Category: Passport Photo Specifications

The internationally accepted biometric passport photo specifications have been adopted by New Zealand for passport photos, visa photos, and photos for citizenship in the country. As a result, not every individual who uses general images in their processing can produce passport photos, visa photos, or photos in New Zealand. Thus, when you need to apply for a visa, passport or for your citizenship in New Zealand, ensure you only choose individuals with the necessary equipment to give you the required results. The ID photo maker is software used to produce high-quality and standard New Zealand passport and visa photos. The software is used step by step in the process and is available in free trial versions. There are specifications for these New Zealand passport photos and citizenship applications in line with the internationally accepted requirements.

One should use a photo taken within six months before application for the passport, visa, or citizenship application. It is required that the photo shows a full front view of the face, head, and shoulders. The individual should also be looking straight at the camera. Head coverings and sunglasses are not allowed unless the glasses are medical, and the eyes are visible. Photo alterations or editing are not allowed. It is also required that the photo be in focus, with no shadows, red eyes, and flash reflection. Additionally, the background should not be white or dark. Instead, it should be plain and light-colored to ensure that the image is visible enough.

The photo must be printed on high-quality paper without any creases or ink marks. A neutral facial expression, while the mouth remains closed, is also needed. The passport photo, visa photo, or citizenship application photos in New Zealand have a standard size of forty-five millimeters high by thirty-five millimeters wide. In the image, the required head height is thirty-two millimeters by thirty-six millimeters. The standard requirements are for uniformity and help identify the real faces of the applicants. These are the basic requirements in New Zealand as per the internationally agreed biometric passport photo specifications.

Belgium is one of the wonderful places a person can visit in Europe. That is why it is no longer surprising why people choose to visit the place. However, since they are already used to the beauty and sites in Belgium, many residents here consider going to other places either to look for employment opportunities or visit the wonderful views found in other countries.
However, just like any other countries, Belgium government has some certain requirements before they let people out of the country. So, if you are one of those people who have the plan to go out of Belgium, knowing about the different Belgium passport picture requirements must be considered.
The following are the picture requirements when applying for a Belgium passport:

• Two (2) present pictures of the applicant are required. The photographs must measure exactly 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm.
• In addition to the measurement of the photos, they must also be in portrait-style. Furthermore, as a rule, the applicant should not be wearing nor having any headgear. Wearing of headgear might be allowed for medical or religious reasons as long as the face of the applicant is still fully visible.
•  The cheeks, nose, chin, eyes and forehead must not be impeded by any means.
• Preferably, yet not necessarily, the ears and hair must also be seen.
• On the photographs, the applicant’s head must occupy at least around 2.5 cm and the maximum of 3.5 cm in space.
• The used background on the photographs must be uniform and light.
• The surname and the first name of the applicant must be clearly written on the photos’ back.
• The submitted photographs should be colored, as black and white ones will no longer be accepted.

The following are the picture requirements if you wish to apply for Belgium Identity Card:

• When applying for Identity Card in Belgium, two (2) passport photographs are required. They should be of high quality and recently taken.
• The measurement of the photo must be 35 mm x 45 mm.
• The length of the applicant’s face, including the hair, must not be longer than 35 mm or smaller than 25 mm.
• The photographs’ background must be in a single light color, either white, light yellow, light blue or light grey, and must be uniform.
• Photos with visible shadows or any color changes will not be accepted.

Complying with these requirements is very important, especially if you wish to qualify whether for Belgium passport or Belgium Identity Card. According to statistics, poor or bad photographs are often the most common basis for the denial of passport applications. That is why it is crucial that you get your photos done rightly so as to make sure that you qualify for the passport. With the right photo service provider, it will be easy to get your photos done properly and correctly. So, make sure to find the best and reliable one around. This passport provider will guarantee that you will be approved for your required Belgium passport.

People used to say “the world is changing”. Well, it’s a changed world. Countries that in the past were a little less strict on passport requirements must now follow the biometric standards that were agreed upon around the world by governments. Singapore is no different.

Singapore is as strict, or stricter (in some regards) as the rest of the world. When you’re traveling to the country make sure that you have your ducks in a row and your passport and passport photos are in line with the below requirements.

