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Australia Passport Photo Size & Requirements

A Australian passport photo is 35 × 45 mm. Crop and check yours below — the photo never leaves your device.

Source: official Australia guidance, checked 2026-08-26.

No Australia rule is recorded here for eye line, print resolution and an exact background colour, plus 2 more, so this tool cannot check them. Check the official guidance.

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Your photo is processed on this device and never uploaded.

These are automated checks, not an approval. The issuing authority decides whether your photo is accepted.

Australian passport photo requirements

Photo size
35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 in)
Head height
71.1–80% of photo height, chin to crown
Eye line
Not published by this authority
Resolution
Not published by this authorityThis tool uses 300 dpi (413 × 531 pixels) as an assumption.
Background
plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face
Expression
Neutral, mouth closed — no smiling
Glasses
Must be removed
Ears
Not published by this authority
Head coverings
Not published by this authority
Photo you took yourself
Accepted
Edited photos
Not accepted, including edited backgrounds

Taken from the official Australia guidance, last checked . Where a row says the authority publishes nothing, that is what it means — not that anything goes.

Common reasons Australian passport photos get rejected

  1. Editing the photo

    Australia rejects photos altered with software, including replacing or tidying the background. Fix the lighting and the wall instead of the file.

  2. A background that is not plain

    Australia asks for plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face. Patterned wallpaper, door frames and furniture edges are common causes.

  3. Head too large or too small in the frame

    Chin to crown must be 71.1–80% of the photo height. Standing too close to the camera is the usual cause, and it also distorts your features.

  4. Smiling

    Australia requires a neutral expression with the mouth closed. A closed-mouth smile still counts as an expression here.

  5. Wearing glasses

    Glasses must be removed for a Australia photo, and should not be resting on your head either.

  6. Shadows on the face or behind the head

    Standing close to a wall throws a shadow onto it, and overhead lighting casts shadows into the eye sockets. Move away from the wall and face a window.

  7. A blurry or low-resolution photo

    Cropping tightly into a small photo is the usual cause. Start from a full-resolution photo taken a couple of metres away rather than enlarging a small one.

  8. Something else in the frame

    Another person, a hand steadying a child, a chair back, a toy, headphones, or a face covering. Authorities list these individually because they see them constantly — the photo must show you alone, with your whole face visible.

  9. A photo that is too old

    Most authorities require a photo taken within the last six months, and one that still looks like you.

Australian passport photo questions

What size is a Australian passport photo?
35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 inches).
How big should my head be in a Australian passport photo?
Chin to the top of your head must measure between 71.1% and 80% of the photo's height.
Can you smile in a Australian passport photo?
No. Australia requires a neutral expression with your mouth closed.
Can you wear glasses in a Australian passport photo?
No. Australia requires glasses to be removed.
What background does a Australian passport photo need?
plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face.
What does Australia not specify?
No published rule was found for eye line, print resolution, an exact background colour, whether ears must be visible and head coverings. That does not mean anything is acceptable — it means the authority has not stated a figure, so check its own guidance and err on the cautious side.
Where do these Australian requirements come from?
They were read from the official guidance at https://www.passports.gov.au/help/passport-photos, last checked on 2026-08-26. Requirements change, so confirm against that page before you apply.

These are automated checks, not an approval. Australia’s issuing authority decides whether your photo is accepted. This site is not affiliated with any government.