- Guidelines for ePassport Photographs (Created：2024-02-22; Data Source：Bureau Of Consular Affairs)
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The guidelines and standards of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for passport photographs are in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations. When applying for an e-passport, an applicant must submit two identical color photographs taken within the last six months. The pictures should feature a plain white background. The applicants should be facing forward and looking directly at the camera while hatless, with all facial features clearly shown. In addition, applicants may not wear tainted glasses and must clearly show their eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, face, ears, and any natural moles, birthmarks, scars, and the like so that their identity may be readily ascertained. Please note that composite photos and selfies are not permitted and that altered photos may make it difficult to gain clearance when using e-gates at airports, thereby causing delays and inconvenience when going through the immigration process. Further details are as follows:
- The photographs must be taken within the last six months and contain no ink marks, creases, etc.
- The size of the photographs must be 45 in height and 35 mm in width (1.77 inches by 1.38 inches; not including the frame) and show the head and top of the shoulders. The size of the head from chin to crown must be between 32 mm and 36 mm (1.26 inches and 1.42 inches, thus, the face taken up 70-80% of the photograph), and the head must be evenly centered in the photograph.
- The applicant must face forward and look directly at the camera, with eyes open and clearly visible. A neutral expression (mouth closed) and natural skin tone are required. Applicants who are unable to close their mouths are excluded from this requirement. The photographs must have appropriate brightness and contrast.
- There must be no hair covering the eyebrows or eyes. Both edges of the face must be clearly visible. The head may not tilt to one side or backwards or forwards. Ears, moles, birthmarks, and/or scars must be clearly visible. An applicant with microtia is allowed to conceal the ears with hair, but both edges of the face must be clearly visible.
- The photographs must have a plain white background. The lighting must be uniform with no shadows or reflections on the face or in the background. Red-eye photos are not allowed.
- The photographs must be at high resolution and printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper. The image must be clear, sharp, and in focus. Resampling of the original image or alteration of the image’s size before printing is not permitted.
- Photographs taken with a digital camera must be high quality color and printed on photo-quality paper. The camera must be with at least three million pixels and set to the highest quality and high saturation. Alteration of the digital image is not permitted. If the quality of the photographs is not good or the photo-quality paper is too thin to make the passport, the applicant’s photographs will be rejected.
- If the applicant wears corrective lenses (glasses):
- The photograph must show the eyes clearly with no reflection or glare on the glasses. Please avoid tinted glasses (exceptions may be made for the visually impaired).
- Please avoid any thick frames and make sure that the frames do not cover any part of the eyes.
- Colored or circle contact lenses are not allowed, as they may lead to visa rejection or difficulty in immigration clearance due to the significant difference between the photo and the natural eye color.
- Head coverings are not permitted except for religious or medical reasons; facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown.
- Photographs for children must show their head and shoulders only (no chairs, toys, pacifiers, or other people should be visible).
- Camera settings and lighting:
- The camera lens should be at the eye level of the person being photographed.
- The distance between the camera lens and the applicant's face should be about 1.2 meters (a minimum of one meter).
- There should not be any optical or light distortion.
- Digital zooming should not be used.
- White balance should be correctly adjusted.
- Photograph should be taken with an even and consistent white background.
- Multiple diffused light sources should be used to complement the light on both sides of the subject, illuminate the background, and remove shadows.
- The photo studio must prevent outdoor light sources from affecting the photograph.
- The focus must be clear.
- Applicants applying for passports at BOCA or a MOFA branch office may submit their photos via BOCA's website (www.boca.gov.tw) through the passport application and appointment online system for individuals or the travel agency package filing and photo uploading system. In addition to the aforementioned requirements, the image must be in JPG or JPEG format and in RGB color mode (at least 24 bit), with file size no larger than 5 MB and an image resolution of at least 531 pixels in height and 413 pixels in width.
Note: For those who apply for passports domestically and upload digital photos via BOCA’s online systems, color paper photos should be attached in the following cases:
- For applicants not submitting passport applications through travel agencies, a single color paper photo identical to the digital one uploaded via the BOCA website must still be attached, as the short passport application sheet printed from BOCA's passport application system for individuals will be in black and white only.
- For applicants submitting passport applications without digital photos via travel agencies a single color paper photo should be attached.
- If the passport photo (including the uploaded digital photo) does not conform to the aforementioned requirements or if the photo image quality does not meet required standards, the photo will be unacceptable, and the applicant will need to provide two other current and high-quality paper photos.
