in the last six months; online a digital colour JPEG of at least 715 × 951 pixels and at most 9 MB, not a selfie; on paper four identical prints of 35–38 × 45–50 mm with the face 70–80 % of the frame. A plain light grey, white or cream background, neutral expression with the mouth closed, no smile, no dark glasses.
Printed: minimum 35 mm × 45 mm, maximum 38 mm × 50 mm, with the face 70–80 % of the frame. Digital: at least 715 × 951 pixels, a JPEG of up to 9 MB.
No: the guidelines say the expression must be neutral, do not smile and close the mouth.
Yes, if the frame does not cover any part of the eyes and there is no glare on the lenses; dark glasses are not permitted.
The Ireland passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height. For digital upload, use 715 × 951 px.
Plain white, light grey, or cream background. Behind you there should be only a plain wall: no pattern, shadows or objects. Any light wall at home will do — the tool sets the exact background colour.
Yes. A phone and a light wall near a window are enough. The rear camera is sharper than the front one, so ask someone to take the photo or use a 3-second timer. The tool crops it to size, fixes the background and checks it against the Ireland passport photo rules.
Most passport offices ask for a photo taken within the last six months. It should look like you today: after a new haircut or beard, take a new one.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the Ireland authority — the refund policy page has the details.
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: refugee travel document.