Passport Photos

Did you know that bad photographs are the most common reason for rejecting passport applications?

Photo requirements for China are different from those for Australian passports. You need to make sure your photos comply with Australian standards.

Below is a summary of the most important features for Australian passport photos, if any of the requirements are not met then your photos will be rejected, and your passport application will not be processed.

ACCEPTABLE

Photo dimensions: at least 45mm high x 35mm wide (do NOT trim photos if bigger)
Head size: 32mm to 36mm from top of head (not hair) to bottom of chin.
Neutral expression, mouth closed
Good lighting, no shadows behind head or on face
Eyes looking directly at camera
Plain, light-coloured background
High resolution, good quality paper

NOT ACCEPTABLE

 Shadows behind head
 Red Eye
 Background not plain
 Photograph size too small
 Head size too big or too small
 Flash reflections from glasses or tinted glasses
 Glasses frames covering eyes
 Eyes looking away from the camera
 Face not front onto the camera
 Mouth open, unnatural expression
 Ink marks or indentations
 Grainy, pixelated or blurry images

For more information on photo requirements visit www.passports.gov.au or call the Australian Embassy or Consulate-General you are lodging your application at.

For your convenience you can download a Chinese language version of the Australian passport requirements to take to your nearest photo studio.

REMEMBER: It is your responsibility to check that your passport photographs comply with Australian standards – just because the photo studio tells you that the photos are acceptable for Australian standards does not mean they are.