Philippine Passport Photo

When you’re applying for a Philippine passport, you will be required to get a proper passport photo that follows all of the regulations set by the government of the Philippines. In this article, we’d like to talk about Philippine passport photos and the rules and requirements that you need to keep in mind about them. Read along and find out what to know when taking and editing the photo. 

Philippine passport photo requirements

You will be required to present 2 (two) identical copies of your Philippine passport photo with your passport application. They are to be no older than 6 (six) months and represent your current look. 

Below we’ve put the most important Philippine passport photo rules and regulations into three different categories. Read along. 

Accepted attire for Philippine passport photo 

So how should you look in your Philippine passport photo? Below you can find some of the most important rules looks-wise:

• Your head has to be fully visible, your facial features cannot be obstructed by anything 
• You can’t smile or frown – your facial expression has to be kept as neutral as possible 
• Your eyes have to be open, nothing can hide them so colored lenses and sunglasses are not allowed 
• Your prescription glasses can’t hide your eyes or reflect the light or your surroundings so make sure that they follow these guidelines or fully remove them 
• Your mouth has to be closed, your teeth shouldn’t be visible 
• The only time that any type of headwear is allowed is when it’s worn for religious reasons
• There is a dress code for a Philippine passport photo: you cannot wear short sleeves or a shirt with a big neckline – you need to wear a shirt with a collar and long sleeves (not a t-shirt).

Philippine passport photo size and specifications

Here you can find some of the most important technical guidelines for a Philippine passport photo:

• Your head has to be the center of the passport photo and it should occupy around 70% to 80% of your photo 
• There should be 5mm between the top of your head (including hair) to the top of the picture
• The photo has to be 35mm in width and 45mm in height
• You will need two identical copies of the photo
• The resolution of the photo has to be over 600dpi. 

Background & lighting requirements for Philippine passport photo

There are also a few requirements concerning the background and the light in your Philippine passport photo:

• You need to avoid shadows in your passport photo 
• It’s good to take your picture with natural light 
• The background has to be of a royal blue color, it cannot have any patterns
• No one else and no other things can be visible in the background of your Philippine passport photo. 

What to avoid when it comes to Philippine passport photo 

There are some things that you definitely have to avoid when it comes to taking and editing of your Philippine passport photo:

• Avoid white backgrounds as they are not permitted in any case
• Don’t make any faces – don’t frown, don’t smile – just keep your face as neutral as possible 
• Avoid hiding your birthmarks or scars – they need to be fully visible 
• Don’t wear a t-shirt or a shirt with short sleeves
• Make sure your picture is of a good quality and that it’s not blurred
• Avoid digitally changing your photo as this is not allowed. 

Philippine passport photo summed up 

As you can see, there are a lot of different requirements when it comes to Philippine passport photos – from the background, through the resolution of the photo, to your dress code. It’s important to remember that you will need to take your photo against a royal blue background which is different from most of the world’s passports. 

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