Independent guide to official photo rules

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Australian Citizenship Application Photos

Home Affairs' photo rules for Australian citizenship applications, and who can endorse your photo when Form 1195 is needed.

Based on official sources · last checked

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Quick answer

What size is an Australian citizenship photo?

A Home Affairs citizenship photo is 35–40 mm wide by 45–50 mm high, with 32–36 mm from chin to crown, in colour on a neutral or light grey background and no more than 6 months old. Online uploads are unedited JPEGs of 70 KB to 3.5 MB, ideally 1200 × 1600 pixels.

An Australian citizenship photo is 35–40 mm wide by 45–50 mm high, with 32–36 mm from chin to crown, in colour against a neutral or light grey background, and no more than 6 months old. It must be completely unedited. Whether someone has to endorse it depends on the type of citizenship you are applying for.

Citizenship photo size and requirements

Printed size 35–40 mm wide × 45–50 mm high
Head size 32–36 mm from chin to crown
Digital upload JPEG, 70 KB to 3.5 MB; 1200 × 1600 pixels preferred; not a scan of a print
Background Neutral or light grey, contrasting with your face
Colour Colour photo, full face
Photo age No more than 6 months old
Expression Neutral, eyes open, mouth closed
Editing None: do not remove the background, moles, wrinkles, scars or red eye

Make my photo

Citizenship and passport photo size diagram: 35 to 40 mm wide by 45 to 50 mm high, head 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown
Citizenship photos use the same dimensions as Australian passport photos.
Home Affairs diagram of a head-and-shoulders outline inside a photo frame, labelled "Height: 45mm to 50mm" down the side, "Width: 35mm to 40mm" along the bottom, and two arrows from chin to crown marked "Min 32mm" and "Max 36mm"
Home Affairs' citizenship photo measurements: 35–40 mm wide, 45–50 mm high, 32–36 mm from chin to crown Image: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs · View the original © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 3.0 AU.

Glasses and head coverings

Do

  • Remove your glasses unless you have a medical reason
  • If you must keep glasses on: untinted lenses, no frames over your eyes, no reflection
  • Religious head coverings that show your whole face from chin to forehead, in a plain material

Don't

  • Keep glasses on just because you need them to see
  • Tinted lenses or glare
  • Patterned head coverings or anything hiding the edges of your face
Correct photo example
Correct
Rejected photo example: wearing glasses
Wearing glasses
Rejected photo example: coloured background
Coloured background
Rejected photo example: open-mouth smile
Open-mouth smile

Endorsing your photo (Form 1195)

Citizenship by conferral applicants do not need to provide Form 1195 or have their photo endorsed. For citizenship by descent and evidence of Australian citizenship, every applicant, including children, needs Form 1195 and an endorsed photo.

The person who signs Form 1195 writes on the back of the photo:

"This is a true photograph of [applicant's full name]"

and signs it with the same signature they use on the form.

Home Affairs example of the back of a photograph, headed "Photograph back", with the handwritten words "This is a true photograph of", the name JOHN CITIZEN above the label "(full name of applicant)", a signature reading "PSmith" above the label "(signature)", and a green tick
Home Affairs' example of an endorsed photograph back for Form 1195 Image: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs · View the original © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 3.0 AU.

The person who signs must:

  • be an Australian citizen who has known you for at least one year,
  • work in one of the occupations listed on the form,
  • not be related to you by birth, marriage or a de facto relationship, and
  • be contactable by phone during working hours.

If you live overseas and do not know an Australian citizen who qualifies, a citizen of your country of residence in a listed occupation can sign instead.

Check the current form

Recent versions of Form 1195 may also ask the signer to sign across a bottom corner of the front of the photo without touching your face. Follow the instructions on the version of the form you download.

Submitting the photo

  • Paper forms ask for one passport-sized photo with your full name on the back. Put it in a plastic sleeve and do not staple it to the form.
  • Children under 16 can be included on a responsible parent's application, with a photo of each child.
  • Home Affairs recommends a professional photo provider, such as an Australia Post outlet.

How to prepare your citizenship photo

  1. Take an unedited colour photo. Full face, with a neutral expression, eyes open and mouth closed, against a neutral or light grey background. Do not remove the background, moles, wrinkles, scars or red eye.
  2. Check the size. 35–40 mm wide × 45–50 mm high, with 32–36 mm from chin to crown, and no more than 6 months old.
  3. Get it endorsed if you need to. Citizenship by descent and evidence of citizenship applications need Form 1195 and an endorsed photo. Conferral applicants do not.
  4. Upload or attach it. Online, upload a JPEG of 70 KB to 3.5 MB, not a scan of a print. On paper, write your full name on the back, put it in a plastic sleeve and do not staple it. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.

Citizenship photo FAQ

35–40 mm wide by 45–50 mm high, with 32–36 mm from your chin to the top of your head. For online applications, upload a JPEG between 70 KB and 3.5 MB, ideally 1200 × 1600 pixels.

Not for citizenship by conferral: Home Affairs says conferral applicants do not have to provide Form 1195 or have their photograph endorsed. Applications for citizenship by descent and evidence of citizenship need an endorsed photo and Form 1195 for every applicant, including children.

A neutral or light grey background that contrasts with your face. Do not remove or replace the background digitally.

Remove them unless you have a medical reason. If you keep them on, the lenses must be untinted, the frames must not cover your eyes and there must be no reflection. Poor eyesight alone is not accepted as a reason.

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Official sources

Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.