Vietnam Passport Photo Requirements: 4x6 cm Size, White Background and Common Mix-Ups
Prepare a 4×6 cm Vietnam passport photo with official background, recency and eyewear guidance, plus print and digital filing checks.
Quick Answer
A Vietnamese passport photo is 4 × 6 cm (40 × 60 mm), in color, on a plain white background, taken recently (within about six months), facing the camera with your head uncovered, a neutral expression and no glasses. It is not a generic 3 × 4 cm ID-style photo, and it is not a 2 × 2 inch U.S.-style passport photo. At 300 DPI, 4 × 6 cm works out to about 472 × 709 pixels.
One thing to settle first: people searching "Vietnam passport photo" often mean one of two different things. This guide covers the photo for a Vietnamese passport (for Vietnamese citizens), and also explains how it differs from the photo you need to enter Vietnam as a foreign traveler (e-visa or embassy visa).
Which Photo Do You Actually Need?
| Your situation | Which photo | Typical format |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnamese citizen applying for or renewing a Vietnamese passport | Vietnam passport photo | 4 × 6 cm, white background, printed or digital depending on channel |
| Foreign traveler applying for a Vietnam e-visa | Vietnam e-visa portrait | 4 × 6 cm proportions, JPG/JPEG, white background, plus a passport data page scan |
| Foreign traveler applying at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate | Embassy visa photo | Follow the receiving mission; some use 4 × 6 cm and some use 2 × 2 inches |
| Vietnamese citizen applying for a current Citizen ID card | Live capture at the issuing office | Do not assume a separately printed 3 × 4 cm photo is required |
Many pages online blend these cases together, which is how a photo ends up the wrong size. Decide which row you are in before you take or print anything.
Vietnam Passport Photo Requirements at a Glance
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Print size | 4 × 6 cm (40 × 60 mm) |
| Pixels at 300 DPI | About 472 × 709 px (at 600 DPI, about 945 × 1417 px) |
| Color | Full color |
| Background | Plain white, even, no shadows, texture or patterns |
| Recency | Taken recently, commonly stated as within six months |
| Pose | Front-facing, head straight, neutral expression, mouth closed |
| Head | Bare head; no hats |
| Glasses | No sunglasses or tinted glasses; most guides advise no glasses at all |
| Number of photos | Usually two for an in-person application (check your office) |
| Print quality | Sharp, evenly lit, on good photo paper |
The National Public Service Portal’s passport FAQ directly confirms two recent 4 × 6 cm photos, a frontal pose, bare head, no tinted glasses and a white background. The overseas passport procedure specifies photos no more than six months old, with the face and both ears visible and no glasses. Follow the stricter current instructions for your channel.
Common Size and Application Mix-Ups
Pages that rank for this topic usually give "4 × 6 cm, white background" and stop. These are the questions they leave open:
- Passport vs visa vs ID confusion. A large share of "Vietnam passport photo" results are really about visa photos for foreign travelers. The sizes are similar (4 × 6 cm), but file rules for the e-visa are separate. See the section below.
- 4 × 6 cm is not 4 × 6 inches. A common practical error is ordering a 4 × 6 inch print at a drugstore. A 4 × 6 inch sheet is a paper size (10 × 15 cm), and the photo on it still has to be cropped to 4 × 6 cm. Ask for a 4 × 6 cm crop, or print a template on 4 × 6 inch paper and cut the photos out.
- Vietnamese citizens abroad have a size problem. Photo booths and retail counters outside Vietnam are set up for 2 × 2 inch or 35 × 45 mm formats. Several guides point out that a standard "passport photo" order often won't produce the right dimensions, so tell the shop the exact size before the picture is taken.
- Do not invent a universal head-height figure. The official passport sources linked here do not give a chin-to-crown millimeter measurement. Follow any framing diagram in your live application channel and keep both ears and the full face visible.
- White clothing blends into the background. A white shirt against a white backdrop makes the shoulders disappear. Wear a darker or colored top.
- Selfies are risky for printed applications. For in-person submissions, a selfie often has distortion and uneven lighting. Have someone else take the photo at eye level.
- Use the current child-passport checklist. Do not reuse old advice about a child being included in a parent’s passport or a smaller 3 × 4 cm photo. Confirm the current child application and photo rules with the issuing office.
- Rules change. Vietnam has been moving passport services online, and e-passport and online portals have their own upload requirements. Use the instructions shown on the official portal or from your embassy at the time you apply.
Vietnam Passport Photo vs Vietnam Visa Photo
If you are not Vietnamese and just need to travel to Vietnam, you are in the visa category. The visa photo rules reported by multiple guides are:
| Item | E-visa (online) | Embassy visa (paper) |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Digital upload, 4 × 6 cm proportions | Printed photo in the size specified by that embassy |
| Format | JPG/JPEG | Photo paper |
| File size | Commonly stated as under 2 MB for the portrait and passport scan; some guides list lower caps for the portrait | Not applicable |
| Background | White | White |
| Glasses | No | No (no sunglasses or headwear) |
| Extra | Clear scan of passport data page | Application form; some sources mention 2 identical photos |
Follow the live official e-visa instructions for upload limits. Embassy visa requirements can differ: the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States uses a separate paper-visa checklist. Do not convert its rules into a universal Vietnamese passport requirement.
