Ireland Passport Photo Rules — Witness Signing and the Black-and-White Question
Applying for an Irish passport on paper adds two steps most people miss: a witness who writes the form number on the back of two of your four photos and signs them, and paper requirements that rule out home prints on the wrong stock. This guide covers the paper route, the witness duty, and why black-and-white is actually recommended. Verified against the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs photo guidelines, September 2026.
The 15-second answer
- Six months: the photo must have been taken in the last six months — an ICAO requirement.
- Four photos on paper: a paper application includes 4 identical photos.
- Two are signed: your witness writes the form number on the back of two of them and signs and stamps those two.
- 35×45 mm minimum, 38×50 mm maximum.
- White and unglazed reverse: the back of the photo must be white and unglazed.
- Black and white recommended — but colour is accepted.
The rule that sends applications back
The Irish authority is blunt about what goes wrong most often: “Poor quality photographs are the main reason we have to reject passport applications.” The freshness rule is equally firm: “You must submit a photo that has been taken in the last six months,” a requirement that comes from the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Paper route: four photos, two of them signed
If you apply on paper you must include 4 identical photos, no more than 6 months old. Then comes the step people forget — the witness. The guidance tells you to “get your witness for your application to write the form number on the back of two of your four photos” (they can find it in Section 9 of the application form) and to “sign and stamp the back of those two photos.” Note the arithmetic: you send four photos, but only two are written on and signed. The warning is explicit: “If this is not done we will need you to submit a new form and new photos.”
Size and quality
The accepted size band is minimum 35 mm × 45 mm and maximum 38 mm × 50 mm. On quality, the guidelines require that photos “must be printed on photo-quality paper at a high resolution”, be “in sharp focus and correctly exposed”, and carry “no ink marks or creases”. Digital fixing is out: “digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable.” One line matters for how you source the print: “the reverse of the photos must be white and unglazed.”
Why black-and-white is recommended
This is the counter-intuitive part. The official guidance says: “Black and white photos are recommended as they’re digitally printed onto the passport in black and white. But we also accept colour photos.” So black-and-white is the recommended option, not a requirement — a colour photo is perfectly acceptable as long as it meets the rest of the rules.
Digital or paper?
The route decides what you need: “You need a digital photo to apply for a Passport Book or Passport Card online”, while “you need a printed photo to apply for a Passport Book by paper application form.” This guide is about the paper route. If you are applying online, you submit a digital file instead — see the digital file requirements.
60-second paper check
- ☐ Taken within the last six months
- ☐ 4 identical photos included
- ☐ Witness wrote the form number on two and signed + stamped those two
- ☐ Size within 35×45 mm to 38×50 mm
- ☐ Photo-quality paper, sharp, correctly exposed, no ink marks or creases
- ☐ Reverse is white and unglazed
Frequently asked questions
Do I need colour or black-and-white for an Irish passport photo?
Black and white is recommended, because the photo is digitally printed onto the passport in black and white. Colour photos are also accepted, so either is fine as long as the photo meets the other rules.
How many photos do I send for a paper Irish passport application?
You include 4 identical photos, no more than 6 months old. Your witness writes the form number on the back of two of the four and signs and stamps those two — not all four.
What does the witness write on the back of the photos?
The witness writes the form number — found in Section 9 of the application form — on the back of two of your four photos, then signs and stamps those two. If it is not done, you must submit a new form and new photos.
How old can an Irish passport photo be?
It must have been taken in the last six months. Ireland states this is a requirement from the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
What is the size of an Irish passport photo?
Minimum 35 mm × 45 mm and maximum 38 mm × 50 mm.
What does ‘white and unglazed’ mean on the photo reverse?
The back of the photo must be plain white and unglazed — not a glossy or coated reverse. The guidelines require this as part of the paper submission.
Can I use a home-printed photo for an Irish passport?
The photo must be printed on photo-quality paper at a high resolution, in sharp focus and correctly exposed, with no ink marks or creases, and digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable. Use a proper photo-quality print.
The print side is covered in the printing guide, and paper versus digital channels in passport vs visa photo. Lay out copies with the photo print sheet, shoot at home with the at-home guide and how to take a passport photo, and validate the image with the passport photo checker.