Australian passport photo: why a home inkjet print isn't accepted

What requirements should you check before printing?

Check your photo against this list before preparing the print sheet.

Use it whether you take the picture yourself or use a professional provider. The Australian Passport Office recommends a professional passport photo provider, but every photo still has to meet the guidelines.

Printing: Good-quality colour prints produced using dye sublimation, not inkjet.

Paper: Heavy-weight glossy paper, minimum 200 gsm.

Copies and age: Two identical photos, less than 6 months old.

Individual photo size: 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high.

Face size: 32–36 mm from chin to crown.

Background: Plain white or light grey, contrasting with your face.

Lighting: Uniform, with no shadows, reflections or red-eye.

Position: Face centred, looking straight at the camera, head not tilted.

Hair: Must not obscure the edges of your face.

Expression, over 3 years old: Eyes open, neutral expression, facing the camera straight on.

Retouching: No retouching, including removing moles, wrinkles or scars.

Glasses: Only allowed if they cannot be removed for medical reasons.

Head coverings and hearing aids: Religious head coverings and hearing aids that you usually wear are allowed.

Earbuds: Remove AirPods and other wireless earbuds.

Children under 3: Mouth may be open, but no one else can be visible.

Check the face measurement separately from the photo's outside dimensions. A correctly sized rectangle can still contain a face that is too small or too large.

For the two copies, use the same prepared picture rather than two similar shots. The photos must be less than 6 months old.

What exact specifications should you give a print shop abroad?

Give the shop the Australian specifications, rather than asking only for a passport photo.

You can show the provider this request:

"I need two identical Australian passport photos as good-quality colour prints produced using dye sublimation on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. Each photo must be 35–40 mm wide and 45–50 mm high, with the face measuring 32–36 mm from chin to crown."

If you have already prepared a print sheet, add:

"I have a 4×6 print sheet. Can you print it using that process and paper, with the individual photos at the required dimensions?"

Confirm the printing process and paper before having the sheet printed.

Keep the official Australian photo guidelines available for the provider. The printing specifications are only part of the requirements; the picture also needs the correct background, lighting and appearance.

The same request works in Australia. The Australian Passport Office may ask for new photos if the finished photos do not meet its guidelines.

How do you prepare a print sheet for a kiosk or shop?

Choose the picture, check it, then prepare the layout for printing.

Start with a photo less than 6 months old. Use the checklist above to review the background, face position and anything you are wearing before arranging it on a sheet.

I built pixtidy, which checks your photo against the Australian passport photo rules in your browser, without uploading it. It also prepares a 4×6 print sheet for a dye-sublimation photo kiosk or print shop.

Use this workflow:

Check the photo in your browser. Review it against the appearance and measurement requirements. Do not retouch facial features to prepare it.

Prepare the 4×6 print sheet.

Take the sheet to a suitable kiosk or shop. Confirm the process and paper using the specifications above.

Check the finished photos. You need two identical, good-quality copies that meet the individual photo and face measurements.

Keep the tool's role separate from the printer's role. A browser check helps you prepare the picture and sheet; the provider produces the physical colour prints on the required paper.

Which mistakes should you catch before submitting the photos?

Make a final check for these submission problems.

The sheet size is right, but the photos are not. A 4×6 sheet is a carrier for the pictures. Check each finished passport photo against the 35–40 mm width and 45–50 mm height requirements, and check the chin-to-crown measurement too.

An appearance exception is being used too broadly. Vision impairment alone is not an acceptable reason to keep glasses on. A usually worn hearing aid is allowed, but that permission does not extend to AirPods or other wireless earbuds.

The picture has been "cleaned up" by retouching. Removing a mole, wrinkle or scar is outside the rules. Preparing a print layout is separate from altering your appearance; keep facial features unchanged.

If a photo does not meet the guidelines, the office may request another photo.

Common questions

Can I print at home on heavy glossy inkjet paper? No. The required process is dye sublimation, on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm.

Can I wear glasses? Only if they cannot be removed for medical reasons. Vision impairment alone is not an acceptable reason.

What changes for children under 3? Their mouth may be open, but no one else can be visible. Check the applicable printing, dimensions and appearance requirements too.

Can I wear a religious head covering or hearing aid? Religious head coverings and hearing aids that you usually wear are allowed. Remove AirPods and other wireless earbuds.

Disclosure: pixtidy is my tool.