HK passport is an important document when Hong Kong citizens visit other countries. When applying for a Hong Kong passport, they must submit a qualified photo of the Hong Kong passport with the application. They need to know the photo requirements of the HK passport so they can get the HK passport quickly. In this article, we will learn how to get a HK passport photo online for free.

take passport photos on phone

HK Passport Photo Size

Before you take a Hong Kong passport photo by yourself, it is important to know the requirements of the Hong Kong passport photo. Here you can check the following chart of HK passport photo size.

Passport size (inches)1.57 (width) x 1.96 (height) 
Passport size (cm)4 cm (width) x 5 cm (height)
Passport size (mm)40 mm (width) x 50 mm (height) 
Digital passport resolution (Pixel)1200 px (width)×1600 px (height)

If you submit a digital passport photo, you must ensure that the image type is JPEG and that the photo size is less than 5MB.

HKSAR Passport Photo Requirements

According to HKSAR passport photo rules, passport photos must meet the requirements. Here you can prepare a passport photo by following the details below.

  • The background of the passport photo must be white.
plain background for passport photos
  • It is not allowed to have shadows in the photo, and you need to avoid being too light or too dark. 
no shadow on passport photos
  • You must take a photo in good light with natural sunlight. If not, it is better to have a professional lamp to make up for the light. 
  • You should show your full face and clearly show your facial features in the picture, such as eyes, eyebrows, ears, mouth and nose.
examples of unacceptable passport photographs
  • You must show a neutral facial expression. It is okay to have a natural toothless smile. If you don’t want to smile, you can show a calm face. But you need to avoid frowning or tilting your head.
  • You need to avoid busy prints or logos on your clothes. You should wear plain clothes with neutral colors or patterns. 
  • When you use a camera to take a passport photo, you should use portrait mode and set the timer to take a photo. In addition, you need to ensure good focus and framing. You need to position yourself at the right distance for proper head size (32-36mm from chin to crown).
passport photo shooting distance
  • It is okay to have your hair done when you take a passport photo. But you must make sure that the hair does not obscure your face or eyebrows. It is recommended to pull them back or tie them up.
  • It is acceptable if you want to wear light makeup in the passport photo, but you can’t change your skin colors, wear heavy lipstick makeup or heavy eye shadow, which may change your appearance.
makeup requirements in passport photos
  • You are not required to wear glasses, such as myopic glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses when taking a passport photo. Because your glasses may obscure the eyes or it will show the reflection of your face on the glasses.
no glasses in passport photos
  • You can’t wear a hat when you take a passport photo because it may cast a shadow in the photo.
  • When you wear necklaces, earrings and nose rings and other accessories in the photo, you must ensure that they do not cover your facial features, such as nose and ears. You should avoid flashing accessories in the photo because it may reflect the light in the photo.
  • If you need to wear a head cover for religious reasons, you must make sure that it will not cover the facial features. And you need to provide a statement about it.
religious headwear in passport photos
  • When you take an HK passport photo, you should show a good posture and your face must be in the center of the photo.

You must submit the passport photo with the standard requirements, otherwise, you will be required to submit another photo in the passport application.

How to take passport-size photos on iPhone & Android

After you know the details about HK passport photos, you can take a passport photo on your iPhone or Android. Here you can follow the steps below and take a passport-size photo at home.

  • Choose a good background: You need to find a white wall as the background, and there is enough natural light at the place where you will take a photo. 
  • Prepare the camera: When you take a photo with your phone, you need to put it in a proper place at a certain distance. You can ask your friend or family to take a photo or set up a tripod to take a photo remotely.
passport photo camera distance
  • Dress up: You need to dress up and wear everyday clothes. It is recommended to wear light makeup if you want to look better in the passport photo.
  • Take a photo: When taking a photo, you need to sit or stand still, and show a natural facial expression and face straight to the camera.
  • You can take as many photos as you like, and then you can pick the perfect photo.

How to resize passport-size photo

After you have taken the passport-size photo, you need to make the photo in the correct size with a professional passport photo maker, AiPassportPhotos. Here you can follow the steps below and learn how to resize the passport-size photo easily.

crop hk passport photos online
  • You need to visit AiPassportPhotos in your browser.
  • Select the Hong Kong region and Hong Kong passport photo.
  • Upload the photo you want to resize it into a standard photo.
upload a photo on aipassportphotos to make hk passport photos
  • Just wait a few seconds and let the AI process your photo and resize it into a professional passport photo. You will receive a passport photo of the standard size.
download hk passport photos from aipassportphotos
  • Then you can download the templates and print the passport photo on paper.

How to change the background color in passport-size photo?

If you can’t find a white wall or use white cloth as the background, you can follow the steps above to take a photo, then you need to change the background color on the photo editor. Here you can follow the steps below and learn how to change the background color in the passport-size photo on AiPassportPhotos.

remove image background on aipassportphotos
remove color
  • Upload the passport picture so you can change the background color.
add a new color
  • With one click, AI technology will change the photo color to white quickly and smoothly.
  • Then you can download the qualified photo templates from AiPassportPhotos. 

💡 Warm tips: If you need to change the background color and make an HK passport photo at the same time, simply use the AiPassportPhotos passport photo editor as it will seamlessly generate a compliant passport photo for you, no matter an unqualified background.

HK Passport Photo Applications

After you have a standard passport photo, you can submit it with other required documents in your passport application. What’s more, there are many applications for HK passport photos. Here you can check the list of photo applications:

  • HK passport
  • HK visa
  • HKSAR Re-entry Permit
  • HKSAR Identity Document
  • Hong Kong Seamans Identity Book
  • Resume  
  • Linkedin profile

FAQ

👉 Can you wear a jacket in passport photo?

Of course, yes. You need to wear everyday clothes when taking a passport photo, meaning you can wear a jacket, blouse, shirt, and t-shirt. You don’t need to wear a formal dress, though.

👉 How to get a digital passport photo?

If you want to get digital photos for HK passports after you take a photo on your phone, you need to edit it and make it meet the digital photo requirements. Here you can obtain them with the help of AiPassportPhotos. It offers two versions of digital passport photo maker, a digital Hong Kong passport photo and a printing version. You can choose either way you want to get a digital passport photo. Just upload the photo on the AiPasssportPhotos and you can get a professional digital HKSAR passport photo.

👉 How to print passport photos? 

After you have obtained a digital passport photo, you can print it at the nearest photo printing shop. You need to print the photo with glossy photo quality. The matte photo is not allowed by the Hong Kong government. You can order prints online or visit multiple chain stores with digital photos, such as Urphoto, Fotomax, and a 7-Eleven store. If you want to save time and get the printed photo quickly, you can take your photo to offline printers and print the photo.

Conclusion

When you take a photo of a Hong Kong passport at home, you must keep in mind the standard requirements of the photo. If you don’t follow the guidelines and get an unqualified passport photo, the Hong Kong government will refuse the passport application. We recommend you use the professional online passport photo to check the standard requirements of the photo. In this way, you can effortlessly submit a passport photo that satisfies all the HK government passport photos.

📚 Explore More: Passport Photo: Glossy vs. Matte

By Erin Lo

My passion lies in the intersection of technology and storytelling, and I'm thrilled to explore the world of AI and its impact on passport photography. I strive to make complex concepts easy to grasp for readers, sharing the wonders of AI in our everyday lives. Beyond writing, I find inspiration in art, diverse cuisines, and outdoor adventures. Contributing to AiPassportPhotos' innovative approach is an exciting journey, making passport photos and more creative pictures simpler and more efficient through the power of AI.