Tuvalu passport photo requirements
The 38 × 51 mm photo rules set by Government of Tuvalu (Tuvalu legislation portal) for the Tuvalu passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Tuvalu passport photo?
The Tuvalu Passports Regulations ask for two copies of a recent photograph, 2 inches by 1½ inches (about 51 x 38 mm), taken full face without a hat. The prints must not be mounted, must be on normal thin photographic paper and must not be glazed on the back. A witness certifies the back of one copy. No background colour, head size or glasses rule is published.
A Tuvalu passport is issued by a Passport Officer under the Passports Regulations (Cap. 24.20.1, 2022 Revised Edition), which the Government publishes on the Tuvalu legislation portal. An adult citizen applies on Form 1A and a child under 18 on Form 1B. A witness, called an approved person, signs the application. The Regulations name a Member of Parliament, a minister of religion, a public officer of grade 5 or above, an Island President, a person who can administer oaths, or someone of similar standing who knows the applicant personally.
The photo rules are in the notes printed under those two forms, not in a separate guide. Both forms ask for two printed copies of a recent photograph. Form 1A gives the size as "2 inches by 1½ inches" and Form 1B as "approximately" the same. Neither form says which side is the width. This page reads the photo as a portrait print, 1½ inches wide and 2 inches high, because regulation 2(3)(c) asks for a photograph "approximately 1 1/2 inches in size". That is a reading, so confirm it with the Passport Officer before you print.
No Tuvalu page read gives a background colour, a head size, an eye position, a pixel size or a rule on glasses or expression, so none is stated here. The Australian Government's Falepili Mobility Pathway support page, which explains how Tuvaluans apply for a passport, says the photo can be taken at the Tuvalu Department of Immigration or at Pese Prints, both in Funafuti. It also says an application can be delayed if the photo does not meet "the photo guidelines", but it does not state them.
Tuvalu passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Government of Tuvalu (Tuvalu legislation portal):[1]
| Print size | 1½ x 2 inches (about 38 x 51 mm); the Regulations print "2 inches by 1½ inches" without saying which is the width |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: two printed photographs go with the paper application form |
| Background | No colour published; photographs "taken full face without hat" (Form 1A) |
| Photo age | A "recent photograph"; no maximum age is published |
| Print quality | Normal thin photographic paper, not mounted, not glazed on the reverse side |
| Pixels when printed | 449 × 602 px at 300 dpi · 898 × 1205 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
must be 2 inches by 1½ inches
approximately 2 inches by 1½ inches
approximately 1 1/2 inches in size
Key requirements
- Size: 2 inches by 1½ inches
Note 3 to Form 1A says "The size of the photographs must be 2 inches by 1½ inches." Form 1B, for a child, says "approximately 2 inches by 1½ inches". That is about 51 x 38 mm. Regulation 2(3)(c) speaks only of a photograph "approximately 1 1/2 inches in size".
- Two copies of a recent photograph
Both forms ask for two copies. Regulation 2(3)(c) adds that the photograph must show "a sufficient likeness of the applicant". No age limit for "recent" is stated.
- Full face, without a hat
Form 1A and Form 1B both say the photographs "must be taken full face without hat". Face the camera squarely, with the whole face visible.
- Not mounted, on thin photographic paper
The photographs "must not be mounted" and must be printed on normal thin photographic paper. They "must not be glazed on the reverse side".
- A witness certifies one copy
The witness endorses the reverse of one copy with the words "I certify that this is a true likeness of the applicant" followed by the applicant's title and name, and adds a signature. Take both prints to the witness before you sign the form.
- Spouse on a joint passport
Form 1A asks for two copies of the spouse's photograph as well where a joint passport is applied for, and one copy of the spouse's photograph is certified in the same way.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Print two copies of the same recent photograph at about 1½ x 2 inches (38 x 51 mm).
- Face the camera squarely, full face, with your whole face visible.
- Use normal thin photographic paper and leave the back of the print unglazed.
- Keep the prints loose and unmounted.
- Take both prints to your witness so one back can be certified as a true likeness.
- Ask the Immigration Office about background colour and glasses before you print.
- For a child, use two recent prints of the child with Form 1B.
Don't
- Do not wear a hat.
- Do not mount the photographs on card or paste them onto the form.
- Do not use prints that are glazed on the reverse side.
- Do not certify your own photo: the witness writes the statement on the back.
- Do not assume 35 x 45 mm: no Tuvalu page read gives that size.
- Do not rely on a background colour or glasses rule from another country.
Sample photos
How a Tuvalu passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 38 × 51 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
No Tuvalu page read says anything about glasses. Form 1A asks only for a full-face photograph without a hat, and the Falepili support page refers to photo guidelines without stating them. If you wear glasses, ask the Immigration Office whether to remove them before you have the photo taken.
