🇧🇷Brazil Passport Photo
for $1

The official requirements

The Polícia Federal sets the standard for the 5×7 cm Brazilian passport photo. A photo that misses any of these is rejected:

• Size: 5×7 cm (50×70 mm), portrait
• Background: plain white, no patterns or shadows
• Head size: face fills roughly 70–80% of the photo height — about 42 mm chin to crown
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open and clearly visible
• Glasses: not allowed — remove them, even prescription frames
• Accessories: nothing covering the eyebrows, hairline, or face shape
• Recency: taken within the last 6 months — must still identify you today
• Color: color photo, even lighting, no filters

For a digital file (visa appendices, dual-national paperwork, RG renewals that accept upload), aim for 591×827 pixels at 300 dpi.

How to take a compliant photo

The 50×70 mm format is taller than the US square — framing is the most common reason a self-shot Brazilian photo fails. The setup that works:

1. Stand 1.5–2 metres from a plain white wall, with enough distance behind you that no shadow falls on it.
2. Face a window — soft, even light from the front. Overhead light leaves shadows under the eyes and jaw.
3. Have someone else take it from chest height, straight on. Selfies distort the face and almost always frame the head wrong.
4. Look straight at the camera, neutral expression, hair clear of the eyebrows.
5. Crop to 50×70 mm with the head filling 70–80% of the height — or upload the shot to a tool that crops and validates to the Brazilian spec for you.

Why photos get rejected

The Polícia Federal and consular counters bounce the same handful of problems again and again. Each one, and the fix:

• Wrong size — submitting a US 2×2 inch or European 35×45 mm photo. It must be 50×70 mm.
• Background not truly white — cream, grey, or a textured wall reads as off-spec. Use a plain white wall or replace the background.
• Head outside the 70–80% window — too small, too large, or too high in the frame. Re-crop, or re-shoot from the right distance.
• Face partly covered — fringe over the eyebrows, large earrings, ornaments, or anything obscuring the face shape.
• Glasses left on — automatic rejection. Take them off.
• Eyes closed or looking away — both eyes must be open and looking at the camera (the only exception is newborns).
• Photo older than 6 months — it must reflect your current appearance.

What to wear (and not wear)

There’s no formal dress code, but a few choices reliably get a photo bounced:

Avoid: glasses of any kind, hats or caps, headphones, large earrings, ornaments that sit on the hairline or near the eyes, uniforms. A white or very pale top blends into the white background — wear a darker, solid colour instead.

Fine: ordinary everyday clothing, light makeup that keeps your everyday appearance, religious head coverings worn daily (with the face fully visible from forehead to chin), and medical devices like hearing aids worn every day.

The accessories rule is stricter than many countries: anything that changes the visible shape of your face — large frames, hair clips at the hairline, a thick headband — is a likely rejection.

Where to get your photo

You can get a Brazilian 5×7 cm photo from a self-service booth, a photo shop, or online. Prices and trade-offs (in BRL):

A neighbourhood loja is the dominant channel — they know the PF spec and will hand you prints sized correctly. Cabines are cheaper and faster but rarely give you a digital file. Online is the cheapest option and gives you a JPEG plus a print-ready sheet you can print at any photo lab. Whatever you choose, the photo only counts if it meets every rule above.

Submitting your photo

How — and whether — you submit a printed photo depends on what you’re applying for:

Brazilian passport at the Polícia Federal — For applicants aged 5 and over, the PF captures the biometric photo at the service-centre appointment (agendamento). You do not bring a print. For applicants under 5, you must bring one printed 5×7 cm photo to the appointment, because young children are difficult to capture at the counter.

Visa appendices, RG, CNH and consular paperwork — Many Brazilian documents and visa applications still ask for a printed or digital 5×7 cm photo. Bring prints to the appointment, or upload the digital file where the portal accepts it.

At a Brazilian consulate abroad — Consulates apply the same 5×7 cm standard. Check the specific consulate’s page for whether prints, an upload, or both are required.

Babies, kids & special situations

Children under 5 are the group that most often needs a brought-from-home print, because the PF counter cannot reliably capture a moving toddler. Lay the child on a plain white sheet and shoot from directly above. Both eyes open, nothing in the mouth, no hands or arms in the frame.

Newborns are the only group whose photo is accepted with eyes closed.

Religious head coverings are allowed when worn daily for religious reasons; the face must stay fully visible from forehead to chin, with no shadow on the face.

Glasses are not permitted, even prescription. Take them off for the photo.

Medical devices such as hearing aids worn every day are fine.