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Gibraltar passport photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Department of Immigration & Home Affairs, HM Government of Gibraltar for the Gibraltar passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 4 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Gibraltar passport photo?

Gibraltar's Department of Immigration & Home Affairs asks for 2 identical printed photos, each 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, taken against a plain white or plain light background within the last month. The recommended head height is 29 to 34 mm from chin to crown. Prints must be in colour on plain white photographic paper, printed to a high quality such as by a studio, and not trimmed from a larger photograph.

Gibraltar variant British passports are handled by the Department of Immigration & Home Affairs (Passports and Nationality), part of HM Government of Gibraltar. Its office is on the 2nd floor of Leanse Place, 50 Town Range, and a new passport is delivered there for you to collect. You download and print one application form, which the department says is valid for first-time applications, renewals and changes of particulars, fill it in and hand it in at the office.

Gibraltar publishes its own photo specification in its "Applying for a passport" guidance notes, and it differs from the UK printed photo rules in places. The background may be plain white or plain light rather than cream or light grey, and the 29 to 34 mm head height is given as a recommendation. The notes also warn that photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of a high enough quality.

A Government of Gibraltar press release dated 8 September 2026 says applications will move onto the online system operated by HM Passport Office (HMPO), scheduled for November 2026 and still subject to final confirmation, with applicants able to upload or provide a digital photograph. Until then the existing process applies. This page covers the paper route, because no digital photo specification has been published.

Gibraltar passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Department of Immigration & Home Affairs, HM Government of Gibraltar:[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in): 45 mm high by 35 mm wide, standard studio passport size
Digital sizeNone published: paper applications take 2 printed photos (online service planned for November 2026)
Head heightRecommended 29 to 34 mm, from the bottom of the chin to the crown
BackgroundPlain white or plain light
ColourIn colour, on plain white photographic paper
Photo ageTaken within the last month
Print qualityHigh quality, such as a studio print; sharp focus; not trimmed from a larger photo; no marks except a certification
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm29–34 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 29–34 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain white or plain light.

In the official words

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

be printed to a high quality, such as photos printed by a studio (photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of a high enough quality)

Applying for a passport: guidance notes[1]

Key requirements

  • Two identical photos, not attached

    You must provide two identical photos and must not attach them to the form. Neither may have any writing on the front or back, except the one that carries a certification.

  • One photo certified in many cases

    One photo must be certified for a first British passport, to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport, to renew a child passport, when switching issuing authority, and when you cannot be recognised from your current passport photo. For other applications it is needed only if your appearance has changed significantly.

  • Who certifies it

    For an adult, the countersignatory certifies one of the photographs, not both, by writing that it is a true likeness of you, then signs and dates it. They must live in Gibraltar and hold a British passport issued in Gibraltar or the UK that has not run out.

  • Studio-size print, uncut

    The photo must be the size of a standard passport photograph taken in a photo studio, 45 mm high by 35 mm wide. It must not be trimmed or cut down from a larger photograph.

  • White or light backdrop

    Gibraltar asks for a plain white or plain light background. The picture must have no shadows, no other objects or people, and no red-eye.

  • Head height guide

    The notes recommend a head height of between 29 and 34 mm, measured from the bottom of the chin to the crown, in a close-up of the face, head and shoulders.

  • Neutral face, eyes visible

    Face forward and look straight at the camera with a neutral expression and a closed mouth: no smiling, frowning or raised eyebrows. Your eyes must be open and clearly visible, and nothing may cover the outline of your eyes, nose or mouth.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Provide two identical photos taken in the last month.
  • Have the prints made to studio quality on plain white photographic paper.
  • Ask a suitable countersignatory to certify one photo if your application needs it.
  • Keep the prints loose, not attached to the form.
  • Aim for a head height of 29 to 34 mm.
  • Keep your face neutral with your mouth closed.

Don't

  • Do not trim a bigger photograph down to size.
  • Do not rely on a home printer for the final prints.
  • Do not write on the photos, except for the certification.
  • Do not smile, frown or raise your eyebrows.
  • Do not wear sunglasses or tinted glasses.
  • Do not let hair fall across your eyes.

Sample photos

How a Gibraltar 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.

