Can I submit a digital file, or do I need a print?

The guidance we found centres on the printed photo, with digital files used mainly for visa or citizenship applications rather than a standard adult passport. If you are filing a passport application, check whether your route accepts a digital upload before relying on one.

Why does Australia allow a size range instead of one fixed number?

The published range (35-40mm wide, 45-50mm tall) gives some tolerance around the standard 35x45mm ICAO size. This tool targets the standard size, which sources describe as the safest default.

ID & document photos · Australian Passport Office (DFAT)

Australian passport photo, cropped and sized to spec

Fit your head to the oval and the crop matches the 32-36mm chin-to-crown range the Passport Office publishes. Your photo never leaves this device.

Print size: 1 × 2 in
Pixels: 413 × 531
Head height: 71–80 %
File size: max 5 MB

Upload your photo

JPG · PNG · HEIC

Fit your head to the oval

Drag to move · pinch or slide to resize

Size 100%

Make your head fill the oval — hair near the top edge, chin near the bottom. It does not need to be exact. Anywhere between the solid and dashed outlines is within spec.

Check and download

Compress to an exact size

Every candidate is measured, not guessed

Target size (KB)

Minimum width (px)

The engine will not go below the minimum width, because under it the photo stops meeting the portal's own spec. Sharpening is disabled here, because Australian Passport Office (DFAT) rejects enhanced or retouched photos.

What Australian Passport Office (DFAT) requires

35mm wide x 45mm tall (35-40mm x 45-50mm accepted range)
Head measures 32-36mm chin to crown, roughly 71-80% of the image height
Plain light-coloured background, not necessarily pure white
Taken within the last 6 months
No glasses, unless a medical exemption applies
Two identical prints for paper applications; the Passport Office generally prefers printed photos over self-service digital tools

Source: https://www.passports.gov.au/help/passport-photos · last checked 2026-08-14

We re-check these figures roughly every quarter, but Australian Passport Office (DFAT) can change them without notice and different portals sometimes ask for different limits. Confirm the numbers on the form you are filing before you submit.

Common questions

Can I submit a digital file, or do I need a print?: The guidance we found centres on the printed photo, with digital files used mainly for visa or citizenship applications rather than a standard adult passport. If you are filing a passport application, check whether your route accepts a digital upload before relying on one.
Why does Australia allow a size range instead of one fixed number?: The published range (35-40mm wide, 45-50mm tall) gives some tolerance around the standard 35x45mm ICAO size. This tool targets the standard size, which sources describe as the safest default.