Ireland · Passport
Irish passport photo
For the online application, Ireland's Passport Service wants a colour JPEG of at least 715 x 951 pixels and at most 9 MB, taken by someone else — selfies are refused. On paper it is four identical prints between 35 x 45 and 38 x 50 mm, two of them signed and stamped by your witness. Check the framing of your file here, free.
Sources last checked September 18, 2026. Some values are not fully verified: see below.The check is free and runs on your device. You pay only if you download the finished file: $4.99, or $6.99 with a 4 × 6 in print sheet.
The exact specification
The same numbers the checker applies, drawn from our Ireland guide. The official source of each value is listed under the table.
- Printed size
- 4 × 35–38 × 45–50 mm
- Print rules
- Four identical prints on photo-quality paper. Your witness writes the form number on the back of two of them, then signs and stamps those two — miss it and the Passport Service asks for a new form and new photos.
- Digital file
- JPEG/JPG · 715 × 951 to 4500 × 6000 px · 9 MB max
- Head size
- 40%–70% of the photo height
- Background
- Completely plain light grey, white or cream, with contrast
- Glasses
- Transparent glasses are allowed if the frames cover no part of the eyes and there is no glare on the lenses. No sunglasses or dark glasses.
- Taken within
- the last 6 months
Where these values come from
- Printed size, Print rules, Digital file, Head size, Background, Glasses, Taken within: checked against Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland) - Passport photo guidelines; GOV.UK - Get a passport photo: printed photos; GOV.UK - Get a passport photo: digital photos; US Department of State - 8 FAM 402.1 Passport photographs (glasses); Australian Passport Office - Passport photos (glasses), as set out in our Irish Passport Photo: Online and Paper Rules 2026 guide. Head size not published; our head-to-mid-torso window.
Not fully verified. Published: the digital minimum (715 x 951 px JPEG, under 9 MB) and the print range (35 x 45 to 38 x 50 mm, four identical prints). Not published: a head-size figure, an aspect ratio or a pixel maximum — the framing window and upper bound we use are ours.
About background editing. The Passport Service says photos must not be digitally altered or edited in any way. Background replacement counts — it is off by default; leave it off.
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
Yes, for an online application, but not as a selfie. The Passport Service says someone else must take the photo with a camera, phone or tablet, and that you should not use the zoom. Selfies are refused and you will be asked for another photo, which delays the application.
At least 715 pixels wide and 951 pixels high, in JPEG format and no larger than 9 MB, in colour and not scanned. The page also says no compression, loss or compression artefacts, no digital enhancement and no barrel distortion. It gives no aspect ratio or head size in millimetres.
Four identical photos, no more than six months old. Your witness writes the form number on the back of two of them and signs and stamps those two. Each print must be at least 35 x 45 mm and no more than 38 x 50 mm; if the witness step is missed, you must submit a new form and photos.
Yes. Transparent glasses are allowed if the frames do not cover any part of your eyes and there is no glare or shadow on the lenses. Sunglasses and dark glasses are not permitted. That is looser than the US and Australia, so do not carry those rules across.
No. The Passport Service says the International Civil Aviation Organisation requires passport photos to be taken within the last six months, and that applies to every application.
No. Submit a colour photo for the online route; the passport itself prints it in black and white. On a paper application, black and white prints are recommended because they are printed in black and white, but colour prints are accepted.
Keep reading
Troubleshooting UK Passport Photo Rejected Online? 8 Fixes That Work
What the UK online photo check measures, what examiners reject afterwards, and 8 fixes from HM Passport Office's own guidance, including when to override.
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Requirements Irish Passport Photo: Online and Paper Rules 2026
Ireland's passport photo rules: digital JPEG of 715 x 951 px or more, no selfies, four witnessed prints for paper forms, glasses allowed. From ireland.ie.
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Requirements UK Passport Photo Requirements (2026): Digital and Print
UK passport photo requirements for online and paper applications: 600x750 pixel digital rules, 35x45 mm prints, head size, background, glasses, children.
Read the guide