Philippines Philippine ePassport photo (DFA) Photo Size

Specifications

Philippine ePassport numbers: 35×45 mm on-site capture and the ₱950/₱1,200 fees

DFA fees ₱950/₱1,200, CoRE booking and PSA/NBI documents

DFA Office of Consular Affairs rules and DFA ASEANA complex

Department of Foreign Affairs — Office of Consular Affairs (DFA OCA) (consular.dfa.gov.ph) sets the rules.

Philippine ePassports are issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through the Office of Consular Affairs at DFA ASEANA in Parañaque and Consular Offices nationwide. Domestic applicants book a free appointment at passport.gov.ph (CoRE — Consular Online Reservation) and appear in person: the DFA data encoder captures the photograph, fingerprints and signature on site, so no printed photo is required. Fees are ₱950 regular and ₱1,200 expedited, plus an optional ₱150 courier; overseas posts charge in US dollars. Overseas or mail-in applications at consulates may request two printed 35 × 45 mm photos, sometimes listed as 2 × 2 inch.

Because the DFA captures the photo on site, domestic applicants do not need a studio at all — they need a passport.gov.ph appointment, their PSA birth certificate and a valid ID. Studio photos matter mainly for overseas consulate and mail-in packets.

• DFA ASEANA (Parañaque) — The main Office of Consular Affairs complex in Metro Manila; on-site photo, biometrics and courtesy lane for senior citizens and PWDs.
• DFA NCR East and West — Satellite consular offices at Ali Mall (Cubao, Quezon City) and SM Manila, both with on-site digital capture.
• Provincial Consular Offices — DFA Cebu, Davao, Angeles (Pampanga), Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Bacolod, Legazpi, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Butuan and Puerto Princesa.
• passport.gov.ph (CoRE) — The free Consular Online Reservation system; fixers who charge a ₱350 appointment fee are warned against on the DFA website.
• Philippine Consulate General San Francisco — Overseas applicants appear in person; the consulate takes the photo, fingerprints and signature and lists the no-theatrical-make-up rule.
• Philippine Consulate General New York — ePassport FAQs confirm no passport photo is brought by the applicant; data encoders capture the straight frontal, no-tilt image.
• NBI clearance and PSA records — First-time adult applicants may need an NBI clearance and the PSA birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
• Do it yourself at home — For overseas or mail-in packets, shoot against a white wall, crop to 35 × 45 mm in the PixlReady Philippines preset, and print two copies at 413 × 531 px.

The only online step is booking: passport.gov.ph (CoRE). The DFA does not accept a digital photo upload for domestic ePassports, because the on-site encoder's capture is the biometric of record.

CoRE booking: ₱950 regular, ₱1,200 expedite and 5-day release

The Philippine ePassport flow runs on a free passport.gov.ph appointment, in-person biometrics at DFA ASEANA or a Consular Office, and payment of ₱950 regular or ₱1,200 expedite.

1. Book a free appointment at passport.gov.ph (CoRE); confirm the email and prepare the PSA birth certificate plus one valid government ID.
2. Appear at the chosen DFA office: DFA ASEANA, NCR East (Ali Mall), NCR West (SM Manila), or a provincial consular office.
3. Pay the fee: regular ₱950, expedited ₱1,200; optional courier ₱150.
4. The data encoder captures the photo on site (no glasses, no theatrical make-up, no eyelash extensions), takes fingerprints and the signature.
5. Wait about 5 working days rush in Metro Manila or 7 outside Manila; collect at the office or choose courier delivery.
6. Overseas Filipinos book at the nearest consulate (San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Vancouver, Toronto); fees are in US dollars, for example $60 at Agana.
7. First-time adult applicants may bring an NBI clearance and supporting documents the DFA requests.
8. Senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women and solo parents use the Courtesy Lane with the supporting document.

On-site capture rules: no glasses, no theatrical make-up, frontal

1. For domestic DFA appointments you do NOT pre-shoot: arrive with hair neat, no glasses, no theatrical make-up or eyelash extensions.
2. For overseas consulate packets, stand against a plain white wall (the blue-background rule is obsolete).
3. Set the camera at eye level, face straight frontal with no head tilt; chin-to-crown about 32–36 mm, 70–80% of the frame.
4. Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
5. Remove glasses entirely — the DFA accepts neither prescription nor fashion glasses.
6. Remove earrings, necklaces and hair accessories that show on the shoulders.
7. Open the frame in the PixlReady cropper and choose the Philippines 35 × 45 mm preset, which builds the 413 × 531 px image.
8. Print two copies on photographic paper for the consulate or mail-in packet.

Use the passport cropper with the Philippines preset.

No upload for domestic ePassports — the DFA encoder captures the image

Domestic ePassport applicants upload nothing: the on-site encoder captures the digital image. Overseas consulates and mail-in packets are the only routes that still ask for a printed 35 × 45 mm (or sometimes 2 × 2 inch) photograph.

