It is important to generate a qualified photo for your Singaporean visa application if you plan on a visit to Singapore for business or travel. Chances are that taking a photo that satisfies the requirements for a Singaporean visa application is tricky. Nevertheless, this article offers a hand to you. Keep reading and you will learn what the specifications are for visa application in Singapore and how you can take a compliant Singapore visa photo using a cell phone.
Singapore Visa Photo Size
To create a valid photo for a Singaporean visa, the first requirement is photo size. Below is a chart showing visa photo sizes in different units for your reference.
| Size of Singaporean visa Photo | cm | mm | pixel | inch |
| 4.5 × 3.5 | 45 × 35 | 514 × 400 | 1.77 × 1.38 |
Singapore Visa Photo Requirements
In order to meet the official requirements of a Singaporean visa photograph, there are some things that you are supposed to bear in mind when shooting photos to apply for a Singaporean visa.
Photo Quality: The original visa image should be clear in high resolution and in the required size as said. Besides, the scanned version or copy of the original should not be damaged with creases, holes, ink spots, or smudges.
Recency: Your portrait on a visa should be taken within three months before application.
Background: A solid, white backdrop is standard for visa photo shooting. Preferably, a white wall or a white sheet or blanket with no wrinkles or folds in uniform lighting is applicable in this case.
Facial Expression: Extreme facial expressions such as a big smile could impede efforts to bring about a qualified photo for a Singaporean visa. A clear, natural smile with a closed mouth and open eyes is required to distinguish the applicant’s face in the visa image.
Posture: With the face forward to the camera directly at eye level and squared shoulders, standing straight is helpful to bring about a professional visa headshot.
Clothing: The clothing of the applicant is preferred to be plain and go against the shooting backdrop. You should also avoid reflective clothing for the shot.
Hat & Religious Coverings: In most cases, hats or any other head coverings should be removed before capturing photos, because those coverings would hide your hairline, hair color, and other features. However, religious attire that you wear in daily life is acceptable.
Accessories: Visible accessories, especially reflective ones, should be put aside in the shot because they might hide your facial features.
Glasses: Avoid wearing glasses or colored contacts. They may hide your eye color. The applicant’s eye color is a key identity information for visa application.
Makeup: Do not put on a ton of makeup for the photo. If you don’t look like yourself, you could get refused. Light and natural makeup that showcases the applicant’s face is preferred.
Hairstyles: Arrange your hair above your shoulders, rub a bit of mousse between your fingers, and run it over your hair to keep flyaway at bay before capturing photos. Try to avoid shadows casting from your hair to expose your face as much as possible.
Beards: If a beard is part of your everyday look, you can keep it unless it has grown to hide your ears or mouth. You can keep your beard trimmed for a visa photo and make sure that your beard doesn’t hide more of your facial features than usual.
Singapore Visa Photo Requirements for Babies
If you travel to Singapore with your newborn kids, you should take a visa photo for him/her as well. Below are visa photo requirements for babies in Singapore.
- Comfortable clothes in dark, solid, and plain colors are the number one choice for a newborn child.
- Shining decorations that might reflect the light from the camera or other devices are not allowed. Furthermore, these hard accessories might hurt the baby during shooting.
- Keep the photographing distance that allows the baby’s face to fill 50% to 70% of the image and keep their eyes forwards to the camera.
- Place the baby against a solid, white backdrop, for instance, a white sheet or blanket with no wrinkles or folds in uniform lighting.
- No one else including parents is allowed to be in the final picture.
How to Take a Singapore Visa Photo by Yourself
With the help of AI passport photo converters, you can take your visa picture by yourself from the comfort of your home to save time and cost. Read along and find out what practical measures that you can take to take a photo for your Singaporean visa.
- Dress Yourself
Wear in a smart way including proper makeup as suggested above. Putting on clothes in a color against the background and checking your look at the last minute are highly recommended.
- Setting Up Your Photo Environment
Adjust your light sources to reduce shadows. Ideally, use uniform, stable, soft, and directional lights pointing at a 45° angle toward the subject’s face. No overhead lighting is allowed in this case.
- Set up equipment.
Set up your photographing device, be it a camera or a smartphone, with a shooting tripod at eye level.
- Post and take a photo.
Once the applicant and the shooting environment are ready, you shouldn’t use the flash when capturing the subject. It is also encouraged to take a couple of pictures in case some of them are too blurry.
- Crop the Singapore visa photo online.
After you transfer photos to your computer, it is time to crop the one that you would like to be your Singapore visa photo. AivisaPhotos offers a hand to ensure the compliance of the photo with Singapore visa specifications. The steps below are a brief guide to making good use of the AI-backed tool.
Step 1. Visit the AiPassportPhotos website to reach a shortcut and start making Singapore visa photos online.
