Quick answer
What photo do I need for a degree or skills assessment?
VETASSESS wants one passport-sized colour photo on plain white or light grey, under 6 months old, as a 500 KB JPEG and not self-taken. ANMAC asks for a passport-style photo under 6 months old, and CSCSE a recent ID photo with any background as a JPG up to 1 MB. None publishes a millimetre size.
Skills assessments for skilled migration, and degree authentication for graduates heading home, usually ask for a recent photo of you. None of the bodies we checked publishes a millimetre size. VETASSESS and ANMAC ask for a passport-sized or passport-style photo, so the Australian passport photo rules are the safe standard, while China's CSCSE accepts a recent ID photo with any background colour.
Assessment photo requirements compared
| Body | Assesses | Photo | File | Taken within |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VETASSESS | General professional and trade occupations | Passport-sized colour photo, plain white or light grey, not self-taken | JPEG or JPG, 500 KB | 6 months |
| ANMAC | Internationally qualified nurses and midwives | Passport-style photo | Upload to the ANMAC portal | 6 months |
| Trades Recognition Australia | Trades, through an approved assessing organisation | Recent passport-sized photos | As the assessor asks | Recent |
| CSCSE (China) | Chinese graduates authenticating an Australian degree | Recent standard ID photo, any background colour | JPG, ≤ 1 MB | Recent |
Other assessing authorities, such as Engineers Australia and the Australian Computer Society, ask for identity documents rather than a separate photo in the guidance we checked.
VETASSESS photo requirements
VETASSESS asks for one recent passport-sized colour photograph, no more than six months old, and uses it with your assessment outcome. Its photo specification is:
| Photo | One recent passport-sized colour photograph |
|---|---|
| Taken within | 6 months |
| Background | Plain white or light grey |
| Expression | Neutral |
| Editing | No retouching |
| File | JPEG or JPG, acceptable size 500 KB |
| Not accepted | Self-taken photographs |
No selfies
VETASSESS says self-taken photographs are not acceptable and suggests having your photo taken at a provider such as Australia Post. If you prepare the file yourself, start from a photo someone else took of you, not a selfie.
ANMAC: nurses and midwives
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) assesses internationally qualified nurses and midwives. Its document checklists for the Modified and Full skills assessments list a passport-style photo taken within the last 6 months as part of your proof of identity, uploaded through the ANMAC portal with your passport bio-data page and two other identity documents. ANMAC does not set a separate size, so follow the Australian passport photo rules.
Trades Recognition Australia
For trade skills assessments, Trades Recognition Australia works through approved assessing organisations. Its Trades Recognition Service applicant guidelines list recent passport-sized photos among the documents you provide. Your assessing organisation will tell you how many it needs and whether they must be certified.
CSCSE: authenticating an Australian degree for China
Chinese graduates of Australian universities usually have their degree authenticated online by China's Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE). Its applicant guidance asks for "本人近期标准证件照片一张，底色不限": one recent standard ID photo of yourself, with any background colour, uploaded as a JPG of no more than 1 MB. CSCSE does not publish a pixel or millimetre size.
About the 30 × 40 mm degree assessment size
None of the assessing bodies above publishes a 30 × 40 mm size. The photo maker's Degree assessment preset makes a 30 × 40 mm photo, a 3:4 portrait, which works where a portal asks for a recent ID photo without a fixed size, as CSCSE does. Where an assessor asks for a passport-sized photo, as VETASSESS and ANMAC do, use the Australian passport size of 35–40 × 45–50 mm instead.
How to prepare a degree or skills assessment photo
- Check your assessor's rules. VETASSESS and ANMAC ask for a passport-sized or passport-style photo taken within the last 6 months. CSCSE accepts a recent standard ID photo with any background colour.
- Have someone else take it. VETASSESS does not accept self-taken photographs, so ask someone else or use a photo provider such as Australia Post. For VETASSESS, use a plain white or light grey background and a neutral expression, with no retouching.
- Crop it to size. For VETASSESS and ANMAC, use the Australian passport size of 35–40 × 45–50 mm. Where a portal has no fixed size, as with CSCSE, a 30 × 40 mm (3:4) photo works, although no assessor publishes that size.
- Save and upload it. VETASSESS: JPEG or JPG, 500 KB. CSCSE: JPG no larger than 1 MB. ANMAC: upload it through the ANMAC portal with your identity documents. If the file is not a JPG, such as a HEIC photo from an iPhone, convert it with the free 123PhotoTool JPEG converter.
What your photo should look like
Degree assessment photo FAQ
A recent passport-sized colour photo on a plain white or light grey background. VETASSESS does not give a millimetre size, so the Australian passport size of 35–40 × 45–50 mm is a safe choice. Upload it as a JPEG; VETASSESS lists 500 KB as the acceptable file size.
Not for VETASSESS, which says self-taken photographs are not acceptable. Ask someone else to take it, or have it taken by a photo provider.
One recent standard ID photo. CSCSE accepts any background colour and asks for a JPG file no larger than 1 MB. It does not publish a pixel or millimetre size.
None of the assessing bodies we checked publishes 30 × 40 mm. The photo maker's degree assessment preset uses that 3:4 size, which suits portals with no fixed size, such as CSCSE. For VETASSESS and ANMAC, use a passport-sized photo.
Official sources
- VETASSESS: Passport photo specification requirements
- ANMAC: Skilled migration services document checklist (PDF)
- Trades Recognition Australia: Trades Recognition Service applicant guidelines (PDF)
- CSCSE: Overseas degree authentication application materials (Chinese)
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.