Singapore passport and IC photo: 400 × 514 pixels, white background, taken within 3 months | Driving licence 35 × 45 mm

Singapore passport and identity card (NRIC) photos are submitted digitally: 400 × 514 pixels, on a white background, taken within the last 3 months. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) accepts JPG, JPEG, HEIC, HEIF or PNG files up to 8 MB. The only official millimetre size is for the driving licence: 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, with the face 25 to 35 mm from chin to crown.

The 3-month rule is stricter than in most countries. Each rule below links to the Singapore government page it comes from.

This page is published on joelin.cc, the site of Joe Lin (老喬), who works in the photo booth business in Taiwan. The rules come from ICA, the Singapore Police Force, Singapore Statutes Online and the Ministry of Manpower; pixel counts for prints are calculated from the sizes.

Which photo you need:

flowchart TD
    A["What is the photo for?"] --> B{"Passport or<br>identity card?"}
    B -- Yes --> C["Digital photo<br>400 × 514 px<br>white, within 3 months"]
    B -- No --> D{"Driving licence?"}
    D -- Yes --> E["Print 35 × 45 mm<br>face 25–35 mm<br>white background"]
    D -- No --> F["Work pass:<br>photo taken at<br>MOM centre"]

Singapore photo rules at a glance

All three printed or uploaded photos use a white background. Passport and identity card photos follow the same ICA guidelines, so one digital photo works for both if it is less than 3 months old. The driving licence rules allow an older photo, up to 3 years, but a new passport photo printed at 35 × 45 mm meets them too.

The calculation is millimetres ÷ 25.4 × 300. The ICA upload size of 400 × 514 pixels has almost the same 7 : 9 shape as a 35 × 45 mm print.

Passport and identity card: ICA photo guidelines

ICA’s «Photo guidelines» cover both documents and follow ISO and ICAO standards:

• Digital photo of 400 × 514 pixels for upload through ICA e-Services; JPG, JPEG, HEIC, HEIF or PNG, up to 8 MB.
• Printed photos with a matte or semi-matte (non-reflective) finish.
• Taken within the last 3 months.
• White background.
• Neutral expression with the mouth closed; shoulders and hair fully visible.
• Spectacles only with clear, untinted lenses; no coloured contact lenses.
• Head gear worn for religious reasons should be dark against the white background.
• No flipped photos and no alterations with computer software or mobile apps; resizing is allowed, but not altering or enhancing. ICA notes that selfies usually do not meet the requirements.

«Apply for a passport» asks for a passport-sized, digital, colour photo taken within the last 3 months. For the identity card at 15 the same digital photo is used; biometrics are enrolled at school or at the ICA centre, and walk-in applicants bring a recent passport-sized colour photo.

Driving licence: 35 × 45 mm under the Road Traffic rules

The Ninth Schedule of the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licences) Rules sets the licence photo at 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, with the face between 25 and 35 mm from chin to crown. The background is white, or light grey if your hair is white; the photo is in colour, matte or semi-matte, and no headgear is allowed except for religious reasons. The rules allow a photo up to 3 years old.

The Singapore Police Force page on applying for, replacing and renewing a Singapore driving licence asks foreigners who renew for one matte passport-sized colour photo with a white background, with both ears and eyebrows visible and no tinted glasses. If you enrolled as a learner after 1 October 2018, the photo taken at enrolment is used for a new licence.

Work passes

For an Employment Pass, the Ministry of Manpower page «Apply for an Employment Pass» says your fingerprints and photo are taken when you visit the Employment Pass Services Centre. You do not bring or upload a photo for the pass itself.

Where to get a Singapore passport photo

Photo studios and photo booths can produce an ICA-compliant digital photo. Photo-Me booths in Singapore are listed on the Singapore passport photo booth map (run by Joe Lin, who also publishes this site). Check that the booth gives you the digital file or code you need for ICA’s e-Services.

Passport photo sizes and background colours in other countries are compared in our table of passport and ID photo sizes for 23 countries.

Common practical questions

What size is a Singapore passport photo?

ICA asks for a digital photo of 400 × 514 pixels when you upload it through its e-Services. Formats are JPG, JPEG, HEIC, HEIF or PNG, up to 8 MB. ICA’s current photo guidelines do not state a millimetre size; printed photos must have a matte or semi-matte finish.

How recent must a Singapore passport or IC photo be?

Taken within the last 3 months, for both the passport and the identity card (NRIC).

What background colour is required?

White. ICA’s Dos and Don’ts say the background must be white, and head gear worn for religious reasons should be dark in colour against the white background.

Can I wear glasses in a Singapore passport photo?

Yes, if the lenses are clear and untinted. Coloured contact lenses are not allowed, and the photo must not be flipped or altered with software or apps.

What photo do I need for a Singapore driving licence?

The Road Traffic rules specify a colour photo 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, with the face 25 to 35 mm from chin to crown, on a white background (light grey if your hair is white), matte or semi-matte. If you enrolled as a learner after 1 October 2018, the photo taken then is used for your new licence.

Do I need a photo for an Employment Pass?

You do not upload one. The Ministry of Manpower takes your photo and fingerprints when you visit the Employment Pass Services Centre to register.