Papua New Guinea Passport Photo Requirements — 45 × 35 mm, White Background
For a Papua New Guinea passport application. The official checklist is specific: 2 photos, 45 mm × 35 mm, taken from head to shoulders only (full face), without tinted glasses and on a white coloured background, with a neutral expression and no smiling or showing of teeth. Verified against the official PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority checklist (archived), September 2026.
Official Papua New Guinea passport photo specification
| Print size | 45 × 35 mm (equivalent to 4.5 × 3.5 cm) |
| Quantity | 2 photos |
| Framing | Head to shoulders only (full face) |
| Background | White coloured background |
| Expression | Neutral — no smiling and showing of teeth |
| Glasses | No tinted glasses |
| Pixel size | Not published by the official checklist |
| DPI | Not published by the official checklist |
| Head-size ratio | Not published (framing is given, not a percentage) |
The official checklist states the requirement verbatim:
Photograph: (Mandatory)
- 2x photos taken from head to shoulders only (full face) without tinted glasses and with a WHITE COLORED background. Photo size must be 45mm x 35mm
- Facial Expression _ Neutral – NO SMILING AND SHOWING OF TEETH
The 45 × 35 mm frame
PNG states the size as 45 mm × 35 mm — the same rectangle as the common 35 × 45 mm format, written the other way round. The frame is a portrait rectangle: 35 mm wide and 45 mm tall. Framing is spelt out rather than measured: photos must be taken from head to shoulders only, so the crop runs from the top of the head to the shoulders with the face full and centred. See the full size chart for the other formats the site supports.
Note that the checklist gives a framing instruction, not a head-height percentage: it does not publish a chin-to-crown band or a proportion of the frame, so do not copy a numeric head ratio from another country's rules into a PNG application.
White background, neutral expression
Two of the requirements are strict and easy to fail. The background must be a white coloured background — a grey, cream or coloured wall is out. Shot against a plain white surface, or use the passport photo backgrounds to normalise a slightly off-white wall. The expression must be neutral, with no smiling and no showing of teeth — a broad smile bares the teeth and is a rejection. Keep the mouth closed and the face relaxed; the expression guide covers the detail.
No tinted glasses
The checklist bars tinted glasses. If you normally wear tinted or photochromic lenses, take them off for the photo, or make sure the lenses are fully clear and your eyes are visible. Plain, clearly transparent glasses are a different question — the checklist names tinted lenses specifically, so the tint is what fails the photo.
What is still not published
The checklist fixes the size, the count, the framing, the background colour, the expression and the tinted-glasses rule, and nothing else. It does not publish a pixel size, DPI or file format — it is a paper, submit-in-person checklist. It also does not give a numeric head-size ratio. If you are preparing a digital file, the digital file requirements guide covers the general rules, and you can confirm a finished crop with the passport photo checker.
Check the checklist that matches your case
The published checklist this page is based on covers a new application for a PNG passport for children under 18. Its photo rules — size, background, framing, expression — are stated plainly, but you should confirm against the checklist for your own case (for example an adult ordinary passport) before you file, since PNG publishes separate checklists for different application types. Do not assume the child checklist's other document requirements apply to an adult application.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Papua New Guinea passport photo?
45 mm × 35 mm, which is the same rectangle as 35 × 45 mm stated the other way round. The official checklist states the size as 45mm x 35mm.
How many photos do I need?
Two photos. The checklist marks the photograph requirement as mandatory.
What background does PNG require?
A white coloured background. A grey, cream or coloured background does not meet the stated requirement.
Can I smile in a PNG passport photo?
No. The checklist requires a neutral expression with no smiling and no showing of teeth.
Can I wear glasses?
Not tinted glasses — the checklist bars tinted lenses. Make sure your eyes are visible; if your lenses are tinted, remove them for the photo.
How should the photo be framed?
Taken from head to shoulders only, with the full face visible. The checklist gives this framing instruction rather than a numeric head ratio.
Related: PNG's 45 × 35 mm frame is the common portrait rectangle; compare it with the Taiwan passport photo (35 × 45 mm) or the larger Turkey passport photo (50 × 60 mm). Everything the site supports is in the full size chart; normalise a background with the passport photo backgrounds, and if a photo has already been refused, work through the rejection reasons guide.