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Passport Photo Guidelines

Did you know that for online applications you can have your photo taken at home with a camera, tablet or phone?

Poor quality photographs are the main reason we have to reject passport applications. Whether you choose to
have your photo taken at home, by a photo professional or at a photo booth you will need to be aware of our
guidelines. These will help you get your photo right first time.

Facial features:

Ensure your facial features are clearly visible, hair should not cover any part of the eyes.
Glasses can be worn in your photo, provided the frame is not covering any part of your eyes and there is no
glare on the lenses. Dark glasses are not permitted.
If you wear a head covering for religious reasons or medical reasons, it is permitted to wear it in your
passport photo only if full facial features are clearly visible. Head accessories other than for religious or
medical purposes cannot be worn.
Not Acceptable Acceptable

Lighting and shadows:

Your photo must be in focus, lighting and colour should be balanced, not too dark or too light
There must not be any shadows on your face or behind your head

Not Acceptable Acceptable

Expression:

Make sure your expression is neutral, you are not smiling and your mouth is closed
Do not tilt your head up/down or left/right. Look straight into the camera
 Not Acceptable Acceptable

Distance:

The photo must capture your image from head to mid torso.
Please ensure there is visible space between your head and shoulders and the edge of your photo.
Uniforms, whether civil or military, or clothing bearing insignia are not permitted.

Background:

You need to stand in front of a completely plain, light grey, white or cream background
No objects such as door panels or plants should be visible in your passport photo
 Not Acceptable Acceptable

Child photos:

For child application photos – please ensure your child has a neutral expression (not smiling, eyes open
and mouth closed) and they are not wearing headwear or accessories (unless it is for religious or medical
reasons)
Infants or very young children who can’t support themselves should be photographed lying down on a plain
white surface. No one else should appear in the photo, so make sure that hands or arms used to support
the child are not visible
Soothers/pacifiers cannot be present in photographs as these can obscure facial features.
Pose and Expression Not Acceptable Pose and Expression Acceptable
 Not Acceptable Facial Features Acceptable Facial Features

Not Acceptable Background Acceptable Background

Once your photo is uploaded we will check to make sure that it meets our standards.

Online applications allow you to submit a digital photo for your passport application.
Poor quality photographs are the main reason we have to reject passport applications. Bring these photo
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Get someone to capture your image from head to mid-torso. Your photo will be reduced to the correct size
Size for a passport photo at a later stage in the application process
2.
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Visit a participating photo provider who will take your passport photo
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Photos musta unique code focus
be in sharp to useand
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correctly application. This unique code will be used to access your
exposed
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Good colour balance and natural skin tones are essential
3. Photo Provider
‘Red eye’ in photographs is not acceptable
A clear contrast is needed between facial features and background
You can get your digital photo in three easy steps:
•Photo
Visit a photo
qualityprovider, for example, a pharmacy or photographer who will take your photo and provide it to you
in digital form
• YourPhotos
photo can
mustbebeeither emailed
printed to you or it paper
on photo-quality can beatsaved
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a digital storage device such as a USB key
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be no ink marks or creases you are using to apply online
Digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable
Important Information
The reverse for must
of the photos Digital Photos
be white and unglazed
Black and white photos are recommended as they’re digitally printed onto the passport in black and white.
Your
But wephoto
alsomust
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in colour
photos.
The file size of your photo cannot be more than 9MB
It must betaking
Photographers in the Passport
original JPEG
Photosformat
must(not compressed)
be aware of the differences between taking photos for the postal
basedDigital enhancements/filters
passport application systemorand changes are not
the Online acceptable
Passport Renewal Service, which requires a file in digital
format.

Always be clear which type of photograph your customers need:

For existing passport holders who wish to use the Online Passport Renewal Service, you should follow these
guidelines for supplying them with their digital photo for their online application.

When providing the photograph

Make sure to leave some space around the head
so that Passport Online can automatically crop
the image when it is uploaded.
Don’t go too close around the head or crop the
image too tightly.
Don’t go too far back, about mid torso is ok.
A colour photograph is required.
The digital photo provided for upload cannot be
less than 715 pixels wide and 951 pixels high.
Provide the digital photo in JPEG file format for
the customer to upload when making their online
application.
There must be no compression, loss or
compression artefacts in the JPEG.
Passport Online will not accept upload of a file
larger than 9MB.

Pose and Visual Aspects

Photos must be in sharp focus and correctly exposed.
Background must be plain and a light colour grey, white or cream.
Shadows from the head must not appear in the background.
Good colour balance and natural skin tones are essential.
Red eye in photographs is not acceptable.
Must not contain barrel or other distortion.
A clear contrast is needed between facial features and background
 Forward facing and looking directly at the camera.
Digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable.
Subject must have a neutral expression, not smiling and with mouth closed.
The face must be in full view.
No headwear unless worn for religious or medical purposes (and only if full facial features are clearly
visible).
No hats, hood, scarf or hair accessories.
Hair should not hide any part of the face.
Sunglasses must not be worn.
Transparent glasses may be worn as long as the frames don't cover any part of the eye or cause glare or
shadows.

Digital Photos for Child Passport Applications

For child application photos – please ensure the child has a neutral expression (not smiling, eyes open and
mouth closed) and they are not wearing headwear or accessories (unless it is for religious or medical
reasons).
Infants or very young children who can’t support themselves should be photographed lying down on a plain
white surface. No one else should appear in the photo, so make sure that hands or arms used to support
the child are not visible.
Soothers/pacifiers cannot be present in photographs as these can obscure facial features.

Here are some examples of acceptable and not acceptable digital child photos:

Pose and Expression Not Acceptable Pose and Expression Acceptable

Not Acceptable Facial Features Acceptable Facial Features
 Acceptable Background
Not Acceptable Background

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We answer some of our most commonly asked questions about photos here
</passportonline/onlinephotoguidelines/>.

If you have a disability that prevents you meeting photo requirements, contact us </passports-
citizenship/contact-us/> and we can advise you.

</passports-citizenship/top-passport-questions/>

Our How to Apply for a Passport Guide </passports-citizenship/how-to-apply-for-a-passport/> takes you through
each step of your Irish Passport application

Track your Passport

You can track the progress of your Passport/Passport Card application using your 11-digit application number.

Track my passport application » </passporttracking/>

Related Links

Frequently Asked Questions </passports-citizenship/faqs/generalpassportfaqs/>

Passport Processing Times </passporttracking/turnaroundtimes/>

Citizenship/Foreign Birth Registration </passports-citizenship/citizenship/>

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