Photo guidelines

To apply online with a digital photo, you can:

• Use a device like a smartphone, iPad or computer that takes digital photos. You’ll need someone to help you take the photo.
  • You cannot take a selfie.
  • Do not use the zoom function on a digital camera or smartphone.
• Go to a photo shop before you apply and get a digital photo. Your photo can be emailed to you or saved on a digital storage device such as USB key.
• Use a participating photo booth before you apply and get a code to add the photo to your application.

Participating photo booths

• Find a Photo Me booth
• Find an IDstation.online instore service

Photo Me Queries

• Telephone: 1850 444 342
• Email: dpp@photo-me.com

• Not be a scanned photo.
• Be in colour.
• Not be less than 715 pixels wide and 951 pixels in height.
• Be in JPEG format.
• Not have compression, loss or compression artefacts.
• Not be digitally enhanced or changed.
• Not contain barrel or other distortion.
• Not be larger than 9 megabytes (9MB).
• If you are taking a photo at home and encounter problems, consider visiting a photo booth or photo provider.

Transferring your digital photo from a portable device to your desktop computer

• You will need to transfer your image to your computer and be able to find it to proceed. Try using file explorer to find the photo. Rename the photo to something memorable.
• Consider emailing it from your phone if you have that setup.
• If using a camera, consult the manufacturer’s instructions on transferring files.
• You can apply from the phone or tablet on which you took the photograph.

Rotation

• There are buttons on the photo preview page to let you rotate your photo.
• If you upload your photo and it is sideways or upside down it will not affect your application. We will rotate it for you.

Browser Issues

• If your browser crashes, restart your application.

• We review your photo when the online system accepts it. If the photo does not meet our guidelines, we will contact you.
• If you uploaded the wrong photo contact the Passport Service. Have your application number ready.

• Ensure your facial features are visible, hair should not cover any part of the eyes.
• You can wear glasses. The frame must not cover any part of your eyes. There must be no glare on the lenses. Dark glasses are not permitted.
• You can wear a head covering for religious or medical reasons. Your full facial features must be visible. You cannot wear head accessories for any other reason.
• Do not wear sunglasses.

• Your photo must be in focus. Balance the lighting and colour, not too dark or too light.
• You need to stand in front of a completely plain, light grey, white or cream background. Please ensure that the background creates enough contrast.
• There must not be any shadows on your face or behind your head.
• 'Red eye' in photographs is not acceptable.
• Good colour balance and natural skin tones are essential.

• Make sure your expression is neutral, do not smile and close your mouth.
• Do not tilt your head up/down or left/right. Look straight into the camera.

• 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.

• You need to stand in front of a completely plain, light grey, white or cream background. Please ensure that the background creates enough contrast.
• No objects such as door panels or plants should be visible in your passport photo.

• If your infant or very young child cannot support themselves, they 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.

The Passport Service sometimes encounters difficulties checking and processing photographs of babies and small children (newborn to 36 months). If prompted, you can assist us by using the cropping tool to manually frame your child’s face.

To manually frame your child’s face in the uploaded photograph, you may use one or a combination of the available tools and follow the on screen directions.

The child’s face does not need to rest perfectly within the lines of the Oval provided. Please make your best attempt where possible.

No. The International Civil Aviation Organisation requires passport photos to be taken within the last 6 months.

Transparent glasses may be worn so long as they do not cause glare or shadows or the frames do not cover any part of the eye.

Sunglasses must not be worn.

No. The photo on your passport will be in black and white.

You must submit a colour photo which will be converted to black and white during the application process.

Photos must not be digitally altered or edited in any way, follow the photo guidelines above.

You can get a digital photo in 3 ways:

• You can get someone to take a photo a home using a digital camera or smartphone/tablet. If the photo you submit does not meet the standard required to produce a passport, the Passport Service will contact you directly to submit a new photo.
• You can a get your photo taken by a participating Photo Code provider where you will be given a unique code with your printed photos. You will have the option to use your code during the online application process to access your digital photo. This service is provided in Ireland and the UK by Photo Me and ID Station Online. Please follow these links to find your nearest provider location.
• You can go to a photo provider such as a photographer or pharmacy who can provide you with a digital photo on a USB device or by email.

If you wear a head covering for religious 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.

No. If using a smartphone/tablet to capture your photo, ensure that someone else takes the photo for you. Consult the photo guidelines above before taking and submitting your photo online.

Applicants who submit selfies will be asked to provide another photo for their application. This will delay the application process.

No. Soothers/pacifiers cannot be present in photographs as these can obscure facial features.

We ask guardians to make every effort to ensure that the child’s expression is natural, that they are not smiling and their mouth is not open on their passport photo.

Once the photo has been accepted by the online system it will be reviewed by a member of our team.

Following review, if the photo is deemed to be unacceptable for a passport, we will contact you.

This will not affect the finished passport photo as we will rotate the picture automatically during the application process.

Additionally, there are buttons on the picture preview page to let you rotate your picture so you can see it correctly if you wish.

The image must be taken in line with the guidelines above, stored in JPEG format and be less than 9MB in file size.

If you are taking a photo at home and continue to encounter problems, consider getting a Photo Code or using a Photo Provider.

You will need to transfer your image to your computer and be able to find it in order to proceed.

You might consider emailing it from your phone if you have that set up.

If using a dedicated camera, you will need to consult the manufacturer’s instructions on transferring files.

If possible you can apply from the phone or tablet on which you took the photograph.

If you can, try using a file explorer to locate the file before making your application online.

Consider renaming the file to something memorable so you can locate it easily during your application.

For iPhone users, photos are stored in the photo gallery and will be accessible from there.

Simply restart your application in Passport Online.

If you are taking a photo at home consider getting a Photo Code or using a Photo Provider.

Contact the Passport Office for assistance. Please ensure you have your application number to hand.

The online service will only accept digital photos.  Scanned photos are not permitted.

Please refer Photo-Me related queries to Photo-Me Customer Care Team through their contact form.