Australian passport photos follow the widely used 35 by 45 mm portrait format, which makes them compatible in shape with European and most Asian specifications - though never assume a photo prepared for one is acceptable for another without checking the head band.
The specification
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Print size | 35 × 45 mm |
| Head height | 32-36 mm, chin to crown |
| Background | Plain, light coloured, uniform |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open |
| Glasses | Not permitted |
| Age of photo | Taken within the last six months |
| Quantity | Two identical prints, one endorsed on the back |
| Finish | Professional photographic quality, no creases or marks |
The endorsement
As in Canada, one of the two prints is written on: the person who confirms your identity signs the back of the photograph as part of the application. The requirements about who may do that, and what they write, belong to the application form rather than to the photograph, but they affect how you print - the back must take a pen without the ink showing through or pressing into the image.
Practically, that means a proper photographic print rather than inkjet paper, and it is another reason to have the sheet printed commercially even if you prepared the photo yourself.
Where Australian applications trip up
Shadows. The guidance is unusually explicit about shadow - on the face, under the chin, and behind the head. Standing away from the wall with light from the front is the whole solution.
Sharpness and exposure. Photos that are soft, over-exposed or heavily compressed are refused. A phone photo in poor indoor light will often be soft without looking obviously wrong on a small screen.
Red-eye and flash. Direct flash produces both reflections and a hard shadow behind the head. Window light is better in every respect.
Head coverings and glasses. Religious head coverings are accepted with the face visible; glasses are not accepted.
Children
Australia relaxes the expression and gaze rules for infants, as most authorities do, while keeping the requirement that nobody else appears in the frame - no supporting hands, no visible chair. The usual approach is a child lying on a plain sheet photographed from directly above.
More on that in passport photos for babies and children.
Preparing one
Plain light wall, stand about a metre from it, face a window, and have someone photograph you from a metre and a half away at eye level. Neutral expression, mouth closed, hair clear of the eyes, glasses off. Then crop to 35 by 45 mm with the head at 32 to 36 mm.
IDShot carries the Australian preset with its head band and background, checks sharpness, exposure and shadow explicitly, and prints a true-size sheet for a commercial printer.
Requirements are changed by the authorities that publish them, and the official page is the only source that settles an argument. Each preset in IDShot links to that page, so you can confirm the current wording before you submit.