Step 2. Click the “Upload a Photo” button to upload a portrait taken at home from your file.
Step 3. Wait for seconds for processing and you will get an acceptable visa image that is examined, resized, and improved.
Step 4. Save the printable picture to your phone and you can reach them at any time in need.
How to Take a Singapore Visa Photo for Infants
Infants are changeable at this age and have no idea why we are photographing them. Thus, the foremost priority in preparation is to maintain a comfortable shooting environment for the kid. Likewise, a good photographic environment should have a good background, appropriate lighting, and a photographing device.
- Clothing: Soft, comfortable clothing in a plain color against the background is highly recommended.
- Background: A flat, white sheet or blanket is encouraged to lay the baby on as the shooting backdrop. That provides not only a standard background for the shot but also a comfortable backing for the infant.
- Lighting: Soft, uniform, and stable lighting is helpful to avoid the shadows and flashing eyes of babies.
- Photographing device: It’s better to take HD photos using a digital camera. If not, try using a tripod and taking the photo beside a window to make sure your photo is clear. If you want to catch the baby’s attention, try attaching their favorite toys to the camera while shooting the photos.
Common Mistakes on Singapore Visa Photos and How to Avoid Them
Here are photo mistakes that are common for applicants, and you can get to know about them in advance and try to keep them at bay while having photos clicked.
- Grin is too much for the visa photo. Extreme facial expressions might be the reason why your visa application is turned down. Keeping it as usual as possible will lower the chances of turning it down.
- Your face is not fully shown. Coverings for religious reasons are acceptable but you should still make your face fully visible before a camera.
- Red eyes should be avoided because that would change your eye color. Thus, don’t forget to turn off the flash of your shooting device beforehand.
- Even though you have captured the perfect photo, you should pay attention to the final physical copies for marks or ink spots. Such carelessness may bring about rejection.
- The background is not flat or too spotty. A backdrop free of any shadow is the standard one for Singapore Visa Photo, so try to keep it solid white with no creases or designs.
- For infants in particular, the parent or anybody else to help shoot should avoid showing up in the pictures. The subject of the visa picture should be the baby applicant alone.
- Your face is not centered. You can try an online measurement to solve the problem before submitting.
- Your face is not focused when shooting and might be blurry as a result. The applicant’s face is the key identification of a Singapore visa photo, which should be the focus of the image.
- Choose the wrong format when printing the visa photo, such as glossy paper. Glossy print might cause reflection. Hence, a matte finish is required for a visa photo in Singapore.
- Forget to turn off the filter of your photographing device. Your image for the Singapore visa application should be as factual as possible. Filter underplays your biometric photo.
Tips for Good-looking Singapore Visa Photos
Your Singapore visa will be valid for many official occasions after approval. So, if you want to look good in your photo, you may have to do a little prep work. You can try these tips to look good in a visa photo,
✅Sleep well for several nights before
To look good, it is important to brighten your skin and make yourself look healthier for shooting. Having sound sleep for a couple of nights in advance plays a crucial role in preventing dark shadows under your eyes and redness in your eyes.
✅Adjust your posture
Good posture is of helps not only to take a standard visa photo but also to make you look refreshed. Apart from standing straight, you could thrust your chin forward slightly and keep your shoulders down and back. That would assist you to look confident and strong in spirit.
✅Pluck your eyebrows a day before
If you usually shape your eyebrows, it is suggested to do so a day before to prevent redness on eyebrows, so that you have enough time to get rid of unnatural redness on your face. Also, you could have a try of something else that is softer than shaving, such as waxing or using depilation cream.
✅Have your hair cut a week ago
As said, it is required to avoid shadows from your hair. Moreover, to look good and natural, it is best to have your hair cut and styled a week before. Your hairstyle is a representation of your everyday self. So, a natural and renewed hairstyle is enough for your visa image. Styling too much is not necessary.
FAQ
📌How to scan visa photos for visa?
Your photo should represent your recent look and your old photo may have no such function. The old photo you scanned might not be clear enough, leading to invalid application. Therefore, taking a new picture for your Singaporean visa is the secured choice to prevent rejection.
📌Where can I get a visa picture taken?
Via AiPassportPhotos, you could just take one at home without wandering around for a photo store. The tool ensures Singaporean compliance in lesser time than that in a store.
📌How recent should my visa photo be?
A fresh photo is required for visa application. The photo should be taken in less than six months before.
📌Can I edit my photo to meet the requirements?
Yes, for instance, cropping your original picture. However, applying filters or getting photoshopped is not allowed.
Conclusion
Heading to Singapore for travelling is exiting and unforgettable especially for the first time. To avoid delayed visit, your photo should not fail the Singaporean visa compliance. This article offers a hand to take a required photo for a Singapore visa application. You could refer to it and get ready for visa application.
Dolores Xiao