Skip to content
← All countries

Ireland Passport Photo Size & Requirements

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

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

No Ireland rule is recorded here for whether edited photos are accepted, head height and eye line, plus 3 more, so this tool cannot check them. Check the official guidance.

or drag one here

JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC · up to 20MB

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.

Irish passport photo requirements

Photo size
35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 in)
Head height
Not published by this authority
Eye line
Not published by this authority
Resolution
Not published by this authorityThis tool uses 300 dpi (413 × 531 pixels) as an assumption.
Background
completely plain light grey, white or cream, with enough contrast and no shadows
Expression
Neutral, mouth closed — no smiling
Glasses
Allowed if the eyes are clear, with no glare or tint
Ears
Not published by this authority
Head coverings
permitted for religious or medical reasons only, with all facial features visible; no other head accessories
Photo you took yourself
Accepted
Edited photos
Not published by this authority

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

Common reasons Irish passport photos get rejected

  1. A background that is not plain

    Ireland asks for completely plain light grey, white or cream, with enough contrast and no shadows. Patterned wallpaper, door frames and furniture edges are common causes.

  2. Smiling

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

  3. Glare or heavy frames on glasses

    Glasses are allowed, but reflections on the lenses and frames crossing the eyes are both rejection reasons. Removing them avoids the risk entirely.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. A photo that is too old

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

Irish passport photo questions

What size is a Irish passport photo?
35 × 45 mm (1.38 × 1.77 inches).
Can you smile in a Irish passport photo?
No. Ireland requires a neutral expression with your mouth closed.
Can you wear glasses in a Irish passport photo?
Glasses are allowed, provided your eyes are clearly visible with no glare and the frames do not cover them. Tinted lenses and sunglasses are not accepted.
What background does a Irish passport photo need?
completely plain light grey, white or cream, with enough contrast and no shadows.
Can I wear a head covering in a Irish passport photo?
Permitted for religious or medical reasons only, with all facial features visible; no other head accessories.
What does Ireland not specify?
No published rule was found for whether edited photos are accepted, head height, eye line, print resolution, an exact background colour and whether ears must be visible. 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 Irish requirements come from?
They were read from the official guidance at https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/passports/photo-guidelines/, last checked on 2026-08-26. Requirements change, so confirm against that page before you apply.

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