head 50–60 %no glasses
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceImmigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) and Malaysian missions abroad (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Verified
Quick answer: A Malaysia passport photo must be 35 × 50 mm. Strictly white background. Head occupies 50–60% of photo height (25–30 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 50 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 50–60% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 25–30 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | Strictly white background. Make photo background white — Malaysia passport → |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses not permitted. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; for paper submission, dark clothing is recommended. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | min 100 KB · max 300 KB Compress photo to 300 KB — Malaysia passport → |
| Millimetres | 35 × 50 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.97″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 591 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1181 px |
In Malaysia you usually bring no photo for a passport: the Immigration Department says «photographs will be taken in the passport section using the Facial Live Capture tool», and applicants at the immigration offices in Malaysia and at the attaché offices in Singapore, New York, London, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Jakarta «do NOT need to bring photographs» — only applications through other Malaysian representative offices abroad need prints. The live-capture rules: dark-coloured clothing covering the shoulders and chest, a dark-coloured hijab, looking straight at the camera with the eyes open and the mouth closed, no hat, hair not over the face and, for a hijab, the forehead uncovered, and no eyeglasses while the picture is taken.
The written size is 35 mm × 50 mm on a white background without a shadow, with a face of at least 25–30 mm (50–60 % of the photo, «according to ICAO») — that line is printed for children under 4 and for a child's photo change, which takes two such photos. Malaysian missions abroad repeat 35 × 50 mm with a white background but differ in the number of copies — two identical photos in Brussels and Windhoek, three in Brasilia, and the Consulate General in the United States asks for three recent identical 2 × 2 inch photos, no glasses, dark clothing, ears and eyebrows visible, mouth closed with no teeth showing.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Malaysia 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 Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) and Malaysian missions abroad (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Eyeglasses worn during the live capture, or glare on the lenses | Take the glasses off for the picture — the Immigration Department does not allow them. |
| Light clothing that does not cover the shoulders and chest, or a light hijab | Wear dark clothing covering the shoulders and chest and a dark-coloured hijab. |
| A hat, hair over the face, or a hijab covering the forehead | Keep the forehead and face fully visible, with no hat. |
| A background that is not plain white, or one with shadows | For prints abroad use a plain white background without shadows. |
| The wrong size or number of prints for the mission | Check the mission's page: 35 × 50 mm, and two or three identical photos — or 2 × 2 inches at the Consulate General in the United States. |
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: 50–60 % of the photo height (25–30 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 50 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 | 32 (4 × 8) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Malaysian passport is applied for at a Malaysian immigration office or at a Malaysian mission abroad; at the immigration offices in Malaysia and at the attaché offices in Singapore, New York, London, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Jakarta the photo is taken at the counter, and through other missions you bring printed photos.
imi.gov.my — passport offices and attaché offices abroad
No photo to bring at the counter; dark clothing, no glasses.
Authority pagekln.gov.my — the mission's passport renewal page
35 × 50 mm prints, white background; two identical in Brussels and Windhoek, three in Brasilia.
Authority page| Authority | Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) and Malaysian missions abroad (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
|---|---|
| Source | Malaysian international passport photo specification |
| Verified |
Questions
At the immigration counter the photo is taken live: dark clothing covering the shoulders and chest, a dark hijab, eyes open and mouth closed, no hat or glasses, forehead and face visible. For prints at a mission abroad: 35 × 50 mm on a plain white background, usually two or three identical photos.
35 mm × 50 mm with a white background without a shadow; the Immigration Department gives a face of 25–30 mm for a child's photo. The Consulate General in the United States asks for 2 × 2 inch photos instead.
Not at the Immigration Department's counters in Malaysia or at its attaché offices in Singapore, New York, London, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Jakarta — the photo is taken there. Through other Malaysian missions abroad you bring printed photos.
No: the Immigration Department does not allow eyeglasses while the picture is taken, and the Consulate General in the United States lists «no glasses» as well.
The Malaysia passport photo must be 35 × 50 mm. The head must occupy 50–60% of the photo height.
Strictly 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 Malaysia 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 Malaysia authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Glasses not permitted. 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 × 50 mm = 3.5 × 5 cm = 1.38 × 1.97 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 591 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1181 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 × 50 mm format and head size apply to: visa.