---
title: 'Hong Kong passport photo size: 40 × 50 mm, head 32–36 mm, white background | HKID, visa and driving permit photos'
url: https://joelin.cc/en/p/200215
source: https://joelin.cc/en/p/200215
lang: en
pubDate: '2026-11-10'
date_modified: '2026-11-10'
description: 'A Hong Kong passport photo is 40 mm wide and 50 mm high, chin to crown 32–36 mm, on a plain white background. Online: JPEG up to 5 MB, at least 1200 × 1600 px. HKID photos are taken at the office.'
schema_type: BlogPosting
ai_role: ai_only
translation_assistant: caddy
ai_credit: 'AI-assisted writing and editing: Caddy (AI)'
faq:
  - q: What size is a Hong Kong passport photo?
    a: 40 mm wide and 50 mm high. The size from chin to crown should be 32 to 36 mm, with sufficient headroom, on a plain white background.
  - q: What are the digital photo requirements for an online HKSAR passport application?
    a: A JPEG file of 5 MB or below. A photo from a digital camera must be at least 1200 × 1600 pixels; a scanned photo must be scanned at 600 dpi from a 40 × 50 mm print.
  - q: Do I need a photo for a Hong Kong identity card?
    a: 'Usually not: your photograph is taken at the registration office. Exceptions in the Immigration Department''s guidance include one 50 × 40 mm (height × width) photo for a child not taller than 90 cm, and two 29 × 35 mm photos for some applications made from outside Hong Kong.'
  - q: Can I wear glasses or a hat in a Hong Kong passport photo?
    a: Do not wear head dress. Glasses are not banned, but a photo is rejected if the frames cross the eyes or if there is flash reflection on the face or glasses.
  - q: What photos do I need for a Hong Kong visa application?
    a: Form ID 990A asks for a photo no larger than 55 × 45 mm and no smaller than 50 × 40 mm (height × width), which is a slightly different range from the passport size. Check the form for the visa you are applying for.
  - q: Do I need a photo for a Hong Kong driving licence?
    a: 'The Transport Department lists photos only for the International Driving Permit: two identical, new and recent 40 × 50 mm photos without headwear.'
---

# Hong Kong passport photo size: 40 × 50 mm, head 32–36 mm, white background | HKID, visa and driving permit photos

A Hong Kong (HKSAR) passport photo is 40 mm wide and 50 mm high, larger than the common 35 × 45 mm size. The face, from chin to crown, should be 32 to 36 mm, on a plain white background, with no head dress. For an online application the digital photo must be a JPEG of 5 MB or below, at least 1200 × 1600 pixels.

A standard 35 × 45 mm passport photo from another country is too small for a Hong Kong passport. Hong Kong identity card photos, on the other hand, are usually taken at the registration office. Each rule below links to the Immigration Department or Transport Department 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 sizes come from Hong Kong government pages; pixel counts are calculated from them.

Which photo you need:

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A["What is the photo for?"] --> B{"HKSAR passport?"}
    B -- Yes --> C["40 × 50 mm<br>chin to crown 32–36 mm<br>plain white"]
    B -- No --> D{"Identity card?"}
    D -- Yes --> E["Photo taken at<br>registration office"]
    D -- No --> F{"Visa?"}
    F -- Yes --> G["40–45 × 50–55 mm<br>see form ID 990A"]
    F -- No --> H["Driving permit:<br>two 40 × 50 mm"]
```

## Hong Kong photo sizes at a glance

| Use | Size | Photos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Passport, paper | 40 × 50 mm | Per form |
| Passport, online | 1200 × 1600 px+ | 1 file |
| Identity card | Taken on site | None |
| Visa | 40–45 × 50–55 mm | Per form |
| Driving permit | 40 × 50 mm | 2 |

The passport and the International Driving Permit share the 40 × 50 mm size, and that size also sits inside the visa range, so one set of 40 × 50 mm prints covers all three. The identity card needs no photo from you in most cases.

| Size | cm | Pixels at 300 dpi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 40 × 50 mm | 4.0 × 5.0 | 472 × 591 |

The calculation is millimetres ÷ 25.4 × 300. The online minimum of 1200 × 1600 pixels has a 3 : 4 shape, slightly taller than the 4 : 5 print.

## Passport: Immigration Department requirements

The Immigration Department's «[Photograph Requirements for Travel Document](https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/residents/immigration/traveldoc/photorequirements.html)» set these rules:

- Full frontal face with clear facial features, on a plain white background.
- Photo size 40 mm wide by 50 mm high; chin to crown 32 to 36 mm, with sufficient headroom.
- No head dress; avoid heavy make-up and very dark or very light clothing.
- The photo is rejected if, for example, frames cross the eyes, there is flash reflection on the face or glasses, there are shadows, or the face is not centred.

For online applications through the website or mobile app, the file must be a JPEG of 5 MB or below: either a 40 × 50 mm photo scanned at 600 dpi, or a digital camera image of at least 1200 × 1600 pixels. Applicants aged 16 or over applying outside Hong Kong submit three recent colour photographs with a white background, according to form [ID(E) 843A](https://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/ID%28E%29843An.pdf).

## Identity card: photo taken at the office

Registering for or replacing a Hong Kong identity card includes having your photograph taken at the registration office, as described on the Immigration Department's [registration and replacement page](https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/hkid/reg_replace.html). The same page lists two cases where you supply photos: one recent 50 × 40 mm (height × width) full-face photograph for a child not taller than 90 cm, and two identical 29 × 35 mm photos (width × height), full face, no hat, on a plain light background, for some applications made from outside Hong Kong.

## Visa and driving permit

Visa application form [ID 990A](https://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/ID990A.pdf) asks for a photo no larger than 55 × 45 mm and no smaller than 50 × 40 mm (height × width). On the Transport Department's [driver licensing page](https://www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/licences_and_permits/driving_licences/driver_licensing/index.html), a photo is listed only for the International Driving Permit: two identical, new and recent 40 × 50 mm photographs without headwear.

## Where to get a Hong Kong passport photo

Photo studios and photo booths can print 40 × 50 mm photos; check that the booth offers the Hong Kong passport size rather than 35 × 45 mm. Photo booths at MTR stations are listed on the [Hong Kong ID photo booth map](https://photobooth.joelin.cc/en/hongkong/idphoto/) (run by Joe Lin, who also publishes this site).

Passport photo sizes and background colours in other countries are compared in our [table of passport and ID photo sizes for 23 countries](https://joelin.cc/en/p/10106).

## Common practical questions

### What size is a Hong Kong passport photo?

40 mm wide and 50 mm high. The size from chin to crown should be 32 to 36 mm, with sufficient headroom, on a plain white background.

### What are the digital photo requirements for an online HKSAR passport application?

A JPEG file of 5 MB or below. A photo from a digital camera must be at least 1200 × 1600 pixels; a scanned photo must be scanned at 600 dpi from a 40 × 50 mm print.

### Do I need a photo for a Hong Kong identity card?

Usually not: your photograph is taken at the registration office. Exceptions in the Immigration Department's guidance include one 50 × 40 mm (height × width) photo for a child not taller than 90 cm, and two 29 × 35 mm photos for some applications made from outside Hong Kong.

### Can I wear glasses or a hat in a Hong Kong passport photo?

Do not wear head dress. Glasses are not banned, but a photo is rejected if the frames cross the eyes or if there is flash reflection on the face or glasses.

### What photos do I need for a Hong Kong visa application?

Form ID 990A asks for a photo no larger than 55 × 45 mm and no smaller than 50 × 40 mm (height × width), which is a slightly different range from the passport size. Check the form for the visa you are applying for.

### Do I need a photo for a Hong Kong driving licence?

The Transport Department lists photos only for the International Driving Permit: two identical, new and recent 40 × 50 mm photos without headwear.

Sources: Passport: Immigration Department, «Photograph Requirements for Travel Document» on immd.gov.hk, and form ID(E) 843A for applications outside Hong Kong. Identity card: Immigration Department pages on registration and replacement of identity cards and on the smart identity card. Visas: Immigration Department form ID 990A. Driving: Transport Department driver licensing page (photos are listed only for the International Driving Permit). Page used for periodic re-checks: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/residents/immigration/traveldoc/photorequirements.html . Pixel counts at 300 dpi are calculated from the sizes. All sources checked on 10 November 2026.

AI-assisted writing and editing: Caddy (AI)