• No upload for domestic DFA appointments — the biometric is captured on site.
• Overseas mail-in: two printed 35 × 45 mm photos, 413 × 531 px at 300 DPI.
• Some consulates list 2 × 2 inch photos instead of 35 × 45 mm; check the specific post.
• Plain white background only; blue backgrounds are obsolete.
• No glasses, no theatrical make-up, no eyelash extensions, no earrings.
• Straight frontal shot, no head tilt.
• Chin-to-crown 32–36 mm, 70–80% of frame.
• Neutral expression, both eyes open.
• Do not bring a retouched or filtered photo even for the mail-in route.

Compress an oversized JPEG with the image compressor.

Two 35×45 mm prints only for overseas consulate or mail-in packets

The 35 × 45 mm tile is the same East-Asian size used in Japan and Korea; two copies cover the overseas consulate or mail-in packet.

• Print at 300 DPI so the tile measures 35 × 45 mm.
• Use photographic paper; plain paper and photocopies are rejected.
• Bring two identical prints for overseas consulates.
• Some consulates specify 2 × 2 inch instead — follow the post's own checklist.
• Cut along the crop lines.
• Do not wear glasses in the print.
• Do not write on the image side.
• Domestic applicants need no prints at all.

Print-dialog settings: 300 DPI guide · 200 KB upload guide.

Why the DFA turns down glasses, make-up and blue backgrounds

• Glasses worn during the on-site capture — the DFA accepts none.
• Theatrical make-up, eyelash extensions, or heavy accessories visible.
• Head tilt or three-quarter pose instead of straight frontal.
• Blue background (obsolete) instead of plain white.
• For overseas packets: wrong size (using 45 × 45 mm visa format instead of 35 × 45 mm).
• Retouched or filtered photo in a mail-in packet.
• Missing PSA birth certificate or valid ID at the appointment.
• No passport.gov.ph appointment — walk-ins are refused.
• Earrings or necklaces showing during capture.
• Hair covering the eyebrows or forehead.

Minors: 5-year ePassport, PSA birth certificate and both parents

Minors apply for the 5-year ePassport at the DFA with both parents and the child's PSA birth certificate; the on-site capture applies the same no-glasses, no-accessory rule to children.

• Children under 18 receive a 5-year ePassport.
• Both parents attend with the child's PSA birth certificate and their own valid IDs.
• If one parent cannot attend, a special power of attorney is required.
• The DFA captures the child's photo on site; no studio photo needed.
• No pacifier, toy or accessories during capture.
• Infants are assessed leniently on eye openness.
• School records may be requested for older minors without a PSA-issued ID.
• Dual-citizen minors use the same ePassport process after reporting back the Philippine citizenship (RA 9225).

Philippine travel and identity documents around the ePassport

The ePassport sits beside the PSA-issued birth certificate, valid government IDs, NBI clearance and the dual-citizenship paperwork; each follows its own office.

• PSA birth certificate (Philippine Statistics Authority): core identity document for first-time ePassport applicants.
• Valid government IDs: UMID, SSS, driver licence, PRC licence, voter's ID, PhilPOST postal ID.
• NBI clearance: National Bureau of Investigation clearance requested for some first-time adult applications.
• Dual citizenship (RA 9225): former natural-born Filipinos reacquiring citizenship take an Oath and then apply for the ePassport.
• Report of Birth Abroad and Report of Marriage: consular reports filed at the embassy/consulate for Filipinos born or married abroad.
• Philippine visa applications for foreigners use a separate 45 × 45 mm square format, not the 35 × 45 mm passport size.
• eTravel: the electronic travel declaration required by the Bureau of Immigration, separate from the passport.
• Overseas employment workers (OWW) process the OEC through POEA before departure; the ePassport remains the travel document.

Philippines local details: DFA ASEANA, CoRE appointments and consular fees

The Philippine ePassport is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through the Office of Consular Affairs at DFA ASEANA; appointments are free at passport.gov.ph (CoRE), and the on-site encoder captures the biometric photo.

• Pasaporte — Filipino for passport; larawan means photograph.
• DFA ASEANA — the main Office of Consular Affairs complex in Parañaque City, Metro Manila.
• CoRE (Consular Online Reservation) — the free booking system at passport.gov.ph; a ₱350 'appointment fee' is a fixer scam.
• Regular fee ₱950; expedited/rush fee ₱1,200; optional courier ₱150.
• PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) birth certificate — the core identity document.
• NBI clearance — National Bureau of Investigation clearance requested for first-time adults.
• Courtesy Lane — fast track for senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women and solo parents.
• Overseas posts: PCG San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Vancouver, Toronto; fees in US dollars (for example $60 at Agana).

Gotchas

• Domestic DFA applicants do not bring a photo — it is captured on site during biometrics.
• Background must now be plain white; the previous blue background is obsolete.
• No glasses, theatrical make-up, eyelash extensions or earrings during the on-site capture.
• Appointments are free at passport.gov.ph; a ₱350 'appointment fee' is a fixer scam.
• Overseas consulate or mail-in applications may require two printed photos, sometimes 2 × 2 inch.