Taiwan passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) for the Taiwan passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Taiwan passport photo?
A Taiwan passport photo is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), in colour, taken within the last 6 months. The head must measure 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, centred on a plain white background. Keep your mouth closed, show your ears and eyebrows, and do not alter the image. Hand in two identical prints, or upload a JPG of at least 413 x 531 pixels, up to 5 MB.
Taiwan passports are issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In Taiwan you apply at BOCA in Taipei or at one of the ministry's Central, Southern, Eastern and Southwestern Taiwan Offices, in person or through an authorised agent. A first passport can also be started at a household registration office, which verifies your identity or takes the application through a one-stop service. Abroad, applications go to the nearest Taiwan (ROC) overseas mission; in the United States these are the Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (TECO).
BOCA states that its passport photo standard follows the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). A paper application needs two identical colour photos taken within the last six months. The Chinese version of the standard, updated on 29 August 2025, is a little more detailed than the English page of June 2025, and this guide draws on both.
The photo goes into a chip passport and is compared with your face at the automated e-gates in airports. BOCA warns that retouched or mirrored photos can stop those gates from recognising you. It adds that phone selfies often come out mirrored or distorted by a wide-angle lens, and suggests having passport photos taken at a photo studio, although it does not require one.
Taiwan passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), width x height, not including the frame |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Upload: at least 413 x 531 pixels (width x height) |
| Head height | 32 to 36 mm (1.26 to 1.42 in) from chin to crown, so the face fills about 70 to 80% of the photo |
| Background | Plain white, evenly lit, with no shadows or reflections |
| Colour | Colour, with natural skin tone and appropriate brightness and contrast |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 6 months |
| File size | Upload: no larger than 5 MB |
| File format | Upload: JPG or JPEG, RGB colour mode, at least 24-bit |
| Print quality | High resolution on high-quality glossy photo paper; no resampling or resizing before printing; no ink marks or creases |
| 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:
Alteration of the digital image is not permitted.
Key requirements
- Head 32 to 36 mm, centred
Frame the photo close up on the head and the top of the shoulders. Measured from the chin to the crown, the head must be 32 to 36 mm high on the 45 mm print, so that the face takes up roughly 70 to 80% of the picture, and it must sit in the middle from left to right.
- No edits, composites or mirror images
BOCA does not permit any alteration of the digital image. Composite photos and photos reversed left to right are refused, and the Chinese version also rules out retouching. The conditional online renewal service warns that if a composite, mirrored or heavily retouched photo is found when the passport is issued, the fee is not refunded and you must apply and pay again.
- Mouth closed, eyes open
Face the camera and look straight into the lens with both eyes open, without tilting your head to one side, forwards or backwards. Keep a natural expression with your mouth closed; the Chinese version adds that teeth must not show. Applicants who physically cannot close their mouth are exempt from that rule.
- Eyebrows, ears and face outline on show
Hair must not cover any part of the eyebrows or eyes, and both edges of the face must be visible. Ears, moles, birthmarks and scars must show too. The only exception is microtia: applicants with this condition may cover their ears with hair, as long as both sides of the face stay visible.
- How BOCA wants it shot
Put the lens at eye level about 1.2 m from the face, and never closer than 1 m. Do not use digital zoom, set the white balance correctly, and use several diffused lights that light both sides of the face and the background evenly, without shadows. A photo showing red eye is not accepted. A digital camera should have at least 3 megapixels and be set to its highest quality and high saturation.
- Print without resizing
Print at high resolution on high-quality glossy photo paper, so the image is sharp with no blur or jagged edges. BOCA says the original image must not be resampled or resized before printing. Prints of poor quality, or on paper too thin to make the passport, are rejected, as are photos with ink marks or creases.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Measure the head from chin to crown: 32 to 36 mm
- Bring two identical colour prints taken within 6 months
- Keep your mouth closed and both eyes open
- Show both ears, both eyebrows and the edges of your face
- Print on high-quality glossy photo paper
- Save an upload as a JPG of at least 413 x 531 pixels, under 5 MB
Don't
- Do not retouch, mirror or composite the photo
- Do not wear tinted glasses or coloured contact lenses
- Do not wear a military or police uniform or camouflage
- Do not let hair cover your eyebrows or eyes
- Do not use a phone selfie that flips your face
- Do not resample or resize the image before printing
Sample photos
How a Taiwan 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.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Glasses may stay on if your eyes are clearly visible and the lenses show no glare or reflection. Tinted glasses are not allowed, with an exception for visually impaired applicants. Avoid thick frames, and make sure no part of the frame covers your eyes.
Coloured contact lenses and circle (pupil-enlarging) lenses are refused. BOCA explains that they make your eyes look very different from the photo, which can lead to visa refusals or trouble at immigration abroad. For photos taken in the US, TECO San Francisco goes further and tells applicants not to wear glasses at all.
Headwear and religious dress
Hats come off. The English standard accepts a head covering only for religious or medical reasons, while the Chinese version mentions religious headscarves alone. In either case the photo must show your features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of the face.
BOCA also asks applicants not to be photographed in a military or police uniform or in camouflage clothing.
Babies and children
Children and babies need passport photos to the same standard, including the 32 to 36 mm head size. The child must appear alone, showing only the head and shoulders: no chair back, toys, pacifier or other people. The Chinese version adds that the hand of a person helping with the photo must not appear either.
For a baby born abroad, BOCA asks for two identical passport photos of the baby, together with the authenticated birth certificate and the other documents. When applying in Taiwan, unmarried applicants under 18 and people under guardianship also need a consent form signed by their legal guardian.
