Australian passport photo size explained
The size of an Australian passport photo is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, or 3.5 × 4.5 cm. Inside that frame the head, measured from the chin to the crown, should be about 35 mm tall, with roughly 3 mm of background left between the top of the hair and the upper edge of the photo. Getting the head size right matters as much as the outer size, and it is the hardest part to judge by eye. Our tool sets both measurements for you, so you do not need a ruler or a photo editor.
If you print at home or in a shop, print at 600 DPI so the photo stays sharp at 35 × 45 mm. The free digital file you download is already laid out at the correct size and resolution.
What the AI check looks at
When you upload a selfie, the tool first finds your face and measures it. It scales the photo so the head is the right size for the frame, centres the face and leaves the correct gap above the hair. Then it removes the original background and fills it with an even light grey. Finally it checks the parts a person might miss: whether the eyes are open, whether the head is tilted, whether the expression is neutral, whether the light is even and whether the image is sharp. You see the result before you download, together with any warnings, and you can retake the photo for free as many times as you like.
This saves the usual back-and-forth of a home passport photo. Instead of guessing whether a crop is close enough or measuring the head on screen, you get a file that already follows the size and background rules, so the only thing left to do is take a clear photo with a neutral face.
Background and lighting
The background of an Australian passport photo should be plain and light; our template uses an even light grey with no patterns, objects or shadows. Uneven light is the usual problem with photos taken at home, because a lamp at one side throws a shadow of the head onto the wall. Stand facing a window during the day so soft light falls evenly on your face. You do not need a perfect wall at home: the AI removes your background and replaces it with an even light grey that matches the passport photo guidelines.
Face, expression and pose
The official photo guidelines on passports.gov.au set out the details. For the best result with our tool:
- Look straight at the camera with your head upright, not tilted or turned.
- Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed.
- Keep both eyes open and clearly visible, with no hair across them.
- Show the full face from the chin to the top of the head and both edges of the face.
- Take off glasses and hats so nothing hides the eyes or the outline of the face.
- Wear everyday clothes in a colour that stands out from the light background.
Photo quality
Your Australian passport photo should be recent and in sharp focus, with natural skin tones. Avoid beauty filters or edits that change how you look: the photo is stored on the microchip of the passport as part of your biometric data. A good photo from a modern phone is more than enough. If the light was poor, our professional retouch fixes shadows and colour balance without changing your features.
Digital photo for an online application
You can start an Australian passport application online at passports.gov.au, and an eligible passport can be renewed online too. This photo format is suitable for online submission, so the same file works for the online form. Keep the digital passport photo in its original size and do not crop it again after you download it.
Printed photos for a paper application
The list of documents for an application includes two recent passport photos that meet the Australian passport photo requirements. Print the file you download on photo paper at 35 × 45 mm, cut the two copies along the guides, and keep them flat and clean. Many people print their passport photos at a local photo kiosk or pharmacy; the file is ready for any standard photo printer.
How to apply for an Australian passport
To apply, you must be an Australian citizen. Adults aged 16 or over apply for themselves with Form PC8, and a parent or guardian applies for a child under 16 with Form PC7. Along with your Australian passport photo you will need proof of citizenship, such as an Australian birth certificate, a citizenship certificate or a previous Australian passport, and a current photo ID such as a driver's licence.
- Complete the application form online or download the paper form.
- Pay the fee. As of October 2023 it was about AUD 308 for a 10-year adult passport and about AUD 153 for a 5-year child passport; check passports.gov.au for the current fees.
- Lodge the application in person at an Australia Post outlet that offers passport services or at a passport office, or send it by mail to the address on the form.
- Track the application online, then receive the new passport by mail.
The fee depends on the type of passport and the processing time you choose, so the amount you pay can differ from the figures above. The Australian Passport Office website always has the current fees, forms and updates, and it is the place to check before you pay or lodge anything.
Processing times vary, so apply well before you travel and make your passport photo first, because it is the one part of the application you can finish in a few minutes at home.
