Australia passport photo requirements: block, face and guarantor

The block and the expression rule

The photograph is 35 mm wide by 45 mm high, the same portrait block used by the UK and Schengen applications. The head is centred and uncropped, filling the frame rather than sitting small inside it, and the background is plain and light with no objects behind the shoulders.

The expression rule is stated more tightly than in most countries: a neutral expression with the mouth closed, and specifically no smiling. Glasses must be removed — glare across the eyes is a refusal reason, not a warning — and no uniform may be worn in the photograph, which is stricter than many applicants expect. Headwear is allowed only where it is worn for religious reasons and does not obscure the face.

The endorsement, and who signs it

Two identical photographs are submitted. On the back of one, your guarantor writes a short declaration and signs it — the wording and the space for it are printed on the form, and the person signing has to be someone who meets the category of guarantors the application describes. This is a legal declaration rather than a formality, so the wrong signatory is a real problem, not a detail to fix later.

Write nothing on the front of either photo. Ink or pencil on the face of the image makes it unusable, and a mark that shows through from the back has the same effect. If the form asks for your name on the back as well, keep it away from the area reserved for the endorsement.

A sharp photo can still be a rejected photo. The rules that send applications back are measurements — the block, the head band, the background lightness — so the fastest check is a measurement, not a second opinion from a friend. The checker takes that measurement from your own file.

Getting the endorsement right

1. Have two identical prints madeBoth from the same file at 35 × 45 mm, with no white border.
2. Keep the fronts untouchedNo marks, no writing and no stickers on the face of either photo.
3. Ask the guarantor to signThe back of one print, in the space the form marks for it.
4. Check the wordingFollow the declaration exactly as printed — do not paraphrase.
5. File the second printIt goes with the application, so keep both together until submission.

The endorsement has a knock-on effect on timing. If the guarantor is not the person who takes the photo, the prints have to travel between them before the application can be filed, and an appointment is often booked in advance. Getting both prints signed at the same sitting — or asking the guarantor to come to the photographer — removes a trip from the process.

The failures that send Australian applications back

Three causes dominate. A photo with a faint smile, which looks entirely natural and is still against the stated rule. A uniform collar showing at the shoulder. And an endorsement problem: the wrong signatory, a declaration paraphrased rather than copied, or a print that was signed and then damaged in transit.

None of those three is about image quality. If you want the numbers measured rather than judged, the Australian checker preset reports the block proportion and the background from your own file, the rejection page lists the failure modes shared with other countries, and the digital comparison covers the file rules where an online application accepts an upload.

Specification source: https://www.passports.gov.au/ · checked October 2026 · Paper passport application.