Printed and digital photos
In Taiwan you can upload the photo while filling in BOCA's personal passport application and appointment system, or a travel agency can upload it through its own system. The file must be a JPG or JPEG in RGB colour, at least 24-bit, no larger than 5 MB, and at least 413 pixels wide and 531 pixels high. An upload replaces the two prints, with two exceptions: if you print the short application sheet in black and white, attach one colour print identical to the upload, and a travel agency that sends no digital file must attach one print. If a print or upload fails the standard, BOCA asks for two new high-quality prints.
Adults with a household registration in Taiwan can also renew fully online through BOCA's conditional online passport renewal system, if the current passport has expired or has less than a year left, is not lost, and none of the details change. You sign in with a citizen digital certificate or its mobile app, upload a photo taken within 6 months that meets the passport standard, pay by credit card and collect the passport in person.
If you apply from the USA, the accepted size depends on the office. TECO San Francisco accepts a US passport photo, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), provided the head is at the US maximum of 1 3/8 inches (35 mm), and tells applicants to ask the photographer for exactly that. TECO Seattle's guide asks for a print 35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high with a 32 to 36 mm face, and warns that the head size rules differ from US passport photo standards. TECO Los Angeles lists 1.77 x 1.38 inch photos for renewals. Check with your own office before printing a square photo.
Where to submit the photo
In Taiwan, renewals and replacements go to BOCA in Taipei or to the Central, Southern, Eastern or Southwestern Taiwan Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in person or through an authorised agent such as a relative or a licensed travel agency. A first passport can be applied for at those offices, or through any household registration office, either by verifying your identity there and appointing an agent, or through the one-stop passport application service.
Abroad, renew at the nearest Taiwan (ROC) overseas mission with the application form, your most recent passport and two identical photos. TECO San Francisco takes renewals by mail or drop-off, but applicants whose passport was lost, whose last passport photo is over 20 years old, or whose appearance has changed significantly must come in person.
How to get your Taiwan passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Taiwan passport: 35 × 45 mm print, 413 × 531 px digital file, plain white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: head 32 to 36 mm, centred; no edits, composites or mirror images; mouth closed, eyes open; eyebrows, ears and face outline on show.
- Prepare a print or digital file. In Taiwan you can upload the photo while filling in BOCA's personal passport application and appointment system, or a travel agency can upload it through its own system.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Taiwan, renewals and replacements go to BOCA in Taipei or to the Central, Southern, Eastern or Southwestern Taiwan Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in person or through an authorised agent such as a relative or a licensed travel agency.
Taiwan passport photo FAQ
It is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high (1.38 x 1.77 in), not counting any border. On that print the head must measure 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, centred, so the face fills about 70 to 80% of the photo. Use a plain white background and a colour photo taken within the last 6 months.
Only where the office accepts it. TECO San Francisco takes a US passport photo if the head measures 1 3/8 inches, the US maximum, which it says is needed to meet Taiwan standards. BOCA's own standard is 35 x 45 mm, TECO Seattle gives a width of 35 to 40 mm and TECO Los Angeles lists 1.77 x 1.38 inches, so a square print may be turned away elsewhere.
No. BOCA asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed, and the Chinese version of the standard specifies a natural, unexaggerated look with no teeth showing. Applicants who are physically unable to close their mouth are exempt. Keep both eyes open and look straight into the camera.
Yes, if your eyes are clearly visible, the lenses have no glare and the frame does not cover any part of your eyes. Tinted glasses are refused unless you are visually impaired, and BOCA asks you to avoid thick frames. Coloured and circle contact lenses are not allowed.
BOCA does not ban it, but warns that phone selfies are often mirrored or distorted by a wide-angle lens, which shifts facial features, shrinks the ears or warps the face. Such photos can lead to a request for a new photo and a later collection date, so BOCA suggests a photo studio. If you use a phone, have someone else take the picture from about 1.2 m at eye level.
A JPG or JPEG in RGB colour, at least 24-bit, no larger than 5 MB, and at least 413 pixels wide and 531 pixels high. It must also meet the full photo standard, including the 32 to 36 mm head and the white background. BOCA's online form and appointment system, the travel agency system and the conditional online renewal service all take uploads.
Usually not, but there are exceptions. If you print the short application sheet from BOCA's system in black and white, attach one colour print identical to the uploaded file. Travel agency applications without a digital file need one print. Applications at overseas missions ask for two identical prints.
No. Ears must be visible, along with any moles, birthmarks or scars, and hair must not cover the eyebrows or eyes. The one exception is for applicants with microtia, who may cover their ears with hair as long as both edges of the face remain clearly visible.
Related photo specifications
Other Taiwan documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- China passport photo 33 × 48 mm
- Hong Kong passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Japan passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Macau passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Mongolia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- South Korea passport 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
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). Passport Photos boca.gov.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). Chip passport photo specifications (晶片護照照片規格) boca.gov.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). Conditional online passport renewal (有條件式線上申換護照專區) boca.gov.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). Renewing passport in Taiwan boca.gov.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). Applying for first passport in Taiwan boca.gov.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). Renew a Passport (abroad) boca.gov.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). Passports for Newborn Babies boca.gov.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco. How to Renew A Taiwan Passport roc-taiwan.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco. ePassport Renewal & Replacement Checklist (PDF, 2026.01) roc-taiwan.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle. ePassport Photo Guidelines roc-taiwan.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles. Renewal, first-time application, and replacement of a lost/stolen passport roc-taiwan.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
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"Taiwan passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/taiwan/passport-photo