Who can apply and which form to use
Only Australian citizens can hold an Australian passport. If you are 16 or older, you apply for an adult passport yourself using Form PC8. For children under 16, a parent or guardian completes Form PC7 and applies on the child's behalf. You can fill in the form online or download a paper form from the official website. Whichever way you choose, make sure the information is accurate and complete, and that it matches your supporting documents.
Documents to gather
- Proof of Australian citizenship: an Australian birth certificate, an Australian citizenship certificate or a previous Australian passport.
- Identification: a current photo ID, such as a driver's licence or another government-issued ID card.
- Photos: two recent passport-sized photos that meet the photo requirements.
- The completed form: PC8 for adults or PC7 for children.
Keep everything together in one folder before you lodge the application, so nothing is missing on the day.
Lodging and tracking the application
Most people lodge their application in person at an Australia Post outlet that offers passport services, or at a passport office. A paper application can also be posted to the address printed on the form. You pay the fee online when you complete the online form, or when you hand in a paper application. After that, you can follow the status of your application online with the passport application tracker on passports.gov.au. The finished passport is sent to you by mail.
Before you travel
An Australian passport is required to enter most foreign countries, but it is not always enough on its own. Always check the entry requirements and any travel restrictions for your destination before you book. Some countries also ask for a visa with its own photo rules, so if you are applying for both, make each photo in the format that document asks for. Processing times vary, so allow plenty of time between applying and your departure date.
Passport photos for babies and children
A parent or guardian applies for a child under 16, and the child needs their own photo. For a baby, lay the child on a plain light sheet and take the photo from above, or have the child sit in a car seat covered with a light cloth. Keep your hands and toys out of the frame. The AI tool works the same way for a child passport photo: it crops to 35 × 45 mm and sets the background.
Young children rarely hold still, so take many photos in a row and pick the one where the face is straight to the camera and the eyes are open. Natural daylight keeps a baby calm better than a flash. Older children can follow the same steps as adults: stand facing a window, look into the lens and keep a neutral face. Remember that a child passport is valid for five years, and a child's face changes quickly, so a recent photo is especially important.
Step by step: taking the photo at home
You do not need a studio to get a good Australian passport photo. A phone camera, a window and two minutes are enough. These steps give the AI the best possible starting photo:
- Pick a spot facing a window during the day. Daylight from the front lights the face evenly and keeps shadows off the background.
- Stand about half a metre in front of a plain wall. Any light wall works, because the background is replaced, but a plain one gives the cleanest edge around the hair.
- Ask someone to hold the phone at the height of your eyes, about one to one and a half metres away. If you are alone, use the self-timer and rest the phone on a shelf at eye level.
- Turn off portrait mode, beauty mode and any filters. Use the main camera rather than a wide-angle lens, which can distort the face up close.
- Tuck hair behind your ears, take off glasses and look straight into the lens with a neutral face and your mouth closed.
- Take a few photos and upload the sharpest one. The tool does the cropping, so leave some space around your head and shoulders.
Common questions when you take the photo yourself
Many people worry about small details. Take the photo the way you usually look day to day. If you normally wear your hair down, you can leave it that way, but keep the eyes and the edges of the face visible. Keep your shoulders square to the camera rather than turned to one side, and let your arms rest naturally. For anything specific to your situation, check the photo guidelines on passports.gov.au.
Clothes, hair and make-up
Wear everyday clothes in a colour that stands out from a light grey background: dark blue, green, red or black work better than white or pale grey, which can blend into the background. Long hair can fall over the shoulders but should not cover the eyes, the eyebrows or the edges of the face. Light everyday make-up is fine; heavy contouring, glitter or anything that changes the shape of your face is not a good idea in an official photo. Remove large earrings and other jewellery that could hide part of the face or catch the light.
Checking your passport photo before you apply
Before you submit an application, compare your passport photo with this short checklist. It mirrors what our AI check looks at:
- The photo is 35 × 45 mm, and the head fills about 35 mm from the chin to the crown.
