Macau photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 3 documents issued in Macau, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
The Identification Services Bureau (DSI) sets one photo standard for the Macao SAR passport and the Resident Identity Card: 35 x 45 mm, plain white, no margin, head 34 to 36 mm from age 10. Passport photos must be under 6 months old and identity card photos under 12. For visas, the PSP asks for 1.5-inch white-background photos, while the Chinese Embassy in the UK asks for 33 x 48 mm.
Overview
Macao (also written Macau) is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China with its own identification and immigration services. Residents' documents come from the Identification Services Bureau (DSI): the Macao SAR passport for Chinese nationals with permanent residence, the Macao SAR Travel Permit and the Resident Identity Card (BIR). Visitor entry is controlled by the Public Security Police Force (PSP), and Macao visas are also issued abroad by Chinese embassies and consulates.
DSI photos can be taken by DSI itself at its counters and kiosks, supplied as a studio print, or chosen from the "My Photos" album of the Macao One Account app. Visa photos are prints that go with a paper application, and their size depends on whether you apply to the PSP or to a Chinese mission. Nationals of 88 countries need no visa for a visit.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain white, without margin |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 33 × 48 mm | — | PSP: white |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident identity card | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain white with no margin |
Frequently asked questions
The format is the same: DSI applies one specification, 35 x 45 mm on plain white with a 34 to 36 mm head from age 10, to the identity card and to travel documents. The difference is age: up to 6 months for a passport or travel permit, up to 12 months for the identity card.
DSI issues the Macao SAR passport, the travel permit and the resident identity card. Visitor entry is decided by the Public Security Police Force, which grants visa-upon-arrival and Prior Authorization to Enter, while Chinese embassies and consulates issue Macao SAR visas abroad.
Not on every channel. The PSP asks for 1.5-inch photos, the size DSI defines as 35 x 45 mm, but the Chinese Embassy in the UK asks for 33 x 48 mm prints. Check the list of the office you apply to.
Yes, for most in-person applications. DSI photographs applicants on site at no cost at its counters, and self-service kiosks take the photo for passport and identity card renewals. Postal passport applications from abroad need a studio print.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Eastern Asia:
Official sources
- Identification Services Bureau, Macao SAR Government. Photograph Specifications, DSI-52-M (PDF) dsi.gov.mo. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Macao SAR Government Portal (content: Identification Services Bureau). Application procedures for Macao SAR Passport gov.mo. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Macao SAR Government Portal (content: Identification Services Bureau). Macao SAR Resident Identity Card (BIR): Renewal Application gov.mo. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Macao SAR Government Portal (content: Public Security Police Force). Immigration Clearance of Non-residents of Macao gov.mo. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom. Part Five: Visa for Macao SAR of China gb.china-embassy.gov.cn. Checked 2 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Macau photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/macau