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Papua New Guinea passport photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA) for the Papua New Guinea passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Papua New Guinea passport photo?

A Papua New Guinea passport application needs two recent printed photos, each within 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), showing head and shoulders only, full face, with no hat or tinted glasses. The ICA form asks for a light coloured background and its checklists say white, with a neutral expression and no smiling. The person who certifies your application signs the back of one photo.

The Papua New Guinea passport is issued by the Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority, which calls itself ICA on its website. The application is a paper form, and the photographs travel with it as prints: two recent photos, each within 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in). That size appears on the application form, on the ICA passport web page and on the ICA checklists, so it has an official basis.

The picture must show the head and shoulders only, taken from the front, without a hat or tinted glasses. The form and the web page ask for a light coloured background. The checklists for ordinary adult and child passports are stricter and say white, and they add a neutral expression with no smiling and no teeth showing. A plain white wall and a straight, closed-mouth pose satisfy both wordings.

One print carries a handwritten endorsement. The person who completes the Certificate Regarding Applicant on page 3 of the form must also write a short statement on the back of one photo and sign it. ICA says that person must have known you for at least three years and must be one of a listed group, such as a lawyer, medical practitioner, magistrate, minister of religion or commissioner of oaths. Have the photos printed before you meet them.

Papua New Guinea passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA):[1]

Print sizeWithin 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in); the checklists write "45mm x 35mm"
Digital sizeNo digital file: two printed photos go with the paper application form
BackgroundWhite (ICA checklists); "light coloured background" (application form and ICA web page)
ColourNot stated; the checklists ask for a neutral, non-smiling expression
Photo ageTwo recent photographs; no maximum age published
Print qualityNo paper or finish published; one photo is endorsed and signed on the back
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: white.

Key requirements

  • Two photos, within 35 x 45 mm

    The application form, the ICA passport page and the ICA checklists all ask for two photographs of that size. The checklists print it as 45mm x 35mm, which is the same rectangle written height first.

  • Head and shoulders, full face

    The form wants head and shoulders only, taken full face. Crop out the rest of the body and look straight at the camera without turning or tilting the head.

  • White or light background

    The application form and web page say light coloured. The checklists for first-time adult, adult renewal and child applications say white. A white background meets both.

  • Neutral expression

    The checklists ask for a neutral expression and say no smiling and no showing of teeth. The application form itself does not mention expression.

  • No hat and no tinted glasses

    The form asks for a photograph taken without a hat or tinted glasses. It does not describe any exception for religious or cultural head coverings.

  • Certifier signs the back of one print

    The person who signs the Certificate Regarding Applicant must also endorse the back of one photograph, stating that it is a genuine photograph of you by full name, and sign.

  • Lodged on paper

    ICA describes a printed, hand-completed or Adobe-filled form that is lodged at its Waigani office or posted. None of the pages read describes a photo upload for the passport.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Print two identical photos, each within 35 x 45 mm.
  • Use a plain white background with even light on the face.
  • Look straight at the camera with a neutral, closed-mouth expression.
  • Show only your head and shoulders, with the whole face visible.
  • Take both prints to the person who certifies your application before you submit.
  • Keep the photos recent, as the form asks for recent photographs.

Don't

  • Do not wear a hat or tinted glasses.
  • Do not smile or show your teeth if you follow the ICA checklist.
  • Do not submit prints larger than 35 x 45 mm.
  • Do not rely on a size from another country: 40 x 50 mm and 2 x 2 in are not in the ICA material.

Sample photos

How a Papua New Guinea passport 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

The only glasses rule in the ICA material is that the photograph must be taken without tinted glasses. Nothing read says whether clear prescription glasses are accepted. If you wear them, confirm with ICA before you print.

Headwear and religious dress

The form says the photograph must be taken without a hat. No ICA page read describes a religious or cultural exception, or says whether a plain head covering that leaves the face clear is accepted. Ask ICA or the PNG mission handling your application if this affects you.

Babies and children

Children use the same photograph rules. ICA publishes a separate checklist for applicants under 18, and it repeats the two photos, head and shoulders, white background, 45mm x 35mm and no-smiling wording. Applicants under 17 also need the consent of their parents or legal guardians on page 2 of the form.

Everything ICA publishes refers to printed photographs that are attached to or submitted with the paper application. No pixel size, file size or upload channel is given for the passport. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to the proportions of 35 x 45 mm, then printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut down. Print on photo paper so that the image is sharp and the endorsement can be written on the back.

Where to submit the photo

In Port Moresby, ICA says to lodge the application at its head office in the Central Government Office, Waigani. Outside Port Moresby it says to post the application to the PNG Passports Branch at PO Box 1790, Boroko, National Capital District. A separate application is needed for each person.

ICA's overseas missions page tells applicants outside Papua New Guinea to contact their nearest PNG embassy, high commission or consulate for help with a passport. Missions can set their own steps and photo wording, so check with the mission before you print. ICA also runs an online passport application status checker and an online payment account for fees.

How to get your Papua New Guinea passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Papua New Guinea passport: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two photos, within 35 x 45 mm; head and shoulders, full face; white or light background; neutral expression.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Everything ICA publishes refers to printed photographs that are attached to or submitted with the paper application. No pixel size, file size or upload channel is given for the passport.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Port Moresby, ICA says to lodge the application at its head office in the Central Government Office, Waigani. Outside Port Moresby it says to post the application to the PNG Passports Branch at PO Box 1790, Boroko, National Capital District.

Make this photo online

Papua New Guinea passport photo FAQ

Each photo should be within 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in). The ICA application form and passport page use 35 mm x 45 mm, and the ICA checklists write 45mm x 35mm. You need two prints.

The application form and ICA web page say a light coloured background. The ICA checklists for adult and child applications say white. Use white, which satisfies both wordings.

Two recent photographs. The person who certifies your application must sign a short statement on the back of one of them. The other print stays plain.

No. The ICA checklists ask for a neutral expression and say no smiling and no showing of teeth. The application form does not mention expression, but follow the checklist.

The ICA material bans tinted glasses and says nothing else about glasses. It does not say whether clear prescription lenses are accepted, so ask ICA if you wear them.

No upload is described. The passport application is a paper form lodged at the ICA office in Waigani or posted to the PNG Passports Branch, and the two photos are submitted as prints with it.

The person who completes the Certificate Regarding Applicant. ICA lists lawyers, medical practitioners, magistrates, ministers of religion, commissioners of oaths and commissioned officers of the Defence Force and Police Force, and they must have known you for three years.

Yes. ICA's checklist for applicants under 18 repeats the adult wording: two head-and-shoulders photos, full face, white background, 45mm x 35mm, neutral expression and no tinted glasses.

ICA tells applicants outside Papua New Guinea to contact the nearest PNG embassy, high commission or consulate. Ask the mission what it wants before you print photos, as it may add its own steps.

Related photo specifications

Other Papua New Guinea documents

Passports nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA). Applying for a PNG Passport ica.gov.pg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA). Passport FAQ ica.gov.pg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA). Application for a PNG Passport (form FA 81) ica.gov.pg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA). Travel Document Checklists ica.gov.pg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA). Checklist: Ordinary PNG Passport, first time, 19 years and older ica.gov.pg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA). Checklist: PNG passport, applicants under 18 ica.gov.pg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA). Overseas Missions and Posts ica.gov.pg. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with PNG Immigration & Citizenship Services Authority (ICA) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Papua New Guinea passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/papua-new-guinea/passport-photo

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