Christmas Island passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Australian Passport Office (DFAT) for the Christmas Island passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Christmas Island passport photo?
Christmas Island residents use the Australian passport, so its photo rules apply without change: 2 colour prints under 6 months old, 35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high (35 x 45 mm fits), the face 32 to 36 mm tall from chin to crown, on a plain white or light grey background. The prints must be dye-sublimation on glossy paper of at least 200 gsm, with no retouching.
Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia. It has no state-level government, so the Australian Government runs the territory through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, and the Shire of Christmas Island is the local council. Neither of them issues passports. Those come from the Australian Passport Office, which serves Australian citizens, so the first question for a resident is proof of citizenship rather than the address. The Shire does help here in one way: its Community Services Section assists residents with Australian citizenship applications and ceremonies on behalf of the Commonwealth, and its list of services includes Australian Citizenship Assistance.
A passport application is lodged in person, normally at a participating post office, with 2 printed photos. The department says the Christmas Island Post Office offers full postal and philatelic services, acts as a Commonwealth Bank agency and provides fax and other business services. It does not say that the office lodges passport applications or takes passport photos, and the Shire's citizenship page does not mention passports. Treat both points as unconfirmed until the counter tells you otherwise.
The sections below set out what the Passport Office requires of the photo itself, taken from its photo page and its one-page guide for camera operators, plus the lodgement steps that matter on an island with weekly mail.
Christmas Island passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Australian Passport Office (DFAT):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) fits; accepted range is 35 to 40 mm wide, 45 to 50 mm high |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: send 2 printed photos with the application |
| Head height | 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown |
| Background | Plain white or light grey, contrasting with your face |
| Colour | Colour prints |
| Photo age | Less than 6 months old |
| Print quality | Dye sublimation (not inkjet), heavy-weight glossy paper, 200 gsm minimum |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
No editing, retouching or filters. No removal or replacement of background.
Glossy, heavy paper (200 gsm+), professionally printed photos only.
Key requirements
- Fresh, sharp and in colour
Both photos must be less than 6 months old at lodgement. The image has to be clear and in focus, with no marks or red-eye, and printed in good quality colour.
- Two ranges to check
Width 35 to 40 mm, height 45 to 50 mm. Then measure the face from chin to crown: 32 to 36 mm. The photographers' guide shows both ranges on its diagram, so a print can pass the first test and still fail the second.
- The print itself
Dye sublimation on heavy-weight glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. A print from an inkjet printer is named as not acceptable.
- Backdrop and lighting
The background is plain white or light grey and must contrast with your face. Light the face uniformly so that skin tone looks natural, and keep shadows and reflections out of the frame.
- Pose and expression
Face the camera straight on with your head level, eyes open and a neutral expression if you are over 3 years old. Keep the edges of your face clear of hair.
- No post-processing
Retouching such as removing moles, wrinkles or scars is not allowed. The photographers' guide extends that to editing, filters and the removal or replacement of the background.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Confirm with the island post office that it lodges passport applications.
- Measure both ranges: print size and the 32 to 36 mm face height.
- Order dye-sublimation prints on glossy 200 gsm paper.
- Keep the lens at least 1.2 metres from the face.
- Print an online form on A4 paper, portrait, in black ink.
- Give a guarantor or referee your photos before you lodge.
Don't
- Do not rely on a home inkjet print.
- Do not smile, even slightly.
- Do not use a filter or swap the backdrop in an app.
- Do not wear a patterned head covering.
- Do not let anyone else appear in the picture.
Sample photos
How a Christmas Island passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Headwear and religious dress
The default is nothing on the face or head. A covering you usually wear for religious reasons is the exception. It must be plain, with no pattern even a small one, and worn so the whole face shows from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face in view.
Hearing aids you usually wear may stay in at any age. Wireless earbuds may not. Piercings and jewellery are fine only if they cover no part of the face and cause no reflection, and the photographers' guide allows permanent piercings on that basis. Make-up should be natural everyday make-up that does not change your appearance.
Babies and children
A child passport has its own form, which is purple on paper, and its own photos: 2 of the child, meeting every rule above. Children under 3 may have their mouth open, with nobody else visible. A child aged 10 or older signs the form too, and a 16 or 17 year old has to come to the counter with a parent or guardian.
The child's guarantor signs section 11 and the back of one photo in black pen. They must be an adult Australian citizen who has known the child for more than 12 months, and cannot hold parental responsibility, live at the child's address or work for Australia Post.
