Singapore photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 8 documents issued in Singapore, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) uses one photo standard for the passport, the Identity Card (NRIC) and the entry visa: 35 x 45 mm when printed and 400 x 514 pixels when uploaded, in colour, on a plain white background and taken within the last 3 months. What differs is who submits the photo and how it reaches ICA.
Overview
A Singapore passport photo is 35 x 45 mm without a border, on a plain white background, with the face 25 to 35 mm from chin to crown, and ICA's e-Services take it as a 400 x 514 pixel colour file of up to 8 MB in JPG, JPEG, HEIC, HEIF or PNG.
ICA issues all three documents. Singapore citizens apply for passports on the MyICA portal, and citizens and permanent residents register for the IC at 15 and re-register at 30 and 55 through the IC e-Service. In both cases the applicant logs in with Singpass and uploads a digital photo; prints are needed only for paper or counter applications, such as the overseas passport form.
Entry visas work differently. A local contact or strategic partner in Singapore uploads the visitor's photo through ICA's visa e-Service, or the visitor applies through a Singapore Overseas Mission or its authorised visa agent, which may ask for printed photos attached to Form 14A. One Photo Guidelines page on the ICA website covers all of these applications.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | 400 × 514 px | Plain white |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | 400 × 514 px | Plain white |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 35 × 45 mm | 400 × 514 px | Plain white |
Driving licences
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore driving licence | 35 × 45 mm | — | White |
Residence and work permits
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR, citizenship, LTVP and student's pass | 400 × 514 px | 400 × 514 px | White |
| Work pass (employment pass, S pass, work permit) | — | — | — |
Student cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student card | 35 × 45 mm | 340 × 453 px | White |
Bus and transport cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student concession card | — | 240 × 320 px | Plain white, without shadow |
Frequently asked questions
Yes. ICA asks for a passport-sized colour photo for all three, which is 35 x 45 mm without a border when printed, and its e-Services take 400 x 514 pixel files of up to 8 MB.
Taken within the last 3 months, for passports, Identity Cards and entry visas alike. For passports and ICs, ICA verifies your face against the photo when you collect the document.
Yes. ICA suggests using an app made for passport or identity card photos and having someone else take the picture, since selfies usually fail its requirements. Stand in front of a plain white background in even light, because ICA lets you resize the photo to 400 x 514 pixels but not alter it, filter it or change your features.
On the Photo Guidelines page of the ICA website, which lists the e-Service file specifications and a set of dos and don'ts. The millimetre size and the 25 to 35 mm face height are printed in the notes of ICA's overseas passport application form.
Yes, if the lenses are clear and untinted and your eyes can be seen plainly through them. The frames must not cover any part of your eyes, and no flash or light may reflect off the lenses. Sunglasses, tinted glasses and coloured contact lenses are not allowed. Wearing glasses is your choice: ICA only sets conditions for when you do.
Between 25 and 35 mm from chin to crown on the 35 x 45 mm photo, according to the notes of ICA's overseas passport form. Both edges of the face and the top of the shoulders must show, and ICA's dos and don'ts reject a crop that cuts off your hair or shoulders.
Nearby countries
Other countries in South-eastern Asia:
Official sources
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Photo Guidelines ica.gov.sg. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Application for Singapore Biometric Passport Submitted Overseas, form IMM(E)11 (PDF) ica.gov.sg. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Singapore Passport Application ica.gov.sg. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Identity Card Re-Registration for 30/55-Year-Olds ica.gov.sg. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Visa Guidelines ica.gov.sg. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Form 14A, Application for Entry Visa (PDF) ica.gov.sg. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Singapore photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/singapore