How to Make an Australia Passport Photo (35x45 mm) at Home

An Australian passport photo must be 35 mm wide by 45 mm high, with your face measuring 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white or light-grey background. You can make one at home with a phone and a free tool — no studio visit needed. This guide covers the rules, the photo itself, and how to crop and print it correctly.

The official requirements at a glance

Size: 35 mm wide × 45 mm high (the Passport Office allows 35–40 mm wide by 45–50 mm high; 35×45 mm sits safely inside that range).
Face height: 32–36 mm from chin to crown — a little larger in the frame than a UK or Schengen photo, so do not reuse a European crop.
Background: Plain white or light grey, evenly lit, no shadows or objects.
Expression: Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.
Recency: A recent photo showing your current appearance, with full head and top of shoulders visible.

Take a good source photo

Stand about 1.5 metres from the camera, facing it straight on, against a plain light wall. Natural daylight from a window in front of you beats overhead lights, which cast shadows. Have someone else take it if you can — a selfie at arm’s length distorts face proportions. Keep your head level, shoulders straight, and hair away from your face. Take several shots and pick the sharpest, most evenly lit one.

Crop it to 35×45 mm in three steps

Upload your photo to the free Australia passport photo maker below.
Position the crop so your head fills the guide: chin near the lower mark, crown near the upper mark, face centred. The 32–36 mm face height is the part most home attempts get wrong.
Download the result — a single digital photo for online applications, plus a print sheet if you need paper copies.

Common rejection reasons

Head too small or too large. This is the number one home-photo failure. Check the face height, not just the outer size.
Shadows. Standing too close to the wall throws a shadow behind you. Step away from the wall and light your face evenly.
Wrong background. Patterned wallpaper, doors, and furniture in frame all fail. A plain wall or a hung white sheet fixes it.
Glasses glare and hats. Remove glasses if they cause reflections, and skip hats unless worn for religious reasons.
Old or edited photos. Heavy filters, retouching, and old photos are all grounds for rejection.

Printing tips

Print on matte or semi-matte photo paper at a pharmacy kiosk or home printer set to the correct physical size — a photo that measures right on screen but prints at the wrong size still fails. If you need paper copies, the print sheet from the tool arranges multiple copies on a standard page so you can cut them out. For online applications, upload the single digital file and check the preview before submitting.

Final check before you submit

Run through this list: size 35×45 mm, face 32–36 mm, plain light background, no shadows, neutral expression, eyes open, recent photo, sharp and in focus. If every box is ticked, your home-made photo stands the same chance as a studio one — the rules judge the photo, not where it was taken. Final acceptance is always the issuing office’s decision, so if anything looks borderline, retake it rather than risk a delay.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a selfie? A selfie at arm’s length distorts your face and usually fails the face-height check. Ask someone else to take the photo from about 1.5 metres away, or prop your phone on a timer and stand back.

How many copies do I need? Online applications need one digital file. Paper applications usually need two identical prints. The print sheet from the tool gives you several copies on one page, so print once and cut carefully.

What happens if my photo is rejected? You will be asked to resubmit, which delays your application. That is why the final check matters: size, face height, background, and expression, verified before you submit rather than after.

How to Make an Australia Passport Photo (35×45 mm) at Home