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Passport and ID Photo Size by Country｜Official Size and Background Rules for 23 Countries in One Table

Original author: ｜ Updated ・ Published

AI-assisted translation and editing

This article is also available in: 繁體中文

Contents (9)

The most common passport photo size is 45 mm high × 35 mm wide. Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the UK, and European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands all use it. The exceptions are the United States (a 51 × 51 mm square, 2 × 2 inches), Hong Kong (50 × 40 mm), Malaysia (50 × 35 mm), Vietnam (60 × 40 mm) and Turkey (60 × 50 mm). Countries that share a size still differ on background colour and photo age, so the table below gives one row per country, each linked to a full guide in that country’s official language.

flowchart LR
  R["Passport photo size<br>H×W mm"]
  R --> G0["45×35 (12)<br>Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, UK<br>France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany<br>Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands"]
  R --> G1["60×40 (1)<br>Vietnam"]
  R --> G2["50×35 (1)<br>Malaysia"]
  R --> G3["60×50 (1)<br>Turkey"]
  R --> G4["45×35 to 50×38 (1)<br>Ireland"]
  R --> G5["50×40 (1)<br>Hong Kong"]
  R --> G6["45–50×35–40 (1)<br>Australia"]
  R --> G7["51×51 (1)<br>United States"]
  R --> G8["On site or digital only (4)<br>Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Singapore"]

The chart groups the 23 countries and regions by passport photo size. The biggest group is 45 × 35 mm, and every other size belongs to a single country. “On site or digital only” does not mean there is no rule: Thailand, Indonesia and Brazil (for anyone over 5) photograph passport applicants at the office and do not accept your own print, and Singapore only sets a digital size of 400 × 514 pixels.

1. Passport photo size by country

Country Passport
H×W mm		 Background
Taiwan 45×35 White
Japan
Booths		 45×35 White (pale blue OK)
South Korea 45×35 White
Thailand Taken on site —
Vietnam 60×40 White
Indonesia Taken on site White
Malaysia 50×35 (adults on site) White, no shadow
Brazil Taken on site (over 5) —
Turkey 60×50 White / mid grey
UK
Booths		 45×35 Cream / light grey
Ireland
Booths		 45×35 to 50×38 Light grey, white, cream
Singapore
Booths		 Digital only White
Hong Kong
Booths		 50×40 White
Australia
Booths		 45–50×35–40 White / light grey
United States 51×51 White / off-white
France
Booths		 45×35 Light, not white
Belgium
Booths		 45×35 Plain light
Luxembourg
Booths		 45×35 (often on site) Light, ideally grey
Germany
Booths		 45×35 Plain, no shadow
Austria
Booths		 45×35 Light, ideally grey
Switzerland
Booths		 45×35 Plain neutral
Italy
Booths		 45×35 White
Netherlands
Booths		 45×35 Light grey/blue, white

Each country name links to the page this site wrote for that country in its official language (Taiwan’s links to the English version), with head size, glasses, digital-file rules and links to the official text. All sizes are height × width in millimetres.

Disclosure: the “Booths” links go to photobooth.joelin.cc, a photo booth map run by the owner of this site, Joe Lin. Only countries where that map lists machines get the link, and the table is ordered by region regardless.

2. ID card, driving licence and residence card photo sizes

Country Document H×W mm
Taiwan National ID card 45×35
Taiwan Driving licence 35×28
Taiwan NHI card 45×35
Japan My Number Card 45×35
Japan Driving licence 30×24
Japan Residence card 40×30
South Korea Resident registration card 45×35
South Korea Driving licence 45×35
South Korea Alien registration card 45×35
Brazil Official passport 70×50 (preferred) or 40×30 (accepted)
Turkey Identity card 60×50
Turkey Driving licence 60×50
Singapore Driving licence 45×35
United States Visa (printed) 51×51
France Identity card 45×35
Belgium eID card 45×35
Belgium Residence document 45×35
Luxembourg Driving licence 45×35
Germany Identity card 45×35
Germany Driving licence 45×35
Germany Residence permit 45×35
Austria Identity card 45×35
Austria Driving licence 45×35
Switzerland Identity card (no chip) 45×35
Switzerland Driving licence 45×35
Italy Electronic ID (CIE) 45×35
Italy Driving licence 40–45×32–35
Italy Residence permit 45×35
Netherlands Identity card 45×35
Netherlands Driving licence 45×35
Netherlands Residence document 45×35

In most countries the ID card and residence card use the same 45 × 35 mm as the passport, so one set of photos covers all of them. Driving licences are the usual exception: Taiwan’s licence uses a 35 × 28 mm photo, Japan’s licence 30 × 24 mm, and Japan’s residence card 40 × 30 mm, all smaller than the passport photo. A document missing from the table either has no published millimetre size or is photographed at the office.

3. Same 45 × 35 mm, different backgrounds

A matching size does not make a photo interchangeable. Background colour is the most common reason for rejection:

  • Taiwan, Korea and Italy require a white background for passports; Japan recommends white and also accepts light blue and other pale colours.
  • France requires a plain light background for passports and ID cards and does not allow white.
  • The UK wants cream or light grey for printed passport photos.
  • The Netherlands accepts light grey, light blue or white, and Austria prefers light grey.
  • Turkey depends on hair colour: white for dark hair, mid grey for light hair.

Photo age differs too. Taiwan, Japan, the US, France and Italy mostly ask for a photo taken within 6 months, the UK within 1 month for printed photos, Singapore within 3 months, and Switzerland within 1 year.

4. Can a photo from one country be used in another?

A white 45 × 35 mm photo, such as Taiwan’s standard “2-inch” photo, fits the size and background rules of Japan, Korea and Italy; you still need to check head size and photo age. It does not work for France or the UK, where a white background is not accepted. For the US, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam and Turkey the size itself is different.

The safest step is to open the guide for the country you are applying to (click its name in the table) and compare head size and photo age with the official text. If you are taking the photo locally, the “Booths” link shows machines nearby.

5. Official sources and check dates

Each country’s rules were checked against its government page, and the check date is the last time we read the official text.

Keywords: passport photo size by country, ID photo size, passport photo background colour, international passport photo requirements

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the same passport photo for another country’s documents?

Often the size matches — Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the UK and most European countries all use 45 × 35 mm (height × width). The background and the age of the photo still differ. France forbids a white background, the UK wants cream or light grey, and the UK also wants a photo taken within the last month. Check that country’s row in the table and its full guide before you apply.

Which countries do not use a 45 × 35 mm passport photo?

In this table, the United States uses a 51 × 51 mm square (2 × 2 inches), Hong Kong uses 50 × 40 mm, Malaysia 50 × 35 mm, Vietnam 60 × 40 mm and Turkey 60 × 50 mm. Ireland and Australia accept a slightly larger range. Thailand, Indonesia and Brazil take passport photos at the office, and Singapore sets only a digital size of 400 × 514 pixels.

Where does this data come from?

Each country comes from its government website, mostly the passport authority, and the sources list at the end gives the page and the date we checked it. When a rule changes, we update that country’s local-language guide first and then this table.

This English version is based on original Traditional Chinese content on joelin.cc. The language and explanations are localised for international readers. The Traditional Chinese original is the authoritative version — for its complete meaning, please read the original article.