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Malaysia passport photo size & requirements

Malaysian passport photos are 35 x 50 mm — taller than the usual 35 x 45 mm — with a plain white background.

Malaysia uses a non-standard 35 x 50 mm photo format for its biometric passport (Pasport Malaysia), issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia). This is taller than the 35 x 45 mm used across most of Europe and Asia, and the difference matters: a photo cropped to the European standard will appear to have an oversized face relative to the 35 x 50 mm frame and will be rejected. The Malaysian format also requires a plain white background — the light-blue background historically used by some photo studios in Malaysia is no longer accepted for the current biometric passport.

Malaysian passport applications are processed at Immigration Department offices (Pejabat Imigresen) across the country. The department has also introduced an online renewal service (MyImm) for eligible adults. One Malaysia-specific requirement: spectacles (glasses) are not permitted in Malaysian passport photos. This rule aligns Malaysia with China and some other Asian countries that have banned glasses, even though the ICAO standard technically allows them. This rule catches many first-time applicants off guard.

Photo size
35 x 50 mm
Resolution
300 DPI
Head height
Head centred and filling roughly 65–75% of the frame
Background
Plain white
Make my Malaysian photo How to print it

Malaysia passport photo requirements

  • Malaysian passport photos use a 35 x 50 mm portrait size — taller than the common 35 x 45 mm.
  • Plain white background; some agencies historically used blue, but white is the current standard.
  • Front-facing pose with a neutral expression and both eyes open.
  • Hair should not cover the face or eyes.
  • No spectacles, hats, or head coverings except those worn for religious reasons.
  • Even lighting with no reflections or shadows.

Common reasons Malaysia passport photos get rejected

Even a technically correct photo can be turned away for these issues. They come up repeatedly in official rejection notices.

  • Photo size of 35 x 45 mm instead of 35 x 50 mm — using the common international size is the single most frequent reason Malaysian passport photos are rejected at the counter.
  • Glasses in the photo — Malaysian Immigration Department regulations prohibit spectacles, and any glasses, including very thin frames, will result in the photo being rejected.
  • Background not plain white — light blue, off-white, cream, or any coloured background is rejected for the current biometric passport.
  • Head not centred within the taller 35 x 50 mm frame — the extra height means there is proportionally more space, and a face that is positioned too low or too high in the frame will fail.
  • Photo taken within the last six months rule — Malaysian Immigration officers specifically check that the photo matches the applicant's current appearance in person.
  • Hair covering the face, ears, or forehead — even partial obstruction of the face by hair is a rejection reason.

Make your Malaysia passport photo

Use our free passport size photo maker — select Malaysia from the country list and it will automatically apply the correct size (35 x 50 mm) and background settings for you.

Crop, remove background, and download a compliant Malaysia passport photo — free, no signup, no watermark.

Open Passport Size Photo Maker

Select Malaysia in the tool to get the exact 35 x 50 mm preset.

Other countries

United States flag United States 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) Albania flag Albania 35 x 45 mm Australia flag Australia 35 x 45 mm Brazil flag Brazil 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm); US visa applications use 2 x 2 in Canada flag Canada 50 x 70 mm China flag China 33 x 48 mm France flag France 35 x 45 mm Germany flag Germany 35 x 45 mm Iceland flag Iceland 35 x 45 mm India flag India 35 x 45 mm (Indian visa & many applications use 51 x 51 mm / 2 x 2 in) Ireland flag Ireland 35 x 45 mm Italy flag Italy 35 x 45 mm Japan flag Japan 35 x 45 mm Luxembourg flag Luxembourg 35 x 45 mm Netherlands flag Netherlands 35 x 45 mm New Zealand flag New Zealand 35 x 45 mm Nigeria flag Nigeria 35 x 45 mm Norway flag Norway 35 x 45 mm Pakistan flag Pakistan 35 x 45 mm Philippines flag Philippines 35 x 45 mm (Philippine visa applications often use 2 x 2 in) Russia flag Russia 35 x 45 mm Saudi Arabia flag Saudi Arabia 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) Schengen / EU flag Schengen / EU 35 x 45 mm Singapore flag Singapore 35 x 45 mm South Africa flag South Africa 35 x 45 mm South Korea flag South Korea 35 x 45 mm Spain flag Spain 32 x 26 mm (Spanish ID/passport); EU visas use 35 x 45 mm Switzerland flag Switzerland 35 x 45 mm Thailand flag Thailand 35 x 45 mm Turkey flag Turkey 50 x 60 mm United Arab Emirates flag United Arab Emirates 43 x 55 mm United Kingdom flag United Kingdom 35 x 45 mm Vietnam flag Vietnam 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm)