Hong Kong Passport Photo Requirements — 40 × 50 mm, White Background
For a Hong Kong SAR passport application or renewal. Hong Kong uses a 40 × 50 mm portrait — taller than the 35 × 45 mm format most passports share — with the head measuring 32–36 mm from chin to crown. Source note: the figures on this page are quoted from the Immigration Department (ImmD) “Photo Requirements for Travel Document” page as captured by the Internet Archive. That URL no longer resolves on immd.gov.hk, so reconfirm the values on immd.gov.hk before you submit.
Official Hong Kong passport photo specification
| Print size | 40 mm (width) × 50 mm (height) — 4 × 5 cm |
| Head length | 32–36 mm from chin to crown |
| Headroom | There should be sufficient headroom above the head |
| Face | Full frontal face with clear facial features |
| Background | Plain white |
| Appearance | No head dress; avoid heavy make-up and overly dark or overly light-coloured clothing |
| Handling the print | Do not fold, staple or write on the back, and do not attach it to the form with a paper clip |
| Digital photo | JPEG, 600 KB or below (online passport application only) |
The ImmD measures the photo by the head rather than by a face-coverage percentage: the distance from the chin to the crown of the head has to sit between 3.2 cm and 3.6 cm inside the 5 cm height, and the frame has to leave enough space above the head.
How the 40 × 50 mm frame is laid out
The frame is a portrait rectangle 40 mm wide and 50 mm tall. Inside it the head, measured from the chin to the crown, has to land between 32 mm and 36 mm, and the ImmD adds that there should be sufficient headroom above it. That combination rules out two opposite mistakes: a photo where the head is too small in the frame, and a tight crop that cuts into the hair or leaves no space above the head.
40 × 50 mm is not a common format — it is taller than the 35 × 45 mm rectangle used by most European passports. If you already have a correctly framed 35 × 45 mm photo, the head band will not transfer directly; re-crop it. For the neighbouring formats the site supports, compare the Taiwan passport photo (35 × 45 mm) or the square India OCI photo (51 × 51 mm), and pick any format from the full size chart.
Background: plain white
The ImmD asks for a plain white background and lists lighting faults directly among the conditions that get a photo refused: a shadow, a flash reflection on the face or glasses, a photo that is too light and a photo that is too dark are all unacceptable. Stand a little away from the wall so a direct flash does not bounce back behind your head, and use bounce or diffused light rather than pointing a flash straight at the face. White is one of several background colours different documents use — see how it compares in the background guide.
Dress and make-up: no head dress, no heavy make-up
When you take the photo, the ImmD asks you to not wear head dress and to avoid heavy make-up and overly dark or overly light-coloured clothing. The reasoning is practical: a dark top against a white background and a very pale top against a white background both blur the shoulder line, and heavy make-up changes the facial features the photo has to record clearly. Headwear worn for religious reasons is a separate question — the head coverings guide deals with it, and the general clothing rules sit in the dress code guide.
Handling the print: no folds, staples, writing or paper clips
The ImmD states this one plainly: do not fold, staple or write on the back of the photograph, and do not attach it to the application form with a paper clip. A paper clip leaves a crease line and a staple leaves a hole — either can count as damage to a document photo. Handle prints by the edges, keep them in the paper sleeve until you submit, and lay them out on the photo print sheet if you are printing at home. The printing guide covers paper choice and cutting.
Digital photo for the online passport application
The digital upload applies to passport applications only, and the thresholds are specific.
| Image type | JPEG |
| File size | 600 KB or below |
| Captured by scanner | 600 dpi; photograph size 40 mm (W) × 50 mm (H) |
| Captured by digital camera | Image size 1200 px (W) × 1600 px (H) |
| Applies to | Passport applications only |
The two capture routes land on the same 4:5 portrait ratio: a 600 dpi scan of a 40 × 50 mm print is 945 × 1181 px, while a camera shot is specified at a round 1200 × 1600 px. Check your export against the same logic in the digital file requirements guide, and confirm the result with the passport photo checker.
The seven conditions that make a photo unacceptable
The ImmD publishes the reasons a photo will not be accepted — and adds that an application with a substandard photograph will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant.
- The applicant is not centred.
- A frame across the eyes (spectacle frames crossing the eye line).
- Hair across the eyes or eyebrows.
- A flash reflection on the face or glasses.
- A shadow in the picture.
- The photo is too light.
- The photo is too dark.
Four of the seven are about framing and three are about light. Framing faults are fixed at the crop stage; lighting faults are fixed at the shoot — and the two most common, a shadow behind the head and a flash reflection, both come from using a single direct flash too close to the subject. If your photo has already been refused, work through the rejection reasons guide.
Taking the photo at home
Nothing in the specification requires a studio, but the seven-point list shows why a phone selfie is risky: a front camera flips the image and a wide-angle lens distorts the proportions of the face. Use a rear camera on a tripod, keep the lens level with your eyes, and light the face from the front on both sides so no shadow lands on the background. The at home guide walks through the setup.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Hong Kong passport photo?
40 mm wide by 50 mm high (4 x 5 cm). The head must measure 32-36 mm from the chin to the crown of the head, with sufficient headroom above the head.
What background does a Hong Kong passport photo need?
A plain white background. The official list of unacceptable photos includes a shadow, a flash reflection, a photo that is too light and a photo that is too dark.
What digital photo can I upload for an online passport application?
A JPEG of no more than 600 KB. A scan must be made at 600 dpi so the photo is 40 mm wide by 50 mm high; a photo taken with a digital camera must be 1200 px wide by 1600 px high. The digital upload applies to passport applications only.
What makes a Hong Kong passport photo unacceptable?
The Immigration Department lists seven conditions: the applicant is not centred; a frame runs across the eyes; hair is across the eyes or eyebrows; there is a flash reflection on the face or glasses; there is a shadow; the photo is too light; or the photo is too dark.
Can I fold, staple or write on the back of the photo?
No. Do not fold, staple or write on the back of the photograph, and do not attach it to the application form with a paper clip.
Is the specification on this page still current?
The values below are quoted from an Immigration Department photo requirements page captured by the Internet Archive; that URL no longer resolves on immd.gov.hk, so reconfirm them on immd.gov.hk before you submit.
Hong Kong's 40 × 50 mm portrait sits between the common 35 × 45 mm passports — see the Taiwan passport photo page for that family — and the larger 50 × 60 mm format. Every format the site supports is listed in the full size chart, and paper copies are laid out with the photo print sheet.