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

Gibraltar recommends that, if possible, glasses are removed for the photo. If you keep them on, there must be no reflection or glare on the glasses and the frames must not cover your eyes. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are not allowed, and no hair may fall across your eyes.

Headwear and religious dress

The photo must show your full head, without any head covering, unless you wear one for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Nothing should cover the outline of your eyes, nose or mouth.

Babies and children

Children aged five and under do not need to have a neutral expression or look directly at the camera, and a baby under one does not need to have their eyes open. If a baby's head needs support, the supporting hand must not be seen. A baby or young child must be alone in the photo, and a baby should have no toys or dummy. Every other photograph standard still applies.

For the paper route you need prints. The guidance asks for them to be printed to a high quality, such as photos printed by a studio, and it states that photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of a high enough quality. A lab can print a 4 x 6 inch sheet of identical 35 x 45 mm photos from a digital picture, but a single larger photograph trimmed to size is not accepted.

Gibraltar has published no pixel size, file size or format for a digital photo. The planned online service is expected to let you upload or provide a digital photograph, and its rules will be set when it opens, so check the Government of Gibraltar site before relying on any earlier figure.

Where to submit the photo

Hand the printed form and your photos in at the Department of Immigration & Home Affairs, 2nd Floor, Leanse Place, 50 Town Range, Gibraltar. The notes state that you can only apply for a passport in Gibraltar if you live or work there. Adults may later be asked to attend an identity interview, for which the department writes to you.

The same Passports and Nationality page offers forms for an emergency travel document and for reporting a lost or stolen passport. For a replacement, one of your two photos must be certified, as set out in the notes.

How to get your Gibraltar passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Gibraltar passport: 35 × 45 mm print, plain white or plain light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two identical photos, not attached; one photo certified in many cases; who certifies it; studio-size print, uncut.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. For the paper route you need prints. The guidance asks for them to be printed to a high quality, such as photos printed by a studio, and it states that photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of a high enough quality.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Hand the printed form and your photos in at the Department of Immigration & Home Affairs, 2nd Floor, Leanse Place, 50 Town Range, Gibraltar. The notes state that you can only apply for a passport in Gibraltar if you live or work there.

Make this photo online

Gibraltar passport photo FAQ

The guidance notes ask for the size of a standard passport photograph taken in a photo studio: 45 millimetres high by 35 millimetres wide (35 x 45 mm). You provide two identical photos and must not attach them to the form.

A plain white or plain light background. This is wider than the UK printed photo rules, which ask for plain cream or light grey. Avoid shadows, other people and objects.

The notes call it a recommended head height, the distance between the bottom of the chin and the crown of the head, of between 29 and 34 millimetres. Aim for that range, in a close-up of the face, head and shoulders.

The notes ask for a high-quality print, such as photos printed by a studio, and say photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of a high enough quality. They do not forbid it outright, but a lab print is the safer choice.

For a first British passport, a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged one, a child renewal, a change of issuing authority or when you cannot be recognised from your current photo, yes: one photo is certified. Otherwise only if your appearance has significantly changed.

Gibraltar recommends removing them if possible. If you keep them on, avoid reflection or glare, keep the frames away from your eyes, and do not wear sunglasses or tinted glasses.

Not according to the Government of Gibraltar's current pages, which offer a printable form. A press release of 8 September 2026 says an online service on the HM Passport Office system is scheduled to launch in November 2026, subject to final confirmation. Until then the paper form is used.

It must have been taken within the last month. It should also be clear, in sharp focus, and in colour on plain white photographic paper, without tears, creases or marks.

Related photo specifications

Passports nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Department of Immigration & Home Affairs, HM Government of Gibraltar. Applying for a passport: guidance notes gibraltar.gov.gi. Checked 3 November 2026.
  2. Department of Immigration & Home Affairs, HM Government of Gibraltar. Passports and Nationality gibraltar.gov.gi. Checked 3 November 2026.
  3. HM Government of Gibraltar. Department of Immigration & Home Affairs gibraltar.gov.gi. Checked 3 November 2026.
  4. HM Government of Gibraltar. Passport applications to move online this winter (press release 662/2026) gibraltar.gov.gi. Checked 3 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Department of Immigration & Home Affairs, HM Government of Gibraltar before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Gibraltar passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/gibraltar/passport-photo

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