🇸🇬Singapore Passport Photo
for $1

The official requirements

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) builds its spec on the ICAO standard. A photo that misses any of these gets your application held or rejected:

• Size: 35×45 mm, portrait — the ICAO standard, not the US 2×2 inch square
• Background: plain white only — no off-white, cream, grey, or blue tint
• Head size: the face must fill 70–80% of the photo height (roughly 25–35 mm chin to crown)
• Expression: neutral, mouth naturally closed, both eyes open looking straight at the camera
• Glasses: allowed, but lenses must be clear with no glare or reflection over the eyes
• Headwear: not permitted, except for religious coverings worn daily (face must remain fully visible)
• Recency: taken within the last 3 months — ICA inspects photo metadata to verify
• Color: color photo only, no filters, no facial edits
• Print finish: matte or semi-matte photo paper (non-reflective)

For digital submission through MyICA, upload a JPEG, JPG, PNG, HEIC, or HEIF up to 8 MB. The recommended pixel size is 400×514.

How to take a compliant photo

A recent phone camera is more than enough — Singapore passport photos fail on background, lighting, and head size, not on camera quality. The setup that works:

1. Stand about 1.5–2 metres in front of a plain white wall, with space behind you so no shadow falls on the wall.
2. Face a window for soft, even daylight from the front. Avoid overhead downlights and on-camera flash — both cause the shadows and lens glare ICA rejects.
3. Have someone else take it from chest height, straight on. Selfies distort the face and get flagged.
4. Look directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Hair clear of the eyes and eyebrows, ears visible if your hair allows.
5. Crop to a 35×45 mm portrait with your head sized so the face covers 70–80% of the frame — or upload the shot to a tool that crops to the ICA size and checks the ratio for you.

Why photos get rejected

ICA returns the same handful of faults. Each one, and the fix:

• Background not truly white — a magnolia HDB wall, a cream studio backdrop, or a faint blue tint all read as off-spec. Use a white wall or replace the background.
• Photo older than 3 months — ICA reads the EXIF date and will reject a stale photo. Re-shoot, do not re-upload an old file.
• Glasses glare — a reflection across the eyes is an automatic fail even when the lenses are clear. Tilt the chin or remove the glasses.
• Wrong dimensions — anything other than 35×45 mm in print, or 400×514 pixels for digital. Crop to the ICA spec, not the US or HK format.
• Edited or filtered photo — beauty modes, skin smoothing, and any retouching of facial features fail. Submit the unedited frame.
• Shadows on face or background — uneven lighting or a shadow behind the head. Move away from the wall and light yourself from the front.
• Head too small or off-centre — re-frame so the face fills 70–80% of the height with clear headroom above the crown.

What to wear (and not wear)

ICA does not set a dress code, but a few choices reliably cause problems:

Avoid: hats and caps (religious coverings handled separately), heavy make-up, uniforms, and very pale or white tops that blend into the white background. Heavy or thick-framed glasses that catch the light are also high-risk.

Fine: ordinary everyday clothing in a mid-tone, solid colour that contrasts with the white background. Light, everyday make-up is fine. Glasses are permitted, but if your everyday pair has thick frames or reflective lenses, the safer choice is to take them off.

The glare rule is the trap most applicants miss. Glasses are allowed, but any reflection across the lenses fails — even a faint one. If in doubt, take them off for the shot.

Where to get your photo

You can get a Singapore passport photo at a photo studio, a neighbourhood shop, an instant photo booth, or online. Typical options:

In-person is the safe choice if you want a printed photo on matte paper handed to you the same day. Online is cheaper and gives you a JPEG sized for MyICA plus a print-ready 4×6 sheet you can print at any 7-Eleven or photo shop in Singapore. Whichever route you take, the only thing that matters is that the photo meets every rule above — ICA will hold the application until you replace a non-compliant photo.

Submitting your photo

How you submit depends on the application channel:

MyICA online application (e-Passport via SingPass) — Most adult renewals are done online. Upload one digital photo (JPEG, JPG, PNG, HEIC, or HEIF, up to 8 MB, recommended 400×514 pixels) when prompted. ICA’s portal runs an automated check at upload, but staff may still request a replacement on review.

ICA Building (in-person) — For first-time adult passports, children’s passports, or applicants flagged for biometric capture, you visit ICA Building at Kallang Road. The biometric photo is captured at the appointment, so you do not need to bring a printed one in most adult-renewal cases. Check the appointment confirmation — it will say if a photo is required.

Hardcopy / overseas missions — Submissions through Singapore overseas missions and any hardcopy route require a printed 35×45 mm photo on matte or semi-matte paper. Do not write on the back, fold, or staple the photo.

Child passport applications typically require an applicant-supplied digital photo uploaded with the MyICA application, since biometric capture at ICA is not used for children below the relevant age threshold.

Babies, kids & special situations

Infants and young children follow the same ICA spec — plain white background, neutral face, both eyes open, no pacifier, no hands or arms in the frame, no toys. The simplest setup is to lay the baby on a plain white sheet and shoot from directly above. Eyes open is the hardest part; shoot multiple frames.

Religious head coverings worn daily for religious reasons are permitted, but the face must remain fully visible from forehead to chin and the covering must not cast a shadow on the face.

Glasses are allowed, but any glare or reflection across the lenses is a rejection. If your everyday glasses have thick frames or anti-reflective coating that still catches the light, take them off for the photo.

Medical devices worn daily, such as hearing aids, are accepted as part of your normal appearance.