What a Compliant Australian Passport Photo Looks Like
A DFAT-compliant photo has:
- Background: Plain white or very light grey, no shadows
- Head position: Centred, looking directly at camera, no tilt
- Head size: 32–36 mm chin-to-crown in 45×35 mm photo
- Expression: Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open
- Lighting: Even, no shadows on face or background
- Glasses: Removed
- Focus: Sharp, no blur or pixelation
Example: Background Failures
Common background rejections:
- Coloured wall — even cream or off-white triggers rejection
- Shadow on background — from overhead light or distance from wall
- Pattern or texture visible — wallpaper, fabric
- Object visible — door frame, furniture, plant
[TIP] Stand 1 metre from a plain white wall and use our background removal tool to auto-correct.
Example: Head Position Failures
Rejected head position examples:
- Looking sideways or slightly off-camera
- Head tilted to one side
- Head too high or too low — chin or forehead cut off
- Head too small — stood too far from camera
- Head too large — stood too close
[TIP] Position your camera at eye level and stand 1–2 metres away.
Example: Expression Failures
Expression-related rejections:
- Broad smile with visible teeth — distorts biometric landmarks
- Mouth open — speaking or laughing
- Eyes closed or squinting
- Sunglasses or tinted glasses
[TIP] Adopt a natural, neutral expression. Mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight ahead.
Example: Lighting and Quality Failures
Quality rejections include:
- Blurry or out-of-focus — camera shake or poor focus
- Overexposed (too bright) — washed-out features
- Underexposed (too dark) — features unclear
- Shadows across face — from overhead light or hat brim
- Red-eye — from direct flash
[TIP] Use natural light from a window facing you, not overhead or behind.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common rejected photos have coloured backgrounds, shadows, tilted heads, smiling expressions, or glasses. Any photo that fails DFAT biometric checks will be rejected.
Selfies often fail due to angle, lighting, and background issues. Use our tool to convert a well-lit selfie into a compliant photo.
A plain white or very light grey background with no patterns, shadows, or objects.
No — Australian passport photos must be in colour.
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