Philippine Passport Photo Requirements: You Don't Bring One, but Dress for It
You don't need to bring a photo for a Philippine passport. The DFA consular office takes your photo and biometrics digitally at your appointment. What you control is how you look: a collared top or a top with a high neckline, in a colour that contrasts with the background, no sleeveless tops, and nothing that hides your face or casts a shadow.
Do I need to bring a passport size photo?
No. The DFA Passport FAQ says: “You do not need to bring a passport-sized photo for your application. The DFA Consular Office will digitally capture your photo and biometrics.” Personal appearance is required for every applicant, so the photo is taken when you show up for your appointment, booked at passport.gov.ph.
Ignore offers to print a “DFA passport photo” for you. Whatever you bring isn't used for the passport.
What to wear for the passport photo
DFA's general information page encourages “collared tops, blouses, or tops with higher necklines, with colors that clearly contrast the background cloth”, and says applicants “shall avoid sleeveless tops and camisoles”. The Philippine Embassy in Canberra adds that plunging necklines and see-through tops are prohibited.
- A collared shirt, polo or blouse in a colour that clearly contrasts with the background cloth. A mid or dark colour (navy, maroon, dark grey) is the safe choice.
- No sleeveless tops, camisoles, tank tops or plunging necklines.
Earrings, eyeglasses and makeup
DFA says small accessories such as stud earrings may be accepted, but anything that may obscure the face or cast a shadow has to be removed during photo capture. The Philippine Embassy in Canberra is stricter for applications there: jewelry, eyeglasses and contact lenses are not allowed during photo capture.
So plan to take off your glasses and any large earrings or face piercings, and skip coloured contact lenses. Keep your hair off your face. Light, natural makeup is fine; nothing in the DFA text asks for more than that.
On the day
- Book the appointment online at passport.gov.ph (unless you qualify for the Courtesy Lane).
- Arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before your slot, as DFA asks.
- Bring the originals and photocopies of your documents. No escorts are allowed inside.
When you do need a passport size picture
Other Philippine forms still ask for printed or digital “passport size” pictures, meaning 3.5 × 4.5 cm: PRC applications, the Civil Service exam and the Personal Data Sheet. Make one at home with the Passport Size Photo Maker and print it on a 4R sheet. For the white background and name tag rules of each agency, see ID picture requirements in the Philippines.
Visas are a different story: each embassy sets its own size. The US visa photo, for example, is 2 × 2 inches with no glasses and no editing; see US visa photo requirements. Check the embassy's own page before you print.
FAQ
- Do I need to bring a photo for my DFA passport appointment?
- No. The DFA consular office captures your photo and biometrics digitally during the appointment.
- What should I wear for my Philippine passport photo?
- A collared top, blouse or high-neckline top in a colour that contrasts with the background. DFA asks applicants to avoid sleeveless tops and camisoles.
- Can I wear earrings in my passport photo?
- DFA may accept small stud earrings, but anything that hides part of the face or casts a shadow must be removed. Some posts abroad, like the Philippine Embassy in Canberra, don't allow jewelry at all.
- Can I wear eyeglasses?
- Plan to remove them. The Philippine Embassy in Canberra states that eyeglasses and contact lenses are not allowed during photo capture, and glasses easily cause glare and shadows.
- What size is a Philippine passport size picture?
- 3.5 × 4.5 cm (35 × 45 mm), 413 × 531 pixels at 300 dpi. You need it for forms like PRC, the Civil Service exam and the PDS, not for the passport itself.