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Vietnam passport photo 51 × 51 mm

Updated

Quick answer: This Vietnam passport preset uses 51 × 51 mm with if the official source does not publish a separate background rule, use a plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. Neutral expression, see glasses rule. It is based on official general guidance; verify the final submission route on the authority portal. Last verified .

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Official — generalVerified 2026-05-17
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Compiled and cited by Yevhen Kravchenko — pending external review Last cited Editorial policy

Photo requirements

Format51 × 51 mm
BackgroundIf the official source does not publish a separate background rule, use a plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects.
PoseFull face, head centred, no tilt or rotation.
ExpressionNeutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open.
GlassesEyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules →
LightingShadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted.
Digital resolutionCheck the authority portal before digital upload
File formatJPEG · sRGB / 24-bit
File sizeCheck the authority portal before upload

How a passport photo is verified

Vietnam passport photos are administered by the **Vietnam Immigration Department (Cục Quản lý xuất nhập cảnh)** under the Ministry of Public Security. The format is 40×60mm (4×6 cm) — same as Vietnam visa. White background. Head 50-60% of frame. No glasses, no veils/hats/scarfs (unless religious documented). Color photo, 6-month recency. Digital file 20-100 KB JPEG/PNG/BMP at 300 DPI. Vietnam introduced e-passport in 2022 with biometric chip.

Local application route

AuthorityEmbassy of Vietnam in the United States
SourceVietnamese passport renewal and replacement requirements
Verified
ConfidenceOfficial — general
What the source confirms
  • The Embassy of Vietnam in the United States lists passport renewal/replacement required documents.
  • It requires three standard passport photos sized 2 × 2 inches.
  • One photo is glued on the application.
  • Two photos are stapled with the application.
  • The source is document-specific, but it does not publish a full public biometric matrix for pose, head size and background.
Still conservative because
  • Document-specific numeric head or eye-line constraints are not fully published in the official source.
  • Some generation prompt fields use conservative biometric fallback wording because the official public source does not publish them separately.

What makes a Vietnam passport photo accepted

One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Vietnam passport applications. The final decision always belongs to Embassy of Vietnam in the United States, but these are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.

✓ Accepted Compliant Vietnam passport photo example (51 × 51 mm) — centered face, plain background, neutral expression, eyes open, even frontal lighting. Meets Embassy of Vietnam in the United States biometric requirements.

Compliant Vietnam passport example (51 × 51 mm)

  • Face centred, looking directly into the lens
  • Plain background — no shadow, pattern or texture
  • Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed
  • No glasses, no hair across the face

Top 6 Vietnam passport rejection causes

Rejected Vietnam passport photo example — shadow on the wall behind the head, or background with a visible pattern or gradient. Embassy of Vietnam in the United States would reject this for passport applications.
Background shadow Vietnam passport: Shadow on the wall behind the head, or background with a visible pattern or gradient
Rejected Vietnam passport photo example — visible smile with teeth or open mouth instead of a neutral expression. Embassy of Vietnam in the United States would reject this for passport applications.
Smile / open mouth Vietnam passport: Visible smile with teeth or open mouth instead of a neutral expression
Rejected Vietnam passport photo example — glasses with a clearly visible light reflection covering part of the eye. Embassy of Vietnam in the United States would reject this for passport applications.
Glasses with glare Vietnam passport: Glasses with a clearly visible light reflection covering part of the eye
Rejected Vietnam passport photo example — loose hair strands covering the eyes, eyebrows or part of the face. Embassy of Vietnam in the United States would reject this for passport applications.
Hair across the face Vietnam passport: Loose hair strands covering the eyes, eyebrows or part of the face
Rejected Vietnam passport photo example — eyes looking to the side instead of directly into the camera lens. Embassy of Vietnam in the United States would reject this for passport applications.
Eyes off-camera Vietnam passport: Eyes looking to the side instead of directly into the camera lens
Rejected Vietnam passport photo example — head tilted so the eye line is no longer horizontal. Embassy of Vietnam in the United States would reject this for passport applications.
Head tilted Vietnam passport: Head tilted so the eye line is no longer horizontal
Current profile Format: 51 × 51 mm Background: If the official source does not publish a separate background rule, use a plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects.

Prepare your Vietnam passport photo

Upload a portrait — the tool crops, removes the background and checks compliance against the 51 × 51 mm rule automatically.

How to take a Vietnam passport photo correctly

Background setup

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.

Lighting

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.

Chin and jaw position

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.

Shoulder position

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.

Eyewear

Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections 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.

Expression and eyes

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.

Attire and colours

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.

Beard and grooming

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.

Authority rejection codes

Embassy of Vietnam in the United States publishes the following rejection codes. Knowing the exact code on your notice tells you precisely what to fix in the reshoot.

CodeReasonFix
VN-PS-01 Photo not 40×60mm Reprint at Vietnamese standard
VN-PS-02 Background not pure white Re-shoot against white backdrop
VN-PS-03 Glasses, veils, hats or scarfs worn Remove before capture
VN-PS-04 File over 100KB Re-encode within Vietnam range

Vietnam-specific things to know

Top reasons Vietnam passport photos get rejected

Frequently asked questions

This Vietnam passport preset uses 51 × 51 mm based on the official guidance available for this route.

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Photo rules & guides

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.