Quick answer
What size is an Australian passport photo?
An Australian passport photo must be 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high, with your face 32–36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white or light grey background. The Australian Passport Office also requires a neutral expression, no glasses and a photo less than 6 months old.
An Australian passport photo must be 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high, with your face measuring 32–36 mm from chin to crown. It needs a plain white or light grey background, a neutral expression, no glasses, and must be less than 6 months old. You need two identical photos, printed on glossy photo paper.
The Australian Passport Office (APO) uses your photo for facial recognition and prints it in your passport, so it checks every photo against a strict standard. A photo that fails is one of the most common reasons an application is delayed.
Australian passport photo size and print quality
| Photo size | 35–40 mm wide × 45–50 mm high |
|---|---|
| Head size | 32–36 mm from chin to crown |
| Number | 2 identical photos |
| Photo age | Less than 6 months old |
| Background | Plain white or light grey, contrasting with your face |
| Colour | Good-quality colour prints, natural skin tone |
| Printing | Dye sublimation, not an inkjet printer |
| Paper | Heavy-weight glossy paper, at least 200 gsm |
Print quality matters
The APO asks for prints "produced using dye sublimation (i.e. not from an inkjet printer)" on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. Photos printed on plain or thin paper, or with lines, streaks or ink marks, are rejected.
Pose and expression
- Face centred, looking straight at the camera, with your head straight, not tilted up, down or to the side.
- Neutral expression, eyes open. Anyone over 3 years old must not smile. Children under 3 may have their mouth open.
- Hair away from the edges of your face and out of your eyes.
- No one else in the photo, and no objects such as toys or a parent's hand.
Glasses in an Australian passport photo
The APO's rule is clear: you must not wear glasses in a passport photo unless you cannot remove them for medical reasons. Needing glasses to see is not an acceptable reason.
Do
- Take your glasses off for the photo
- If you have a medical reason, bring a medical certificate or form B-11
- If glasses stay on, keep frames clear of your eyes with no reflection on the lenses
Don't
- Wear glasses just because you normally do
- Wear sunglasses or tinted lenses
- Leave glare or reflections on the lenses
Head coverings, hair and jewellery
- Religious head coverings are allowed. They must be plain, without patterns, even small ones, and show your whole face from the bottom of your chin to the top of your forehead, with both edges of your face visible.
- Hats and caps are not allowed.
- Hearing aids are fine, but AirPods and other wireless earbuds are not hearing aids, so take them out.
- Jewellery must not cover your face, and studs or rings must not reflect light.
Background, lighting and editing
Do
- A plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face
- Even, uniform lighting that shows your natural skin tone
- A sharp, in-focus photo at full resolution
Don't
- Shadows on your face or the background
- Retouching, such as removing moles, wrinkles or scars, or skin smoothing
- An edited or replaced background, red eye or a grainy, blurred image
Sample photos
See all correct and incorrect sample photos
How to get your Australian passport photos ready
- Check the size. Your photo must be 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high, with your face measuring 32–36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white or light grey background.
- Take the photo. Face the camera straight on with a neutral expression and eyes open, glasses off and hair away from your face, in even light with no shadows. Do not retouch or edit it.
- Print two identical photos. Use dye-sublimation printing, not an inkjet printer, on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. The photos must be less than 6 months old when you apply.
- Sign the back of one photo. For a first passport, your guarantor signs the back of one photo. For a renewal, write your own full name on the back of one photo.
- Lodge your application. Lodge it at a participating Australia Post office, or at a passport office by appointment on 131 232 for urgent travel.
Submitting your photos
- Paper application: attach two identical photos. For a first passport, your guarantor signs the back of one photo; for a renewal, you write your own full name on the back of one photo. See guarantors and signing your photo.
- Where to lodge: at a participating Australia Post office, or a passport office for urgent travel by appointment on 131 232.
- Online renewal: the APO's online renewal retrieves your digital photo using the photo code from a participating photo provider. See taking and printing your own photo.
- Overseas: lodge at an Australian embassy or consulate. The photo rules are the same.
Passport fees and processing times
| Adult passport (10 years, 16+) | $422 |
|---|---|
| Child passport (5 years, under 16) | $213 |
| Adult 5-year passport (75+, optional) | $213 |
| Priority processing (2 business days) | + $308 |
| Fast Track (5 business days) | + $107 |
| Standard processing | Up to 6 weeks |
Fees as of 1 January 2026. Passport fees are indexed every 1 January.
What the APO says about apps
The Australian Passport Office says it does not recommend online passport photo services or mobile apps, warning that they may put you at risk of identity fraud. If you make your own photo, follow every rule above, print it on a dye-sublimation printer at a photo lab, and check it against the samples before you lodge.
Australian passport photo FAQ
35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high, with your face measuring 32–36 mm from chin to crown. The common 35 × 45 mm passport photo size fits within this range.
No, unless you cannot remove them for medical reasons. Vision impairment alone is not an acceptable reason. If you do wear them, the frames must not cover your eyes and the lenses must not reflect.
No. Anyone over 3 years old must have a neutral expression, with eyes open and facing the camera straight on.
Two identical, good-quality photos, less than 6 months old.
Not on a normal inkjet printer. The Australian Passport Office requires colour prints produced by dye sublimation on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm.
Plain white or light grey, contrasting with your face, with no shadows or patterns.
Official sources
- Australian Passport Office: Passport photos
- Australian Passport Office: Camera operator guide (PDF)
- Australian Passport Office: Fees
- Australian Passport Office: Processing times
- Australian Passport Office: Adult passport
- Australian Passport Office: Applying outside Australia
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.