Many passport photo vendors and photography studios that provide passport photo services actually charge more for Singapore passport photos. It’s that strict.

Singapore Passport Requirements:

• Overall size of the passport photo must be 45mm high by 35mm wide and on a matt paper of high-quality. Chin to crown, the head must be 35mm high and 25mm wide.
• The photo must be borderless and taken within the last 3 months.
• Full face, looking directly at the camera. Your eyes must be open, head straight without ANY hair across your eyes.
• The top of the shoulders and the edges of your face must be visible.
• For religious reasons hats and head coverings may be allowed. Other than that none of any sort. If you’re wearing glasses ensure that there is no reflection.
• No sunglasses or eyeglasses with tint.
• No redeyes. No uneven brightness on your face. (If you’re doing your passport photo with Passport Photo Software in your home then make sure it has a good photo editor included.)
• If your hair or head covering is white then the photo may be taken against a light gray background. If you do not have a white head covering or hair then the background must be white.
• Only you are allowed in the photo. No shadows. No chair back. No other people.

Singapore Online Application for Passports:

• If you’re not mailing your passport registration and application in manually then there is an online option with the following requirements:
• All of the above photo requirements, plus:
• Total file size of your photo should not be larger than 150kb
• You need to be familiar with JPEG compression in order to achieve the above size
• Must be submitted in JPEG format.

Conclusion:

Travelling to Singapore can be a great experience. Visiting friends and family is sometimes a necessity. Make sure that you have all of your passport photo requirements in order before applying or it could delay your travel.

If you’re applying for a passport then you don’t want the application process to take any longer than normal. You have places to go and people to see. You need to make sure that your passport processing isn’t delayed because you weren’t aware of the specifications that the United States State Department has on passport photos and visas.

There was a time when US Immigration and the State Department were a little lax on their passport and visa specifications and applications. Those are definitely not the times we live in today. 9/11 showed the US that it was vulnerable and they have since tightened the leash on these things.

United States Passport Photo Requirements

• Photos must be in color and on matte or glossy photo quality paper.
• 2 x2 inches or 51mm x 51mm in size.
• The head must be 1 inch to 1 3/8 inch in sized (this counts from the top of the head to bottom of the chin) within the 2 inch photo.
• The photo must have been taken within the last 6 months of application.
• The background must be plain white or off-white. No designs even if it matches the background color.
• You must be directly facing the camera.
• Your eyes must be open and no facial expression, i.e. no smiles or frowns.

United States Visa Photo Requirements

While much of the same requirements remain the same as that of passport photos, there are some differences:

There is an additional requirment to the 1 in to 1 3/8 in top of the head to the bottom of the chin requirement. For visas, that portion of the image must comprise between 50% and 69% of the entire photo.
US Visa specifications also go more deeply into the way of dress for photos. You should wear the type of clothes that reflect those that you would wear in everyday with the following conditions:

• No uniforms unless it is religious clothing that is worn on a daily basis.
• No hats or head covering that obscure the hair or hairline. Full face must be visible. If you wear a head covering for religious purposes than it cannot cast a shadow over your face.
• No headphones or wires in the photo.
• Hearing-aides and glasses (with non-tinted lenses) may be worn.
• No glare or reflections within the lenses of your glasses are allowed in the photo.

Hong Kong is one of the most beautiful and interesting country to explore. This place unveils hottest attractions and countless opportunities. Many individuals wish to travel to Hong Kong while some other also needs to leave the country for personal and professional purposes. People come and go but entering the country’s borders and boundaries calls for necessary travel documents that need to be complied. There are instances that you need to apply for a visa for legal entry and exit in Hong Kong.

Photo requirements are always tied up with your travel documents. Many people who are applying for Hong Kong Visa need to be very careful and mindful especially when it comes to visa photo specifications. The following photo requirements must be kept in mind:

• The picture must show full frontal face with clear features of the face.
• The photograph must have white and plain background.
• The required size of the picture is 40mm in width by 50mm in height. The size from individual’s chin up to the crown in the photograph must be 32mm to 36mm. Another photo requirement is that there must be enough headroom.