Headwear and religious dress
The notes to Form 1A and Form 1B say the photographs must be taken "without hat". No page read describes an exception for religious or cultural head coverings. If this affects you, ask the Passport Officer before you print.
Babies and children
A person under 18 applies on Form 1B, and the Regulations say a passport is issued to a person under 18 only on proof that the parent or guardian consents. Form 1B asks for two copies of a recent photograph of the child, approximately 2 inches by 1½ inches, taken full face without a hat, unmounted, on thin photographic paper. The witness endorses the back of one copy. A child under 18 may also be included in a parent's passport; the inclusion ends when the child reaches 18.
Printed and digital photos
Tuvalu asks for paper photographs. No online upload, file format or pixel size is described, and the printing rules are about photographic paper, not about the camera. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to 1½ x 2 inches and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter, then cut apart. Leave the backs clear, because the witness writes on one of them.
Where to submit the photo
Applications go to a Passport Officer. Regulation 6(1) allows an application in person or by post to the office of a Passport Officer or an authorised overseas representative, and regulation 6(2) says to apply at least 14 days before the passport is needed. The Tuvalu Permanent Mission to the United Nations says new passports are issued only from Funafuti, and that missions cannot issue new passports but can extend one to its second 5-year term.
For people in Tuvalu, the Falepili support page says to take the completed form, supporting documents and a passport photo to the Government of Tuvalu Immigration Office in Funafuti, where staff check the application is complete. Regulation 11(3) says a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged passport is applied for in the same way as a new one.
How to get your Tuvalu passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Tuvalu passport: 38 × 51 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: size: 2 inches by 1½ inches; two copies of a recent photograph; full face, without a hat; not mounted, on thin photographic paper.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Tuvalu asks for paper photographs. No online upload, file format or pixel size is described, and the printing rules are about photographic paper, not about the camera.
- Submit the photo with your application. Applications go to a Passport Officer. Regulation 6(1) allows an application in person or by post to the office of a Passport Officer or an authorised overseas representative, and regulation 6(2) says to apply at least 14 days before the passport is needed.
Tuvalu passport photo FAQ
The Passports Regulations give 2 inches by 1½ inches for an adult on Form 1A, and approximately that size for a child on Form 1B. That is about 51 x 38 mm. They do not say which side is the width, so a portrait print of 1½ x 2 inches is the usual reading. Confirm it with the Passport Officer.
It is not published. Form 1A asks for photographs taken full face without a hat and says nothing about a background colour. No other Tuvalu page read names one, so ask the Immigration Office before you print.
Two copies of a recent photograph of the applicant. On a joint passport, two copies of the spouse's photograph are needed too. The witness certifies the back of one copy of each person's photograph.
The witness to the application, who must be an approved person. The Regulations list a Member of Parliament, a minister of religion, a public officer of grade 5 or above, an Island President, a person authorised to administer oaths, or someone of similar standing who knows you personally.
No hat: the forms say the photographs must be taken full face without hat. Nothing read mentions glasses or religious head coverings, so ask the Passport Officer if either applies to you.
The Australian Government's Falepili support page says in Funafuti you can have the photo taken at the Tuvalu Department of Immigration or at Pese Prints. Check with the Immigration Office what it wants on the day, because the printed rules are about unmounted prints on photographic paper.
The Regulations allow an application by post or through an authorised overseas representative. The Permanent Mission to the UN says new passports are issued only from Funafuti and missions cannot issue them, but they can extend a passport to its second 5-year term. Ask your nearest mission what it needs.
The size is given as approximately 2 inches by 1½ inches, and a child under 18 applies on Form 1B with a parent or guardian's consent. The photo wording is otherwise the same: two recent copies, full face, no hat, unmounted, on thin photographic paper.
The renewal form in the Regulations, Form 2, prints no photograph note, and the Passport Officer may ask for other documentation. Whether a photo is wanted at a mission or in Funafuti is not published, so ask before you print.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- American Samoa passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Cook Islands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- French Polynesia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Niue passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Pitcairn Islands photo 35 × 45 mm
- Samoa passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Tokelau passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Wallis and Futuna passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 38 × 51 mm
- Zambia passport photo 38 × 51 mm
- All Tuvalu photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 38 × 51 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Oceania
Official sources
- Government of Tuvalu (Tuvalu legislation portal). Passports Regulations (Cap. 24.20.1, 2022 Revised Edition) tuvalu-legislation.tv. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Permanent Mission of Tuvalu to the United Nations. Consular Services un.int. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Australian Government, Falepili Mobility Pathway. Support in Tuvalu: support for passports falepilipathway.gov.au. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Government of Tuvalu (Tuvalu legislation portal) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Tuvalu passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/tuvalu/passport-photo