Australian passport photo size: 35–40 mm wide, 45–50 mm high, chin to crown 32–36 mm | Guarantor, visa and citizenship photos

An Australian passport photo is 35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high, with the face 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown. It must be less than 6 months old, on a plain white or light grey background, and you need two identical photos. There is no digital upload: you lodge printed photos with your application at a post office.

Australia accepts a size range, so a standard 35 × 45 mm photo works as long as the face is between 32 and 36 mm. Visa and citizenship applications use slightly different rules, and driving licence photos are taken by each state’s licensing office. Each rule below links to its official source.

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 Australian government pages; pixel counts are calculated from them.

Which photo you need:

flowchart TD
    A["What is the photo for?"] --> B{"Australian passport?"}
    B -- Yes --> C["2 printed photos<br>35–40 × 45–50 mm<br>face 32–36 mm"]
    B -- No --> D{"Visa or<br>citizenship?"}
    D -- Visa --> E["35 × 45 mm<br>under 6 months"]
    D -- Citizenship --> F["Same size as passport<br>or JPEG online"]
    D -- No --> G["Driving licence:<br>photo taken by<br>state office"]

Australian photo sizes at a glance

A 35 × 45 mm photo with a 32–36 mm face satisfies the passport, visa and citizenship rules at once. Driving licences need no photo from you in New South Wales, because Service NSW takes it; other states set their own rules.

The calculation is millimetres ÷ 25.4 × 300. These pixel counts only matter for printing, since passport applications take printed photos.

Passport photos: Australian Passport Office rules

The Australian Passport Office’s «Passport photos» page sets these rules:

• 35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high; chin to crown 32 to 36 mm.
• Two identical photos, less than 6 months old.
• Printed by dye sublimation on glossy photo paper of at least 200 gsm; no retouching.
• Plain white or light grey background.
• Neutral expression with eyes open; children under 3 may have their mouth open.
• No glasses unless medically required, and vision impairment alone is not a medical reason.
• Religious head coverings are allowed if plain; hearing aids are allowed, earbuds must be removed.

The Passport Office does not recommend online photo services or apps. Printed photos are lodged at a post office with your application, as described on the Adult passport page.

Guarantor: signing the back of one photo

According to «Guarantors, referees and witnesses», you need a guarantor for a paper adult application and for all child applications. Online adult applications need a referee instead, who signs nothing, and renewals need neither. The guarantor signs section 11 of the form and the back of one photo in black pen, writing «This is a true photo of [your full name]». They must be an adult Australian citizen who has known you for more than 12 months and who holds a passport valid for at least 2 more years or has been on the electoral roll at their current address for at least 12 months.

Visa and citizenship photos

The Department of Home Affairs help text on passport photographs asks for a recent passport photograph of 45 × 35 mm (height × width), showing head and shoulders against a plain background, less than six months old, with your name printed on the back.

For citizenship, «Photo requirements for citizenship applications» uses the passport range: 35–40 × 45–50 mm, chin to crown 32–36 mm, on a neutral or light grey background. Online applications take a JPEG between 70 KB and 3.5 MB, preferably 1200 × 1600 pixels, and not a scan.

Driving licence

Driving licences are issued by each state and territory. In New South Wales, Service NSW takes your photo when you apply; its «Photo requirements» say not to smile and to remove all glasses, even if you need them to drive. Religious or cultural headwear is allowed, but hats and novelty wigs are not. Check your own state’s licensing office for its rules.

Where to get an Australian passport photo

Post offices, photo shops and photo booths print passport photos. Photo booths in Australia are listed on the Australia passport photo booth map (run by Joe Lin, who also publishes this site). The Passport Office notes that photos must be printed on glossy photo paper of at least 200 gsm, so check the print before you lodge it.

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 an Australian passport photo?

35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high. The face, from chin to crown, must be 32 to 36 mm. A standard 35 × 45 mm passport photo fits the range if the face size is right.

How many photos do I need for an Australian passport?

Two identical photos, less than 6 months old, printed on glossy photo paper of at least 200 gsm. You lodge them with your application at a post office; there is no digital photo upload.

Who signs the back of an Australian passport photo?

Your guarantor, if you need one: they write «This is a true photo of [your full name]» on the back of one photo and sign it in black pen. A guarantor is needed for paper adult applications and for all child applications; renewals need neither a guarantor nor a referee.

Can I wear glasses in my Australian passport photo?

No, unless you have a medical reason. The Passport Office says vision impairment alone is not a reason. Religious head coverings are allowed if they are plain; hearing aids are allowed but earbuds must be removed.

What photo do I need for an Australian visa?

The Department of Home Affairs help text asks for a recent passport photograph of 45 × 35 mm (height × width), showing head and shoulders on a plain background, less than six months old, with your name on the back.

What are the photo requirements for Australian citizenship?

35–40 × 45–50 mm with chin to crown 32–36 mm on a neutral or light grey background. Online, a JPEG between 70 KB and 3.5 MB, preferably 1200 × 1600 pixels, not a scan.