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Australia degree assessment photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by VETASSESS for the Australia degree assessment, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Australia degree assessment photo?

VETASSESS, which checks whether overseas qualifications are comparable to Australian degree levels for skilled migration, asks for one recent passport-sized colour photo with each professional occupation application. Send a JPEG or JPG of up to 500 KB, taken within the last 6 months by someone else, against a plain white or light grey background, with a neutral expression and no retouching. VETASSESS publishes no size in millimetres or pixels.

In Australian skilled migration, qualifications are assessed by the assessing authority for your occupation rather than by a government office. This page covers VETASSESS (Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services). For professional occupations it compares an overseas qualification with the Australian Qualifications Framework, for example whether it is comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree or higher, and also assesses your employment. If another assessing authority handles your occupation, follow its own document list instead.

A VETASSESS application for a professional occupation must include one recent passport-sized colour photograph, along with your CV, identity documents, and qualification and employment evidence. VETASSESS says it may use the image in your outcome letter, and that photos which miss its specifications may delay the assessment.

Its photo rules are short. VETASSESS describes them as similar to the Australian Passport Office's requirements, and recommends that applicants already in Australia have the photo taken at a participating Australia Post office, where staff are trained to these specifications.

Australia degree assessment photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by VETASSESS:[1]

Print sizePassport-sized; no mm size given (Australian passport prints are 35 x 45 mm to 40 x 50 mm)
Digital sizeNo pixel size published; send a JPEG or JPG file
BackgroundPlain white or light grey, contrasting with your face
ColourColour photograph
Photo ageNo more than 6 months old
File sizeAcceptable size: 500 KB
File formatJPEG or JPG
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: plain white or light grey.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

No retouching of any kind (including removal of background, moles, wrinkles or scars)

Passport Photo: Specification Requirements[1]

and that its rules are similar to the Australian Passport Office's (35-40 x 45-50 mm). 30 x 40 mm is not an Australian passport size. The upload is a file, so print size matters little, but a 35 x 45 mm (7:9) crop would match

Am I Eligible to Apply with My Professional Occupation?[2]

Key requirements

  • One recent colour photo

    Professional occupation applications need one passport-sized colour photograph, no more than 6 months old and of good quality. It is part of the standard document set, sent with the application.

  • Taken by someone else

    VETASSESS does not accept self-taken photographs. Have another person or a photo provider take the picture.

  • No retouching at all

    Do not retouch the photo in any way. VETASSESS spells out that this includes removing the background, and removing moles, wrinkles or scars.

  • Plain light background, even light

    Use a plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face. Lighting should be uniform, without shadows or reflections, with brightness and contrast that show your natural skin tone.

  • Face centred, expression neutral

    Look straight at the camera with your face centred and not tilted, eyes open and mouth closed. No smiling, laughing or frowning. Keep hair off your face so its edges are visible.

  • JPEG file, 500 KB

    VETASSESS accepts JPEG or JPG files and gives 500 KB as the acceptable size. The image must be clear and in focus, without marks or red eye.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Ask another person or a post office to take the photo.
  • Save the photo as a JPEG or JPG.
  • Keep the file at 500 KB or smaller.
  • Use a photo taken in the last 6 months.
  • Light your face evenly so no shadows fall on it.

Don't

  • Do not submit a selfie or any photo you took of yourself.
  • Do not remove or replace the background.
  • Do not smooth out moles, wrinkles or scars.
  • Do not tilt your head or look away from the camera.
  • Do not send a blurred image or one with red eye.

Sample photos

How a Australia degree assessment photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

VETASSESS's photo specification does not mention glasses. It does require uniform lighting with no reflections, eyes open, and the edges of the face visible, so glare on lenses or frames over the eyes would break those rules.

VETASSESS says its list is similar to the Australian Passport Office's requirements. Those do not allow glasses unless they cannot be removed for medical reasons, so taking them off is the safe choice.

VETASSESS wants a digital file rather than a print: a JPEG or JPG, with 500 KB given as the acceptable size. It asks for a passport-sized photo but publishes no pixel dimensions or millimetre size, so a passport-style portrait saved as a JPEG of 500 KB or less meets what is written. A digital passport photo can be cropped and saved at a lower quality setting to bring the file down to that size.

Keep the image sharp after resizing: VETASSESS asks for a clear, focused photo with no marks or red eye.

Where to submit the photo

The photo goes in with your online VETASSESS application, alongside high-quality colour scans of your other documents. VETASSESS may reproduce it in your outcome letter, and a photo that does not meet the specifications may delay the assessment.

If you are in Australia, VETASSESS recommends a participating Australia Post office for the photo. For other locations its photo page refers you to the Australian Passport Office's photo guidance.

How to get your Australia degree assessment photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Australia degree assessment: 35 × 45 mm print, plain white or light grey background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one recent colour photo; taken by someone else; no retouching at all; plain light background, even light.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. VETASSESS wants a digital file rather than a print: a JPEG or JPG, with 500 KB given as the acceptable size.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. The photo goes in with your online VETASSESS application, alongside high-quality colour scans of your other documents. VETASSESS may reproduce it in your outcome letter, and a photo that does not meet the specifications may delay the assessment.

Make this photo online

Australia degree assessment photo FAQ

Each occupation has a relevant assessing authority, set out in a Home Affairs legislative instrument. VETASSESS assesses many professional occupations: it checks whether your qualification is comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree or higher on the Australian Qualifications Framework, then assesses your employment. This page follows its photo rules.

VETASSESS asks for a passport-sized colour photograph but gives no dimensions in millimetres or pixels. It specifies the file instead: JPEG or JPG, with 500 KB as the acceptable size. The photo must be no more than 6 months old.

No. VETASSESS states that self-taken photographs are not acceptable. Someone else must take it; VETASSESS recommends a participating Australia Post office if you are in Australia, because staff there are trained to its specifications.

No retouching of any kind is allowed, and VETASSESS names removing the background, moles, wrinkles and scars as examples. Take the picture against a plain white or light grey background from the start, with even lighting.

It is part of the required document set for a professional occupation skills assessment, and VETASSESS may use the image in your outcome letter. Photos that miss the specifications can delay your assessment.

No. VETASSESS asks for a neutral expression, not smiling, laughing or frowning, with eyes open and mouth closed, looking straight at the camera with your face centred and level.

Related photo specifications

Other Australia documents

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Official sources

  1. VETASSESS. Passport Photo: Specification Requirements vetassess.com.au. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. VETASSESS. Am I Eligible to Apply with My Professional Occupation? vetassess.com.au. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. VETASSESS. Application process: professional occupations vetassess.com.au. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Federal Register of Legislation (Australian Government). Migration (LIN 19/051: Specification of Occupations and Relevant Assessing Authorities) Instrument 2019 legislation.gov.au. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Australian Passport Office (DFAT). Passport photos passports.gov.au. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. ANMAC. Skilled migration services document checklist (PDF) anmac.org.au. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Trades Recognition Australia. Trades Recognition Service applicant guidelines (PDF) tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. Checked 1 November 2026.
  8. CSCSE. Overseas degree authentication application materials (Chinese) zwfw.cscse.edu.cn. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with VETASSESS before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Australia degree assessment photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/australia/degree-assessment-photo

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