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Singapore passport photo size & requirements

Singapore passport photos are 35 x 45 mm with a plain white background and must be taken within the last three months.

Singapore issues its biometric passport (Singapore Passport) through the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). The photo format is 35 x 45 mm with a plain white background, but Singapore has one of the shorter recency requirements in the world: the photo must be taken within the last three months, compared to six months for most other countries. This rule is strictly enforced by ICA, and a photo that is four or five months old — which would pass in the US, UK, or Australia — will be rejected in Singapore.

Singapore uses the ICA e-Service portal (eservices.ica.gov.sg) for passport renewals, and applicants upload a digital photo directly. The portal's automated checker validates head size, background, and recency before the application proceeds. Singapore also requires that the full face and both shoulders are visible in the photo — this is a specific ICA requirement that is less common globally and means very tight face crops that cut off the shoulders are rejected. For NRIC (National Registration Identity Card) renewal, the same photo format applies and ICA often captures it on-site.

Photo size
35 x 45 mm
Resolution
300 DPI
Head height
Head length (chin to crown) of about 25–35 mm
Background
Plain white
Make my Singaporean photo How to print it

Singapore passport photo requirements

  • Photo must be 35 x 45 mm and taken within the last three months.
  • Plain white background with no shadows.
  • The full face and both shoulders must be captured front-on.
  • Neutral expression with mouth closed and eyes open.
  • For online ICA applications a digital colour photo is uploaded directly.
  • No coloured contact lenses or accessories that change your appearance.

Common reasons Singapore 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 taken more than three months ago — this is the most distinctly Singaporean rejection reason and catches many applicants who assume the standard six-month window applies.
  • Shoulders not visible — ICA requires both shoulders to be in the frame, which means the photo must not be cropped too tightly around the face and neck.
  • Background not plain white — Singapore is strict about background colour; light grey, which is acceptable in many other countries, is not specified for Singapore passports.
  • Coloured contact lenses or any lenses that alter the appearance of the iris.
  • Photo where the face is not squarely facing the camera — ICA's automated checker flags any head tilt or rotation.
  • Digital photo file not in the required format — ICA specifies JPEG, between 20 KB and 5 MB, at least 400 x 514 pixels.

Make your Singapore passport photo

Use our free passport size photo maker — select Singapore from the country list and it will automatically apply the correct size (35 x 45 mm) and background settings for you.

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

Open Passport Size Photo Maker

Select Singapore in the tool to get the exact 35 x 45 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 Malaysia flag Malaysia 35 x 50 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 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)