What the Department of Home Affairs requires for an Australian visa photo
The Australian Department of Home Affairs sets a single photo specification that runs across nearly every visa subclass, from Visitor (600) and eVisitor (651) through Student (500), Working Holiday (417/462), TSS (482), Skilled Independent (189) and the Partner stream. The same standard governs the digital facial image uploaded through ImmiAccount and the printed 35×45 mm copies submitted on paper or handed in at a VFS Global or TLScontact Australian Biometrics Collection Centre. The photo must be no more than six months old and must show the applicant’s current appearance.
Submission channels are not interchangeable. ImmiAccount accepts a self-supplied JPEG for most subclasses. Subclass 601 (the Electronic Travel Authority) does not accept uploaded photos at all and requires a live selfie captured inside the Australian ETA app alongside an NFC read of the passport chip. Applicants directed to an ABCC for biometrics will have a fresh facial image captured on site regardless of anything previously uploaded, and that on-site capture is the image matched at the border.
Home Affairs enforces the specification strictly. A photo that fails on background, expression, eyewear, head position or recency is grounds for the application to be returned, delayed, or refused, and a replacement photo must be supplied before processing resumes. Older visa checklists that permitted spectacles without glare are out of date; the current rule aligns with the Australian Passport Office position and prohibits glasses outside narrow documented medical circumstances.
Australia visa photo requirements at a glance
The Department of Home Affairs applies one photo standard across nearly every visa subclass. Here is what the subject must do in front of the camera.
Expression & pose
- Neutral expressionThe applicant must hold a neutral expression. No smiling, laughing, or frowning. Teeth must not be visible.
- Mouth closedThe mouth must be closed throughout the capture.
- Eyes open and visibleBoth eyes must be open and looking directly at the camera. Hair, frames, or glare must not obscure either eye.
- Head straight to cameraHome Affairs requires the face to be centred and looking straight at the camera, not tilted in any direction.
Eyewear & lenses
- Glasses prohibitedHome Affairs prohibits glasses, in line with the 2018 Australian Passport Office ban. Applicants must remove prescription and reading glasses before the photo is taken.
- Vision impairment is not an exemptionA general need for corrective lenses does not qualify as an exemption. Only a documented medical reason permits glasses, and even then the lenses must be untinted, the frames must not obscure the eyes, and there must be no glare on the lenses.
- Tinted or coloured lensesTinted lenses, sunglasses, and coloured contact lenses are not permitted.
Hair & facial hair
- Hair off the faceHair must be arranged so that the full edges of the face are visible. It must not fall across the eyes or cast shadows on the face.
- Hair clear of the eyes and browsHair must not cover the eyes or eyebrows. Heavy bangs that fall across the brow line should be swept aside; a fringe that sits above the eyebrows is acceptable.
Headwear
- Religious or medical onlyHead coverings are accepted only when worn for religious or medical reasons. Fashion hats, caps, beanies, and headbands are not permitted.
- Full face visibleAny permitted head covering must leave the whole face clear from the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face visible.
- Plain materialReligious or medical head coverings must be in plain material without patterns, logos, or embellishment, and must not cast shadows on the face.
Jewelry & accessories
- Facial jewelleryJewellery must not obscure any part of the face. Nose rings, lip studs, and similar piercings must not cover features or produce reflections in the photo.
- Headphones and earpiecesHeadphones, earbuds, and hands-free devices are not permitted in the photo.
Cosmetics
- Natural appearanceCosmetics must not alter the applicant’s natural skin tone or facial appearance. Heavy makeup that changes how the applicant looks day to day is not permitted.
Clothing
- Everyday clothingThe applicant must wear ordinary daily clothing. Garments should contrast with the light background so the outline of the head and shoulders is clear.
- No uniformsUniforms are not permitted. Religious daily wear is accepted.
Photo quality
- No shadows on the faceThe face must be free of cast shadows, including shadows from a permitted head covering or from hair.
- No red-eyeRed-eye is not permitted, and Home Affairs does not allow it to be corrected after the fact.
- Recent likenessThe photo must be no more than six months old and must show the applicant’s current appearance.
Dimensions, resolution & background.
Head position & camera distance.
- Head height, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, must be between 32 mm and 36 mm (roughly 72–79% of the photo height).
- Eyes must sit between 19 mm and 24 mm from the bottom of the photo.
- The head must be centered horizontally in the frame with a small symmetrical margin on each side.
- Both shoulders must be square to the camera and visible. Three-quarter angles or rotated torsos are not accepted.
- The full face from chin to crown must be inside the frame with proper top margin.
How recent the photo must be.
Your visa photo must have been taken within the last six months. A new photo is required sooner whenever your appearance has changed in a way that makes the old photo no longer recognizable.
You need a new photo if you’ve had…
- Facial surgery or a major change to facial structure
- A significant gain or loss of weight that visibly changes your face
- Large facial tattoos or piercings added or removed
- A gender transition that has changed your appearance
You do not need a new photo just because of…
- A new hair color
- Growing or removing a beard or moustache
- Ordinary, minor aging
- A new hairstyle that still leaves the face fully visible
Photos for infants and young children.
Home Affairs relaxes a small number of subject rules for very young children. Every other requirement on this page still applies.
Infants (under 3 years)
Babies and toddlers are difficult to pose, so Home Affairs accepts a wider range of expressions and head positions for this age group.
- Mouth may be openChildren under three years old may have their mouth open in the photo. A neutral expression is not required.
- Lying down for under-onesBabies under one year may be photographed lying down on a plain light or white blanket. The eyes-open rule is relaxed for this age.
- Subject must be alone in frameNo other person, hand, toy, dummy, or other object may appear in the photo. A supporting adult must stay completely out of frame.
- Head must still face the cameraThe child’s face must still be turned roughly toward the camera, with only a modest tilt of the head in any direction.
Other things to know.
A few features of the Australian visa channel catch applicants out even when their photo itself is compliant.
ETA (Subclass 601) is app-only
The Electronic Travel Authority does not accept uploaded photos at all. Eligible applicants must use the Australian ETA app, which performs a live in-app selfie and reads the passport chip over NFC. A prepared photo cannot be submitted through this channel.
eVisitor and other subclasses upload normally
eVisitor (Subclass 651) and standard visa subclasses such as Visitor 600, Student 500, Working Holiday 417/462, TSS 482, Partner 820, and Skilled 189 are lodged through ImmiAccount and do accept a prepared JPEG facial image.
Biometrics may still be collected in person
Many offshore applicants are required to attend an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre run by VFS Global or TLScontact for a live facial capture. The photo uploaded to ImmiAccount remains part of the dossier, but the in-person capture is what is matched at the border.
Strict no-retouching rule
Home Affairs prohibits digital retouching of the photo. Moles, scars, wrinkles, and blemishes must remain visible, and red-eye must be avoided at capture rather than corrected afterwards.
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Print-quality requirements for in-person submissions.
When you submit a printed photo at a visa application centre, the paper, finish, and ink all matter. The points below cover the standards most consular missions accept.
- Print on photographic-quality paper at 600 DPI minimum.
- Use a matte or semi-gloss finish; high-gloss can produce reflections that confuse biometric scanners.
- Do not retouch, crop, or alter the photo after printing.
- Bring at least two identical prints when the submission channel calls for paper photos.