head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceImmigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice, Ireland); VFS Global as the visa application centre
Verified
Quick answer: A Ireland visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain white or light grey 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 or light grey background. |
| Pose | Full face, head level, looking directly into the camera. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed. |
| Glasses | Sunglasses and heavily tinted glasses prohibited; eyes must be fully visible. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Photo must be sharp, without shadows, creases, or foreign marks. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Photo must reflect current appearance and be recent. |
| 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 |
The Irish visa photograph is described by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD): two passport-sized photographs, each 45–50 mm high and 35–38 mm wide, in colour, on a plain white or light grey background, with the face taking up 70 % to 80 % of the photo, less than 6 months old and showing exactly the same image. You look directly at the camera with the head centred, no smile or other expression — ISD says not to squint, frown or smile — eyes open, mouth closed and no hair over the eyes; sunglasses and tinted or coloured glasses are not allowed, and ordinary glasses are acceptable only if the eyes are clearly visible; religious head coverings are accepted if the face is clearly visible.
The photographs are printed on photographic paper with the reverse white and unglazed, not stapled, with your name, visa application number and transaction number in block capitals on the back. The VFS Global page for the Irish Visa Office in London is simpler — one photograph of 35 × 45 mm with the head at least 30 mm and a white or light background — and warns that a non-compliant photograph makes the application incomplete.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Ireland visa photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Immigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice, Ireland); VFS Global as the visa application centre publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Photos that are not identical, older than 6 months, or the wrong number | Print two identical copies of one photograph taken within the last 6 months. |
| A background that is not plain white or light grey, shadows or glare on the face or background | Use a plain white or light grey background and even light. |
| A smile, squint, frown, open mouth, or hair over the eyes | Keep a neutral face, mouth closed, eyes open and clear of hair. |
| Sunglasses or tinted glasses, or glasses that hide the eyes | Take the glasses off, or use clear glasses with the eyes clearly visible. |
| A print on plain paper, stapled, or with a face smaller than 70 % of the photo | Print on photographic paper, do not staple, and crop so the face fills 70–80 %. |
How to take it
Background: white or light grey
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
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 visa is applied for online, then the photographs and supporting documents are handed in as the instructions of your application say — at the Irish Visa Office or the VFS Global visa application centre of your country — in the application envelope, with the name, application number and transaction number on the back of each photo.
The instructions printed with your online application
Two photographs, 45–50 mm × 35–38 mm, white or light grey background, face 70–80 %.
Authority pageThe VFS Global centre of your country
One 35 × 45 mm photograph with a head of at least 30 mm on a white or light background.
Authority page| Authority | Immigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice, Ireland); VFS Global as the visa application centre |
|---|---|
| Source | Irish visa application photograph rules |
| Verified |
Questions
Two identical passport-sized photographs, 45–50 mm high and 35–38 mm wide, in colour on a plain white or light grey background, face 70–80 % of the photo, less than 6 months old, neutral expression with the mouth closed, no sunglasses or tinted glasses, printed on photographic paper. The VFS page for the London office asks for one 35 × 45 mm photograph.
45–50 mm high and 35–38 mm wide according to ISD, so a 35 × 45 mm print is the smallest that fits; the VFS page for the London visa office gives 35 × 45 mm with a head of at least 30 mm.
Two according to ISD, exactly the same image; the VFS page for the London visa office says one. Hand in two unless your office says otherwise, with your name and the application numbers on the back.
No. ISD says not to squint, frown, smile or use any other expression: the face is neutral, the eyes open and the mouth closed.
Not sunglasses or tinted or coloured glasses. If you normally wear glasses, your eyes must be clearly visible; religious head coverings are allowed if the face is clearly visible.
The Ireland visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain white or light grey background. The wall should be evenly lit, with no shadow around the head and no pattern. You don’t need a studio backdrop: the tool sets the right background colour.
Consulates usually ask for a photo taken within the last six months, sometimes within three. Take a new one that looks like you today.
Often yes, but not always: tourist, student, work and transit visas can have different size or background rules. Compare the requirements of each Ireland visa — if they match, one photo will do.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the consulate’s rejection notice.
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: work permit.