Australia · Passport
Australia passport photo
The Australian Passport Office asks for 35–40 x 45–50 mm prints produced by dye sublimation on at least 200 gsm glossy paper — and says it does not recommend online photo services or apps. Use a post office, camera store or pharmacy; what we offer is a free check of the framing, tilt, background and lighting before you submit.
Requirements verified September 16, 2026 — always confirm with the issuing authorityFree, on-device check. This document's rules mean there is nothing to buy.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies, drawn from our Australia guide. The official source of each value is listed under the table.
- Printed size
- 2 × 35–40 × 45–50 mm
- Print rules
- Colour prints produced by dye sublimation — explicitly NOT inkjet — on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. Consumer printers do not do this.
- Digital file
- No online upload spec published
- Head size
- 32–36 mm chin to crown
- Background
- Plain white or light grey, contrasting with your face
- Glasses
- Not permitted unless you cannot remove them for medical reasons. The APO states that vision impairment alone is not an acceptable reason.
- Taken within
- the last 6 months
Where these values come from
- Printed size, Print rules, Head size, Background, Glasses, Taken within: checked against Australian Passport Office - Passport photos (photo guidelines); Australian Passport Office - Guarantors, referees and witnesses; Australian Embassy, The Hague - Adult first passport application (photo and guarantor endorsement); Australian Consulate-General, Guangzhou - Passport photos, as set out in our Australia Passport Photo Requirements Explained guide.
Free check only. The Australian Passport Office says it does not recommend using an online passport photo service or a mobile app, and its print specification (dye sublimation on 200 gsm glossy paper) needs a professional provider. We are not going to argue with that. Use a post office, camera store, pharmacy or photographer; what we offer here is a free pre-submission check.
About background editing. The APO lists an edited background among unacceptable backgrounds. Off by default.
What the free check covers
We measure
- Head size against the published window
- Eye position, where the authority sets one
- Head tilt and rotation
- Background brightness and evenness
- Sharpness and exposure
Only you can confirm
- Glasses — we can't reliably detect them, so we flag rather than pass
- Expression and mouth position
- Red eye
- Filters, retouching or AI edits made before upload
We are an independent service, not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority always makes the final decision — a pass here means your photo meets the published measurements we can check.
What does a failure look like? See our accepted and rejected passport photo examples, with the fix for each one.
Common questions
The Australian Passport Office asks for photos 35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high, with your face measuring 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown. You submit two photos with your application.
Two. The APO says you'll need to include two good-quality photos that meet all of its requirements. If your application needs a guarantor, that person endorses the back of one of them.
A plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face. It must be free of shadows and reflections, and the edges of your face must be clearly visible against it.
Not on a normal home printer. The APO requires colour prints produced using dye sublimation, explicitly not inkjet, on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. Almost no consumer printer meets that.
Only if you can't remove them for medical reasons. The APO states that vision impairment alone is not an acceptable reason. If you must wear them, the frames must not obscure your eyes and there must be no reflection from the lenses.
It advises against them. Its photo guidelines say it does not recommend using an online passport photo service or a mobile app, because these may put you in danger of identity fraud. It recommends a professional passport photo provider.
Children under 3 may have their mouth open, so a natural expression is fine. Anyone over 3 must face the camera straight on with eyes open and a neutral expression. No one else may be visible in a child's photo.
Keep reading
Requirements Canada Passport Photo: 50x70mm and the Stamp
Canada passport photo rules: 50 x 70 mm, face 31-36 mm, two prints, and the studio stamp on the back that no app can replace. Verified on canada.ca.
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Requirements Australia Passport Photo Requirements Explained
Australian passport photo rules: two prints, 35-40 x 45-50 mm, face 32-36 mm, 200 gsm dye-sublimation paper, and why the APO warns off photo apps.
Read the guide