Printed and digital photos
Two different print jobs are involved, and only one has a rule about quality. The online application form is printed on A4 paper in portrait orientation, in black ink, with the fit-to-page setting. The department lists photocopying and printing at the Christmas Island Visitors Information Centre, which may cover that.
The photographs are another matter. They must be dye-sublimation prints on heavy glossy paper, and the Passport Office recommends a professional provider while advising against online photo services and mobile apps. If nobody on the island can make such prints, the practical route is a mainland photo lab, and the weekly mail service to Christmas Island makes that a job to start early.
Where to submit the photo
Take the form, photos, original documents and fee to a participating post office. Australia Post says no appointment is needed. A paper form for a new adult passport is green and available from a post office. Renewal forms are not stocked there: apply online, or ring the Passport Office on 131 232 and ask for a pre-filled form to be posted.
A new adult passport needs a guarantor on the paper form, who signs section 11 and the back of one photo, or a referee on the online form, who signs nothing. Employees of Australia Post are excluded from that role, as are relatives and anyone living at your address. Renewals need neither.
Passport offices on the mainland take applications only by appointment and in special circumstances. Perth is where the department's fortnightly air freight to the island departs, and the Passport Office has an office there.
How to get your Christmas Island passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Christmas Island passport: 35 × 45 mm print, plain white or light grey background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: fresh, sharp and in colour; two ranges to check; the print itself; backdrop and lighting.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Two different print jobs are involved, and only one has a rule about quality. The online application form is printed on A4 paper in portrait orientation, in black ink, with the fit-to-page setting.
- Submit the photo with your application. Take the form, photos, original documents and fee to a participating post office. Australia Post says no appointment is needed. A paper form for a new adult passport is green and available from a post office.
Christmas Island passport photo FAQ
It is the Australian size: two colour prints, 35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high, so 35 x 45 mm works. The face must measure 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, against a plain white or light grey background, and the photo must be less than 6 months old.
The official pages read do not say. The Department of Infrastructure describes the office as providing full postal and philatelic services, a Commonwealth Bank agency and fax and business services. Passport photos and applications are offered at participating Australia Post outlets, so ask whether this office is one.
Nothing on the Shire's website says so. Its Community Services Section assists residents with Australian citizenship applications and ceremonies for the Commonwealth, and its services list includes Australian Citizenship Assistance. Passports are lodged at a participating post office and issued by the Australian Passport Office.
Yes. The Passport Office says you can apply if you are an Australian citizen, that not everyone born in Australia is a citizen, and that you must be able to prove your citizenship. People who are not citizens are pointed to a travel document for non-citizens.
Not unless a medical reason stops you taking them off, and vision impairment on its own is not accepted as a reason. If they stay on, the frames must not obscure your eyes and the lenses must not reflect. A photo with glasses on is shown as an unacceptable example.
No. Anyone over 3 years old must face the camera straight on with eyes open and a neutral expression. The Passport Office shows both smiling and a subtle expression as unacceptable examples. Children under 3 may have their mouth open.
No. The department says passports and visas are not required when travelling from the Australian mainland, but each passenger, children included, must show photographic identification such as a driver licence or proof of age card. A valid passport satisfies that and is the preferred document.
The Passport Office says to allow at least 6 weeks from lodging a new or renewed adult passport. The department adds that postal services to Christmas Island run weekly, so start early if you need prints or forms to arrive by post.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Australia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands photo 35 × 45 mm
- New Zealand passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Norfolk Island passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Christmas Island photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Oceania
Official sources
- Australian Passport Office (DFAT). Passport photos passports.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Australian Passport Office (DFAT), via the Australian Consulate-General Noumea. Camera operator guidelines: How to take a good passport photo noumea.consulate.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Australian Passport Office (DFAT). Adult passport: new passport and renewal passports.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Australian Passport Office (DFAT). Child passport passports.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Australian Passport Office (DFAT). Passport office locations passports.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Australian Passport Office (DFAT). Contact us passports.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Australia Post. Australian passport application tips auspost.com.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. Christmas Island travel information infrastructure.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. Christmas Island governance and administration infrastructure.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Shire of Christmas Island. Immigration and citizenship shire.gov.cx. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Shire of Christmas Island. Contact the Shire shire.gov.cx. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Australian Passport Office (DFAT) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Christmas Island passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/christmas-island/passport-photo