Australian Passport Photo Checker Free DFAT & APO Compliance Test

Every Australian passport photo needs to measure exactly 35mm wide by 45mm tall. If you're uploading a digital file rather than a printed photo, that translates to a minimum of 413 × 531 pixels at 300 DPI, saved as a JPEG. Anything smaller, or cropped to a different ratio, will be knocked back at the printing or upload stage.

The Australian Passport Office measures the distance from the bottom of your chin straight up to the top of your head — including hair — and requires that measurement to sit between 32mm and 36mm within the 45mm-tall frame. Stand too close to the camera and your face fills more than 36mm; stand too far back and it falls under 32mm. Either way, the photo is rejected before it even reaches a human reviewer.

Generally, no. Since mid-2016 the Australian Government has banned eyeglasses in passport photos, including ordinary prescription lenses and reading glasses, so that automated SmartGate systems at airports can read your eyes without any interference. The only exception is a documented medical condition, and in that case you'll need a signed certificate from a doctor or optometrist submitted alongside your application.

The background has to be plain white or a very light, neutral color, lit evenly with no visible shadow, texture, or pattern anywhere behind you. A shadow cast onto the wall from overhead lighting or a nearby object is consistently one of the top reasons the APO sends photos back, so it's worth checking the backdrop as carefully as your framing.

Yes. The Department of Home Affairs applies the same 35×45mm dimensions and 32–36mm face height rule to visa photos uploaded through ImmiAccount as the Australian Passport Office uses for passport applications, so a photo that passes this check is set up correctly for either submission.

A neutral expression with your mouth closed is expected, along with both eyes open and looking directly at the camera. Your head should be facing forward without a tilt, and your shoulders should sit level and square to the camera rather than angled off to one side.

Mostly, yes, though the APO does allow a little more flexibility for infants and very young children who can't hold a neutral expression or sit unsupported. A parent's hands or another support can be present in the frame as long as they're not visible in the final photo, and the same 35×45mm size and background requirements still apply.

Your photo should have been taken within the last six months and needs to be a genuine likeness of how you currently look, including your hairstyle and any facial hair. Reusing an old photo, or one that's been retouched to change your appearance, is treated the same way as submitting a non-compliant image.

Yes, a recent phone camera has more than enough resolution. Position yourself around 1.5 meters from a plain, evenly lit wall, have someone else hold the phone at eye level rather than shooting a selfie, and avoid using flash directly on your face, since that's a common cause of the glare and shadow issues that lead to rejection.

You'll be shown exactly which rule the photo failed — whether that's the face height being outside 32–36mm, a background that isn't plain white, or glasses being detected — along with a plain explanation of what to fix. You can then retake the photo or adjust it and upload the new version to check again, at no cost and with no limit on attempts.

Yes, completely free with unlimited checks. There's no account to create, no card details to enter, and no watermark added to your image — you can keep testing revisions until you're confident it will pass at the post office or through ImmiAccount.

Your photo is sent over an encrypted connection to run the check. We never sell it, and we don't share it with the Australian Passport Office, the Department of Home Affairs, or advertisers.

Yes. Photograph the printed strip clearly under good lighting, or scan it if a scanner is available, then upload that image the same way you would a digital shot. The checker measures proportions and background tone the same way regardless of whether the original image came from a photo booth, a professional studio, or your own camera.

Because the tolerances are tight and unforgiving — a face height that's a couple of millimetres outside 32–36mm, a background with a faint shadow, or glasses left on by habit are all enough to fail the check on their own, and none of them are obvious to the naked eye when you're taking the photo yourself. Running the photo through a checker before you print or upload it catches these issues while they're still easy to fix.