- There is a small gap of background above the hair, and the face is centred.
- The background is plain and light, with no shadow behind the head.
- The face is in sharp focus, with natural colour and no glare on the skin.
- The expression is neutral, the mouth is closed and both eyes are open.
- Nothing covers the face: no glasses, hat, hair or hands.
- The photo was taken recently and shows how you look today.
If any point fails, the tool tells you which one, so you can retake the photo straight away instead of finding out after you lodge the application.
Using a photo you already have
You can upload an existing photo instead of taking a new one, as long as it is recent and shows you the way the passport rules ask. Pick a photo where you face the camera directly, the light is even and your whole head and the top of your shoulders are in the frame. Group photos, holiday snaps with sunglasses and pictures taken from a low angle rarely work. A scan of an old printed photo usually has glare and too little detail. When in doubt, take a fresh selfie: it takes less time than fixing a photo that was never meant for a passport.
Phone camera settings that help
- Clean the lens. A fingerprint on the camera makes the whole photo soft.
- Tap your face on the screen to set focus and exposure before you take the photo.
- Use the highest photo resolution your phone offers and the standard photo mode.
- Switch off the flash. It flattens the face, causes glare and can create red eyes.
- Do not zoom in. Move the phone closer instead, or let the tool crop the photo for you.
Why a light grey background
Our Australian passport photo template uses a light grey tone (#eeeeee). It separates the face and hair from the background well and prints evenly. The important part is that the background is one even colour from corner to corner, with no shadow, texture or objects behind you, and the tool takes care of that.
Printing your passport photos
If you print the downloaded file yourself, open it in a photo app and print at actual size, with any "fit to page" or "fill" option turned off, so each photo comes out at exactly 35 × 45 mm. Use photo paper rather than plain office paper, let the ink dry fully and cut along the edges with a ruler and a sharp blade. Check the printed size with a ruler before you attach anything to a form, and keep the prints flat, clean and free of creases.
After you download your passport photo
Save the downloaded passport photo somewhere easy to find, such as a folder with your scanned documents, and give the file a clear name. If you apply online, upload the digital passport photo exactly as it is: do not resize, compress or crop it in another app, because that can move the head out of position. If you apply on paper, print the passport photo, check both copies against the checklist above and keep them with the rest of your application. Should you need a fresh passport photo later, for example after a big change in your appearance, just upload a new selfie and the tool prepares it again in the Australian format.
Photos for the whole family
When the whole family needs new passports before a trip, make each photo in the same session: one spot by the window, the same height for the phone and a few photos of each person. Every family member needs their own passport photo, and our tool checks each one on its own, so one photo that fails the check does not hold back the others. Parents of young children usually find it easiest to photograph the child first, while they are still patient, and then take their own photos.
Renewing an Australian passport online
If you already hold an Australian passport and you are eligible for renewal, you can renew it online. The process is similar to a first application but needs fewer documents. Have a recent passport photo ready: make it here first, then keep the digital file at hand while you complete the online form, and print two copies if you lodge a paper form.
Lost or stolen passport
If your Australian passport is lost or stolen, report it straight away to the Australian Federal Police and apply for a replacement passport. For the replacement application, make a photo that meets the same Australian passport photo requirements: 35 × 45 mm with a plain light grey background.
Why the photo matters
The Australian passport is the official travel document that proves your identity and your Australian citizenship abroad, lets you request entry to other countries and lets you ask for consular help from Australian embassies and consulates in an emergency. The booklet carries a microchip that stores your biometric data, including your photograph and personal details. An adult passport lasts ten years, so a clear, well-lit photo with a neutral face is worth the few minutes it takes.
Other Australian documents
The same photo maker also creates an Australia visa photo, an adult proof of age card photo, a NSW driver's licence photo and a Queensland driver's licence photo. Each one uses its own size and background rules, so choose the right document before you upload. If you need two of them at once, for example a passport and a visa for the same trip, you can reuse one good selfie for both and let the tool prepare each format separately.
