Singapore visa photo requirements (35x45mm)
Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) sets one of the strictest photo standards in Asia. The headline numbers, verified 2026-10-08 across visa specialists and photo services:
- Size: exactly 35 mm wide x 45 mm high.
- Face: about 80% of the photo — head (chin to crown) roughly 32–36 mm.
- Background: plain white, no shadows, patterns, or border.
- Recency: taken within the last 3 months — stricter than the 6-month rule many European visas use. Do not reuse an old Schengen photo.
- Pose: full face, front view, eyes open, looking straight at the camera, shoulders visible.
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, no smile.
- Prints: matte or semi-matte (non-reflective) finish; printed at 100% scale.
- Digital (online submission): JPG, 400 x 514 pixels where asked — but some e-forms cap the file at 60 KB while others allow up to 8 MB. Check your specific form.
Where sources conflicted, this page uses the stricter ICA-aligned value — for example the 3-month recency (some guides say 6) — and you should verify against the current official ICA notification before submitting, because rules change and this tool cannot certify acceptance.
How to make a Singapore visa photo online (3 steps)
- Upload a clear front-facing photo. Daylight or window light, plain light wall behind you, eyes open, neutral face. Your phone is fine — no studio needed for the digital part.
- Drag and zoom to fill the guide box. Your head (chin to crown) should sit inside the green dashed box — that's ~80% of the frame, the ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) face proportion. Then press "Make 35x45mm photo".
- Confirm the compliance checklist — 3-month recency, white background, neutral expression, matte prints — and download your digital photo (413 x 531 px) and 4x6-inch print sheet (6 copies, print at 100% / Actual Size).
Why Singapore visa photos get rejected
Agents and visa services see the same mistakes again and again:
- Old photo: anything older than 3 months — including the photo from a previous visa application.
- Wrong size: Indian "passport size" (51x51mm / 2x2 inch) is NOT a Singapore visa photo. State "35x45mm, 80% face" explicitly if you use a studio.
- Glossy prints instead of matte/semi-matte; shadows or patterns on the background.
- Smiling, tilted head, eyes not level — the frame must be full-face, straight-on.
- Retouched or flipped images — ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) forbids digital alterations beyond basic formatting.
- Sunglasses, tinted lenses, coloured contacts — ordinary glasses are allowed only if worn daily and eyes stay clearly visible; many agents simply ask you to remove them.
Tourist visa vs business visa: same photo
The 35x45mm specification applies identically to tourist and business visa applications — there is no difference in the photographic rules between visa types. Get the one photo right and it works for both.
Can I take the photo at home with my phone?
Yes — for the digital submission, a well-lit phone selfie converted to spec works. Stand about 1 metre from a plain white wall facing a window, hold the camera at eye level, and keep a neutral expression. What the tool cannot fix is the content of the photo: shadows, a busy background, or a smiling face still fail ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) review — that is exactly what the compliance checklist is for.
Making it private: your face stays on your device
A visa photo is a biometric (face-measurement) document. Sending it to a random server for "AI background removal" means your face trains someone's model or sits in a retention queue. This tool crops, sizes and formats entirely in your browser — no upload, no account, no watermark. It also does no background replacement and no "beauty" enhancement: ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) forbids digital alterations, so the photo that leaves your device must look like you at a plain wall.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Singapore visa photo size?
Exactly 35 mm wide x 45 mm high (3.5 x 4.5 cm), with your face covering about 80% of the photo.
What background do I need?
Plain white — no shadows, patterns, textures or border. Light grey is accepted only where explicitly permitted; stick to white.
How recent must the photo be?
Taken within the last 3 months. Do not reuse the photo from a previous visa application or your passport if either is older than that.
Can I smile in a Singapore visa photo?
No — a neutral expression with your mouth closed is required, eyes open and looking straight at the camera.
Are glasses allowed?
Ordinary glasses are allowed if you wear them daily and your eyes stay clearly visible, with no tint, glare or reflection. Many visa agents simply ask you to remove them to avoid trouble — check the latest ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) guidance.
What file format do I submit online?
JPG, at 400 x 514 pixels where the e-form specifies it. The file-size cap varies: some forms ask for ≤60 KB, others allow up to 8 MB — check your specific submission form.
Is the photo the same for tourist and business visas?
Yes — the 35x45mm specification is identical for tourist and business visa applications.
Can I use a 51x51mm passport photo?
No. The Indian standard 51x51mm (2x2 inch) photo is the wrong size and the wrong face proportion for a Singapore visa. It must be 35x45mm.
Do prints need to be matte?
Yes — matte or semi-matte (non-reflective) finish, printed at 100% scale ("Actual Size", not "fit to page"). Glossy prints can be rejected.
Will this tool guarantee my visa is accepted?
No — no tool can. This tool formats your photo to the published 35x45mm specification and gates downloads behind an honest compliance checklist, but ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) officers make the final call. Verify against the current official notification before submitting.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Cropping, sizing and the print sheet are all generated inside your browser. Your photo never leaves your device.
How is this different from the Schengen photo maker?
Schengen Visa Photo Maker targets the Schengen 6-month-recency spec; this page targets Singapore's stricter 3-month rule, 80% face proportion, matte-finish prints and the 400x514 digital variant.
Related tools
- Schengen Visa Photo Maker — same 35x45mm format, Schengen compliance checklist.
- Japan Visa Photo Maker — 35x45mm with Japan's spec.
- Passport Photo Maker — general passport-size photo maker.
- HEIC to JPG — convert iPhone photos before cropping.
- Image to PDF — bundle photos into a PDF if asked.