If you need to apply for a Singapore passport for your international travel, the passport photo must be one of the most important things on your list. According to the ICA’s requirements, your photograph must meet strict specifications based on the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). If you do not care about passport photo requirements, your passport application will be rejected by the officials. If you do not know how to prepare a passport photo, we will show you the full details of the Singapore passport photo.
Dos and Don’ts of Singapore Passport Photographs
No matter where you take a Singapore passport photo, at home or in a photo studio. You must strictly comply with the following Singapore passport photo requirements to ensure that you can obtain a passport photo that complies. Here we will discuss what to do and what not to do when you take a Singapore passport photo.
Dos:
- The photo must be taken within 3 months.
- You must prepare a plain white background.
- You must take passport photos in a place with enough brightness in the background.
- You need to sit or stand straight and face the camera directly.
- You should maintain a neutral facial expression with visible eyes and a closed mouth.
- The photo taken must be clear and focused.
- You must show all your facial features in the passport photo, such as your head, neck and shoulders.
- If you wear eyeglasses, make sure they have a clear and transparent lens, so that your eyes can be seen clearly.
- Headgear or attire that you wear must be dark in color against the background.
- Your passport photo must be printed on a matte or semi-matte finish.
Don’ts:
- The photo background is colored with patterns or other objects on it.
- Any shadow on your face in the passport photo.
- You show other facial expressions on your face, such as smiling, frowning, showing your teeth, winking, or drawing a long face.
- You have a red eye in the photo.
- You rotate, tilt up or down your head.
- Your hair or shoulders are out of the passport photo.
- You wear sunglasses, tinted glasses that cover your eyes.
- You wear white or light-colored hair gear or clothing that mixes with the white background.
- Your hair, earrings, or headgear covers part of your face.
- The photo taken is of low quality, overexposed, underexposed, distorted or pixelated.
- Your photo has been altered by a photo application or software.
What is the size and format of a Singapore passport photo?
After we have discussed the do’s and don’t’s of the Singapore passport photo, make sure the size of the passport photo is 35 mm in width and 45 mm in height. If you apply for your passport online, the digital photo should be 400 x 514 pixels (10.58 cm x 13.60 cm). In addition, the digital passport photo should be less than 2 MB in jpg, jpeg, or png file format.
Where can I take a Singapore passport photo?
As we said, there are many ways to obtain a Singapore passport. You can take passport photos by professional photographers at downtown photo studios – BeautyBox Studio and KT Colour. This always costs you a lot of money, about SGD 20 for several printed photos. Or you can choose another economical way to get your passport picture done, taking a photo yourself. It will be cheaper if you DIY your passport photo at home. But keep in mind that you need to follow the strict passport rules above. Otherwise, you may waste your time and energy.
How to take a Singapore passport photo at home?
If you want to take a passport photo yourself, make the preparations first.
Background
Choose a white wall or put a white sheet without any patterns as your photo background. There must be even and balanced light. Natural light is the best, so it’s better for you to take a photo during the day. Or you can use artificial light to make up for the light.
Position
You should stand or sit about 30cm away from the wall to avoid shadows in the background. Put your camera or phone about 1.5 meters away from the background. You can use a tripod or ask your friend to take a picture of you.
The look
Wear as normal but with colored clothing to make a difference between you and the background. If you want to put on some makeup, just do it. But you need to avoid heavy makeup. Make sure the passport photo shows the real you.
How do I obtain a Singapore passport photo?
After you take a passport photo and choose a satisfactory one, what you get is just a normal photo. The next step you need to complete is to convert it into a Singapore passport photo that complies with the passport-size photo maker. The passport photo has strict size rules. If you can’t change it professionally into qualified photo software, you can rely on AiPassportPhotos online passport photo tool. Here are the simple steps to get your Singapore passport photo in seconds.
- Launch the AiPassportPhotos website.
- Upload the picture you want.
- Wait for AI technology to automatically crop your photo and convert it into a passport-compliant photo. The process only takes a few seconds.
- Download the passport-compliant digital photo on your device.
After obtaining the qualified photo, you can print it at the photo shop nearby. This will help you save money.
Can I take a selfie as my passport photo?
You are not allowed to take a selfie as your passport photo according to ICA passport photo rules. It is recommended that you ask your friends or family to help you take the photo.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you will know what you can and can’t do in the Singapore passport photo. Especially when you take a passport photo at home, make sure you are familiar with Singapore passport photo guidelines first.