Acceptable and Unacceptable Photos 

When taking the photo, make sure not to wear headdress and avoid wearing heavy makeup. Subjects are also advised not to wear overly light or dark-colored clothing. Photographs will be denied if the applicant in the picture is:

• Wearing frames across the eyes
• Not centered
• With hair across eyebrows or eyes
• Viewed with flashy reflections on glasses or face
• Too light
• Too dark
• With shadow

Through laser engraving, your picture will be personalized on your Doc/I or passport’s data pages. The image quality appearing on the Doc/I or passport somehow depends on the color and quality of original pictures furnish by applicants.

As much as possible do not staple, fold or write anything at the back of the photograph because these might be reasons of denial of your photograph. Also, refrain from attaching the photo on the application form with the use of paperclip. This will otherwise make the photograph unsuitable for Doc/I or passport personalization. Applications with substandard photographs will not be accepted and processed and assigned personnel will then be returning these to the applicants.

Acceptable and Valid File Format of Online Application Digital Photograph for (only for passport application)

• Image type should be on JPEG format.
• File size must be 600Kbytes or below
• Acceptable dimension when captured by a scanner is 600dpi. The photograph size must be 40mm in width by 50mm in height.
• When captured by a digital camera, image size must be 1200 pixel in width by 1600 pixel in     height.

Following the set photo requirements is highly essential to ensure that you will qualify for Hong Kong visa applications. Unaccepted photos are common reasons why most individuals are faced with visa application problems. To save yourself from experiencing the same scenario, make sure that photograph is taken the proper way and the dos and don’ts when it comes to your travel document’s photo requirement.

As a result of 9/11, the world governments changed their requirements of passport applications, registration and tracking. The entire global community adopted a biometric identity and tracking system that ensures all nations are in step with new security measures so that individuals can be more easily tracked around the world.

Greek passport photo specifications changed just like the rest of the world did and even went a few steps further. In 2005, Greece adopted a new passport model that is now state of the art. The current Greek passport now has holograms, invisible ink, and biometric data on chips embedded within. They are among the most difficult to copy or fake in the world. That’s great for security but it may add some more difficulty in new passport applications.

New Greek Passport Photo Requirements:

• The entire photo must by 40mm x 60mm with the head comprising between 50% and 60% of the photo and with the shoulders included the person must occupy 75% of the photo.
• Glasses are allowed in the photos but it is a good practice to remove them for Greek passport photos. Removing them will reduce the chances of your passport application being returned for an inadequate picture and will save you time and a headache.
• You must submit the application with 2 identical photos. These photos must have been taken within the last 3 months of your application. A good rule of thumb is to use more recent photos.
• No showing of teeth, frowning or smiling of any kind.
• Babies’ passport photos must not be showing parents holding them, to include any hands or fingers.
• Irises of eyes must be clearly visible.
• Natural skin color. No augmenting or over-tanning is allowed in the photos.
• No shadows or other people are allowed to be seen in Greek Passport Photos. Also, make sure that there is no chair back or wall outlets showing.
• Background must be on plain white or off-white background. No design of any kind on background.
• High-quality photography that was chemically developed is also a requirement.
• No red-eye allowed. Make sure that you have a good photo editor option if you’re using Passport Photo software in your home.

Conclusion:

Greek is amongst the strictest of countries when it comes to passport photo specifications and requirements. However, this is all done in the name of security and should make us all feel safer. Make sure that you are aware of the passport specifications when applying for a Greek passport and your process should go smoothly.

When you think about it, the Schengen visa is a pretty good deal. What the Schengen visa does is make travel between the 25 members who participate in the program more streamlined, less problematic, and gives the traveler the ability to avoid the bureaucratic red tape that would go along with applying for a visa to each individual country.

That doesn’t mean that it’s a simple procedure, though. The Schengen visa still has most of the requirements that all other ultra-modern, biometric security procedures that other countries have. In fact, in some ways, the Schengen visa is more precise in its requirements since it has to meet the standards of all 25 participating countries. That’s why it’s important to have high quality, visa and passport photo software.

