Renewing or replacing a Vietnamese passport at an embassy or consulate abroad has its own photo rule that catches most applicants off guard: three prints at exactly 2 × 2 inches, not the 4 × 6 cm size used for Vietnamese visas and domestic applications. Mixing the two up is the common reason a photo is turned away before the rest of the application is even reviewed.
Fast diagnosis
Common checks include photos printed at the standard Vietnamese 4 × 6 cm visa size instead of the 2 × 2 inch size this embassy route requires, bringing the wrong number of prints (the rule is exactly three: one glued to the form, two stapled to it), and a background with shadows, texture or other objects instead of a plain, evenly lit backdrop.
The Embassy of Vietnam in the United States asks for standard passport photos sized 2 × 2 inches (about 51 × 51 mm) for a renewal or replacement application — a different, square format from the 4 × 6 cm rectangle used for Vietnamese visas and many domestic applications. Bringing the wrong one is the common reason the photo is rejected before the rest of the paperwork is checked.
The published checklist asks for exactly three prints: one glued to the application form and two stapled with it. Two photos, or three loose prints with none glued in place, is treated as an incomplete application. Circular 31/2023/TT-BCA separately requires a recently taken photo, no more than 6 months old, so an older set of prints fails even when the count is right.
Vietnam's passport-photo rule, set out in Circular 31/2023/TT-BCA, specifies a white background — not merely a light one. Green, yellow, patterned or shadowed backdrops are named among the usual reasons a file is sent back.
The Vietnamese rule is "đầu để trần": the head must be uncovered. Guidance names an exception for members of ethnic minority groups. A cap, fashion headband or scarf worn for style is not accepted.
The passport application form rule is "không đeo kính": no glasses at all, not merely no tinted ones. Police guidance for online applications adds that if glasses are worn anyway there must be no reflection on the lenses, no tinted lenses and no heavy frames — but removing them is what the rule actually asks for.
The application form asks for both ears to be visible, and published guidance sets the face at 75% of the photo area in the 4 × 6 cm domestic format. Hair over the ears, or a crop that leaves the face small in the frame, fails on rules most applicants have never heard of.
The rule set asks you to look straight ahead, not to smile, not to tilt your head to either side, and to keep hair off the face. A retouched or composited photo is treated more seriously still: guidance warns it can mean being called in to be photographed again, and a face that no longer matches the document causes trouble at the border.
No. This embassy renewal and replacement route asks for a 2 × 2 inch (about 51 × 51 mm) square photo — three copies, one glued and two stapled to the form. Vietnamese e-visa and many domestic applications instead use a 4 × 6 cm rectangular photo. Printing the visa size for a passport renewal is one of the common reasons a photo is sent back.
Standard Vietnamese consular guidance asks applicants to remove glasses for the photo. If you need them for a documented medical reason, clear lenses with no tint and no glare over the eyes are the safer option than risking a rejection for dark or reflective lenses.
This guide covers the checklist published by the Embassy of Vietnam in the United States for passport renewal and replacement. The official page confirms the size and photo count precisely but does not publish a full background or pose specification, so if you are applying through a different mission, confirm that mission's own checklist before you print.
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