Step-by-Step: How to Get a Compliant Vietnam Passport Photo
- Confirm the document. Passport, visa or ID card? Confirm whether your office wants a printed photo, a digital upload, or both.
- Choose a spot. Stand a short distance from a plain white wall or hang a plain white sheet. Use soft, even light from the front, such as a window, and avoid shadows behind your head.
- Dress for contrast. Wear a darker or colored top, formal and simple. Skip white clothing, hats, large earrings and heavy makeup.
- Have someone take the photo at eye level, facing straight, with a neutral expression and a closed mouth.
- Frame it. Keep your head centered with a bit of space above it and the top of your shoulders in the picture.
- Crop to 4 × 6 cm. Use a 2:3 portrait crop. At 300 DPI, aim for about 472 × 709 pixels.
- Print correctly. Use a 4 × 6 cm template on photo paper at 100 percent scale (no "fit to page"), then trim carefully. For an online upload, follow the live portal’s accepted formats, resolution and file-size limits; do not assume an ordinary JPG is accepted by every passport channel. If JPEG 2000 is required, renaming a .jpg file does not convert it.
- Compare with your checklist before you submit.
Common Reasons Vietnam Passport Photos Are Rejected
- Wrong size. 3 × 4 cm, 2 × 2 inch or 35 × 45 mm instead of 4 × 6 cm.
- Background not white. Gray from shadows, cream walls or textured backdrops.
- Head too small or cropped. Very little face in a big frame, or the top of the head cut off.
- Glasses or glare. Tinted lenses, reflections or heavy frames.
- Facial expression. Smiling broadly, frowning, or mouth open.
- Blurry or low-resolution print. Home prints on plain paper.
- Heavy retouching. Skin smoothing or visible background-removal edges.
- Old or very different photo. Not a good likeness of your current appearance.
Accepted vs Rejected Vietnam Passport Photos
| Feature | Likely accepted | Likely rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 4 × 6 cm | 3 × 4 cm, 2 × 2 in, or 4 × 6 in print left uncropped |
| Background | Even white | Gray, shadowed or cream |
| Clothing | Darker, contrasting top | White top that blends in |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed | Big smile or open mouth |
| Head | Centered, clear, sensible size | Tiny face or cropped chin |
| Quality | Sharp, even light, good photo paper | Blurry, filtered or plain-paper print |
Prepare Your Vietnam Passport Photo with PhotoOmni
The dedicated Vietnam passport photo maker prepares a 40 × 60 mm portrait from a phone photo, with white-background preparation, crop and image-quality checks, and expert review. The standard output is approximately 472 × 709 pixels at 300 DPI, plus a print-ready sheet.
Check your receiving portal’s accepted file type before uploading. PhotoOmni’s standard JPEG download should not be assumed to satisfy a channel asking for JPEG 2000. Choose the passport preset for a Vietnamese citizen’s passport rather than a visa or ID-card preset.
Prepare your Vietnam passport photo.
FAQ
What size is a Vietnam passport photo? 4 × 6 cm (40 × 60 mm). It is not the 3 × 4 cm size used for ID cards and many local forms.
Is a Vietnam passport photo 2 × 2 inches? No. 2 × 2 inch is the U.S. passport format. Some visa guides say 2 × 2 inch is acceptable for visas, but for a Vietnamese passport you should use 4 × 6 cm.
What background color is required? White. A uniform white background without shadows or patterns is the rule across passport and visa guidance.
Can I wear glasses? Remove glasses. The current overseas passport procedure explicitly says no glasses, while the general FAQ mentions no tinted glasses.
How old can the photo be? It should be recent. Guides commonly say within six months.
How many photos do I need? Typically two for an in-person application, but confirm with the office you are applying through.
Do children need a different photo? Use the current child-passport checklist. Do not rely on old instructions about children included in a parent’s passport or assume a smaller photo size.
Can I take the photo with my phone? Yes, if the lighting is even, the background is plain white, and the final crop and file meet the requirement. For printed applications, have someone else take it at eye level instead of a selfie.
What are the pixel dimensions? About 472 × 709 pixels at 300 DPI for 4 × 6 cm. If a portal asks for a digital file, follow its stated limits.
Is the Vietnam e-visa photo the same as the passport photo? The proportions are similar (4 × 6 cm), but the e-visa has its own digital upload rules, so check the official e-visa portal.
Official Sources
- National Public Service Portal: passport photo FAQ.
- National Public Service Portal: ordinary passport issuance overseas.
- Vietnam Ministry of Public Security public service portal.
- Vietnam official e-visa portal — a separate process for foreign visitors.
For a Vietnamese passport, prepare a recent 4 × 6 cm portrait on white, then check the receiving office’s quantity and file instructions before printing or uploading.
About the Author
PhotoOmni Editorial Team
The PhotoOmni Editorial Team explains official passport, visa and identity-photo requirements, with practical guidance on taking photos, preparing files and printing. This guide draws on the official sources listed above. The issuing authority sets the application requirements and makes the final acceptance decision.