Requirements and Specifications for Schengen Visa Photo

• The photo should be 45mm tall by 35mm wide with the face a minimum of 32mm from chin to crown and a maximum of 36mm from chin to crown
• The photo must clearly show the person’s full facial features. The photo must be straight on
• No headwear is authorized except for religious purposes and only if it is part of the person’s usual wardrobe
• The photo should be sharp and in focus
• No shadows or red-eye allowed in the photos
• The background would ideally be a neutral, light gray color or white and must be in contrast to the facial tone of the person. There should be no pattern on the background.
• No shadows in the background and only the person’s face in the photo. No chair backs.
• High-quality, photo paper with a print resolution of at least 600 dpi.
• The eyes must be open. The person must have a neutral facial expression.
• Eye glasses may be worn without tinted lenses. No sunglasses allowed.
• Hair and headwear may not cover or cast shadow over the eyes.
• The photo must be of high quality.

The 25 Countries that Participate in the Schengen Visa Program:

• Austria
• Belgium
• The Czech Republic
• Estonia
• Denmark
• France
• Finland
• Greece
• Germany
• Italy
• Iceland
• Hungary
• Luxembourg
• Portugal
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Norway
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

When obtaining our passport photos in Australia, we need to follow the rules that the Australian Passport Office has established so that our photos will be accepted for our passport. Otherwise, unacceptable photos will delay us from receiving our passports in a timely manner.

Basic Passport Photo Guidelines
Passport photos must be glossy and 35mm to 40mm wide by 45mm to 50mm high. The size of the face from crown to chin must be no smaller than 32mm and no larger than 36mm. The person’s face must be centered with no head tilt. There cannot be other objects in the picture and the background must be light. The person’s glasses cannot have dark lenses, cannot have reflections, and cannot obscure the eyes in any way. Hair styles cannot obscure the face and must be brushed back from the face.

We cannot wear head coverings, hats, or anything that covers our head and face. The only exception to this rule are items worn for religious reasons and those cannot hide our faces even partially. Our faces must be uncovered from our chins to our foreheads, and both sides of our faces must be clearly visible.

We must keep a neutral expression, neither smiling nor frowning, when the photo is taken.

Due to the growing concerns on travel security worldwide, Chinese government has changed and updated their passport and visa requirements. Now, China complies with the new biometric standards.

There are a number of rejected passports and visa application because of incorrect passport and visa photo. If you don’t want to be one of them, better to adhere to the government strict passport and visa requirements.

Chinese Passport Photo Specification Requirements

• Passport photo must have a size of 48 mm x 33 mm.
• Passport photo head height should be between 28 mm – 33 mm
• Head width of the photo should be between 21 mm – 24 mm
• White background or light blue background is required.

Baby Passport Photo Specifications Requirements

China has also a strict passport photo specification requirement for babies and children. Babies must open their eyes wide. No visible means of support from parents or guardian. Baby must also be looking at the direction of the camera. Mouth can be opened.

As the first country to introduce the new International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compliant facial recognition biometric passports in Asia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand has a very strict passport photo specification requirement.

Thai Passport Photo Specification Requirements

• Passport photo size should be 45 x 35 mm
• Two (2) passport photos are required.
• Should be taken by a professional photographer.
• Passport photo must be colored. Black and white photo is not allowed.
• Background photo should be white or off-white.
• Facial features should be clear and distinguishable.
• Passport photo should be a close up of your head and shoulders.
• Overall passport photo should be 70-80% of your face.
• Passport photo should be clear and sharp.
• Digital or scanned photos are allowed provided that it is printed at 1200dpi resolution or higher.
• No shadows on the background or on the face.
• No reflection on the glasses if worn.
• Avoid any obstruction on the face such as sunglasses, hair across the eyes, etc.
• Look directly at the camera with eyes wide open.
• Mouth close and no showing of teeth.
• Passport photo must have neutral expression.
• No hats or any head accessories.

Baby Passport Photo Requirements

Just like the normal Thailand’s passport photo requirement, baby passport photo requirements are also strict. Babies’ photos should have eyes wide open. There should also no visible means of support from parents or guardians.

The baby should also be looking directly at the camera with mouth closed or opened.

Thai Visa Photo Requirements

Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has specific photo requirements for visa. But they are usually the same as US passport/visa requirements. Here is a list of all the specifications:

• Two photos are required.
• Visa photo size should be 50 x 50 mm.
• Photocopies or photostats are not allowed.
• Visa photo must have a light colored background.
• Visa photo should have the full face of the person.
• Hat or dark glasses are not allowed.
• Visa photo must be taken recently at least within 6 months.