Taiwan ID card photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior for the Taiwan ID card, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Taiwan ID card photo?
A Taiwan national ID card photo is 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm), in colour, taken within the last 2 years. From the top of the head to the chin the face must measure 3.2 to 3.6 cm, on a white background, with both ear outlines visible. Hand in one print on thin glossy photo paper, or upload a JPG of at least 413 x 531 pixels, up to 5 MB. Retouching is not allowed.
The Taiwan national identity card is issued by household registration offices, under the Department of Household Registration of the Ministry of the Interior. You apply for a first card, for a replacement when a card is lost, or for a new card when your registered details change, the card is damaged or you want a new photo. From the age of 14 you apply in person for a first card or a replacement. For a younger child, a legal representative applies and the child must attend so that staff can compare the face with the photo.
The photo rules form Annex 1 of the regulations on ID card formats and photo image files, last amended on 18 October 2024, and the Department publishes them on its website. The size and head height match the passport standard, 3.5 x 4.5 cm with a 3.2 to 3.6 cm face, but the ID card accepts a photo taken within the last 2 years rather than 6 months.
You can hand in one printed photo or a digital one uploaded through the Department's online ID card image upload service. If the office already holds a photo of you filed within the last 2 years, and your face still matches it, you may not need a new photo at all. The standard names a single size, so smaller prints and square photos are not part of it.
Taiwan ID card photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior:[1]
| Print size | 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm), width x height, not including the border |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Digital photo: at least 413 x 531 pixels (width x height) |
| Head height | 3.2 to 3.6 cm (32 to 36 mm) from the top of the head to the chin |
| Background | White |
| Colour | Colour, neutral colours, natural skin tone |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 2 years |
| File size | Digital photo: no larger than 5 MB |
| File format | Digital photo: JPG |
| Print quality | One front-facing print on thin glossy paper, printed at high resolution on high-quality photo paper |
| 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:
The photo must not be modified, and no retouching or enhancement of the digital image may be made. Composite photos and mirror-image photos may not be used. (translated from Chinese)
page for staff of diplomatic missions, which asks for
Key requirements
- Taken within 2 years
The ID card standard accepts a photo taken within the last 2 years, a longer window than the 6 months passports require. A photo already on file is reused when it was filed within 2 years and the office finds that your face still matches. When you renew, the regulations list further cases where the stored photo is used, such as an office error or a renumbered house address.
- One size: 3.5 x 4.5 cm
The print must be 4.5 cm high and 3.5 cm wide without the border, framed close on the head and the top of the shoulders so the face covers 70 to 80% of the photo. From the top of the head to the chin the face must measure no less than 3.2 cm and no more than 3.6 cm. No other size is listed, so a 25 x 30 mm print or a square 2 x 2 inch photo does not meet the standard.
- No retouching
The photo must not be modified, and digital retouching or enhancement of the image is not allowed. Composite photos and mirror-image photos may not be used either. The aim, in the standard's words, is a photo good enough to identify your appearance.
- Ear outlines and face shape
Both ear outlines, the sides of the face and any distinctive moles, birthmarks or scars must be clear and uncovered. Hair must not cover the eyes, a fringe should not hide the eyebrows or features, and sideburns long enough to hide the ears should be trimmed. People with microtia may let hair cover the ear outline, provided both sides of the face stay visible.
- Details on the back
Write your name, your national ID number and the date the photo was taken on the back of the print. The Department also recommends dark clothing, because light-coloured clothes can spoil the look of the photo on the new card.
- Natural expression
The standard asks for no special expression and a closed mouth. The Department explains that this means a natural, unexaggerated expression, and that smiling is not prohibited. Look straight at the lens with both eyes open, and do not turn to one side like a portrait or tilt your head.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a photo taken within the last 2 years
- Check the face measures 3.2 to 3.6 cm
- Keep both ear outlines visible
- Wear dark clothing
- Write your name, ID number and photo date on the back
- Upload a JPG of at least 413 x 531 pixels if you go digital
Don't
- Do not retouch or enhance the image
- Do not use a composite or mirror-image photo
- Do not wear tinted glasses, coloured contacts or circle lenses
- Do not bring a 2 x 2 inch or 25 x 30 mm print
- Do not let a fringe cover your eyebrows
- Do not include a chair back, toys or another person
Sample photos
How a Taiwan ID card 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.
Glasses
Glasses are allowed if both eyes are clearly visible and there is no flash reflection on the lenses. Make sure the frame covers no part of the eyes; the Department advises lighter glasses rather than thick frames.
Tinted glasses are not allowed, and the ban extends to coloured contact lenses and pupil-enlarging circle lenses. Visually impaired people may wear tinted glasses.
Headwear and religious dress
Take off any hat. If you wear a headscarf for religious reasons, the photo must still show all your features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, together with both sides of the face.
