Malaysian passport photo requirements

Malaysian passport photos are taken at the passport division with a facial live-capture device, so adults and children four and over bring nothing. The exception is children under four, for whom the Immigration Department asks for one photo measuring 35 mm × 50 mm with a shadowless white background. This page covers that child photo and how to present at the counter so the live capture is accepted first time.

Make and check a MY passport photo Free checker; files from A$6.99.

Can I take it myself? Yes, with conditions

Only for a child under four. Their 35×50 mm photo can be taken at home against a white sheet and printed, which is what our product does. For everyone else the camera at the counter takes the photo, and glasses, contact lenses and hats are removed for the capture; hair must not cover the face, and a hijab must leave the forehead uncovered.

How to take the photo

1. For a child under four, lay them on a plain white sheet in daylight and photograph from directly above so the face is level and there is no shadow on the sheet.
2. Fill the frame with the head and shoulders and leave space above the head; the tool crops to 35×50 mm, which is taller than the common 35×45 mm.
3. Eyes open where possible, mouth closed, nothing in the child's mouth and no hands in the frame. Support the head from under the sheet.
4. Print one copy on photo paper from the 6×4 sheet and cut on the marks; the background must stay pure white with no border.
5. For adults, arrive with hair off the face, no glasses or contact lenses and no headwear other than religious coverings that leave the forehead visible; the operator captures the photo.

Why MY passport photos get rejected

1. Photo supplied for an adult. Not needed; the photo is captured on site.
2. Child photo on a shadowed or off-white background. Pure white, evenly lit, no shadow. The tool checks the background for this document.
3. Wrong size (35×45 instead of 35×50). Malaysia's child photo is 35×50 mm. Use this preset.
4. Hands or dummies in the child photo. Support from under the sheet, remove the dummy.
5. Glasses or contacts at the counter. Remove them before the capture.
6. Hair or headwear covering the face at the counter. Tie hair back; hijab worn so the forehead is visible.

Infants and children

Children under four are the only applicants who supply a photo: one 35×50 mm colour print on a shadowless white background. Lay the baby on a white sheet, shoot from above in daylight, keep hands and objects out of frame and choose a frame with the eyes open. Children four and over are photographed at the counter like adults.

What it costs

A studio in Malaysia charges RM10–20 for a set of passport photos. Our Single licence (A$6.99, charged in your currency) covers the 35×50 mm print sheet for a child under four for 30 days. Adults need nothing.