The Department's notes allow tied or dyed hair, a beard, and earrings or a nose ring, as long as they do not deliberately cover the eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, ears or face outline. People undergoing chemotherapy, or whose hair is naturally sparse, may wear a wig.
Babies and children
Children follow the same photo standard as adults. The photo must show the child alone, with no chair back, toys or other people in the frame, and the mouth should be closed.
A child under 14 is applied for by a legal representative, or by a grandparent or other direct ascendant whom the legal representative appoints, and the child must attend so that staff can compare the face. If one parent cannot come, the absent parent gives written consent; consent signed abroad must be authenticated by a Taiwan overseas mission.
Printed and digital photos
For a print, hand in one front-facing colour photo on thin glossy paper with a white background, printed at high resolution on high-quality photo paper. A photo from a digital camera must have high colour saturation and be printed on photo paper.
For a digital photo, use the ID card image upload service on the Department of Household Registration's website. The file must be a JPG of no more than 5 MB, at least 413 pixels wide and 531 pixels high, and it must meet every rule that applies to a print. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to these limits, but the standard bars any retouching or enhancement.
Where to submit the photo
Apply at a household registration office. Any office in Taiwan handles first cards and replacements, and any office can issue a new card when the old one is damaged or the photo is being changed. When a household registration change alters what is printed on the card, apply at the office handling that registration. Holders of an old-style card who have not yet switched must go to the office where their household is registered.
From age 14 you must come in person for a first card or a replacement. A renewal can be handled by someone you authorise in writing, but not when the photo is being changed: then you must attend yourself.
How to get your Taiwan ID card photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Taiwan ID card: 35 × 45 mm print, 413 × 531 px digital file, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: taken within 2 years; one size: 3.5 x 4.5 cm; no retouching; ear outlines and face shape.
- Prepare a print or digital file. For a print, hand in one front-facing colour photo on thin glossy paper with a white background, printed at high resolution on high-quality photo paper. A photo from a digital camera must have high colour saturation and be printed on photo paper.
- Submit the photo with your application. Apply at a household registration office. Any office in Taiwan handles first cards and replacements, and any office can issue a new card when the old one is damaged or the photo is being changed.
Taiwan ID card photo FAQ
3.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm high (35 x 45 mm), not counting a border, in colour on a white background. The face, from the top of the head to the chin, must be between 3.2 and 3.6 cm. Hand in one print, or upload a digital photo of at least 413 x 531 pixels.
Up to 2 years. The national ID card rules accept a photo taken within the last 2 years, both in the photo standard and in the regulations on first issue, replacement and renewal. Passports are stricter and ask for a photo taken within the last 6 months.
A closed-mouth smile is not banned. The standard asks for no special expression and a closed mouth, and the Department of Household Registration explains that this means a natural, unexaggerated expression, adding that smiling is not prohibited. Keep your eyes open and look straight at the camera.
No. The ID card photo standard lists a single size, 4.5 cm high and 3.5 cm wide, with a face of 3.2 to 3.6 cm. A square 2 x 2 inch print or a small 25 x 30 mm photo does not match it, so have the photo printed or cropped at 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
Yes. The Department of Household Registration runs an ID card image upload service on its website. The file must be a JPG, no larger than 5 MB, at least 531 pixels high and 413 pixels wide, and it must meet every other rule of the standard, including the white background and the ban on retouching.
Not always. If the office holds a photo of you filed within the last 2 years and your face still matches it, the card can be made from the stored image. The regulations also waive a new photo in some other renewals, such as those caused by an office error, an administrative boundary change or a renumbered house address.
Yes. The Department's notes do not prohibit earrings or nose rings, provided they do not deliberately cover the eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, ears or face outline. Wigs are allowed for people undergoing chemotherapy or with naturally sparse hair, and tied or dyed hair and beards are also fine.
Your name, your national identification number and the date the photo was taken, as the ID card photo standard requires. This applies to a printed photo; a digital photo goes through the online upload service instead.
Related photo specifications
Other Taiwan documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
Identity cards nearby
- China ID card photo 26 × 32 mm
- Macau resident identity card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan ID card photo
- Armenia ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Azerbaijan ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Bahrain ID card photo 40 × 60 mm
- India ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- India voter ID card (EPIC) photo
- Iraq ID card photo
- Israel ID card 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 Taiwan photo specifications
- Identity cards: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior. National ID card photo specifications (國民身分證相片規格) ris.gov.tw. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior. Applying for a first, replacement or renewed ID card (請領（初補換）國民身分證) ris.gov.tw. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior. ID card image upload (國民身分證影像上傳) ris.gov.tw. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Laws and Regulations Database, Ministry of Justice. Regulations on ID card and household certificate formats and photo image files (國民身分證及戶口名簿格式內容製發相片影像檔建置管理辦法) law.moj.gov.tw. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Taiwan ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/taiwan/id-card-photo