Brazil Passport photo requirements
Brazil's Polícia Federal captures your passport photo in person at the appointment for applicants aged 5 and over, so most photo-quality rules are handled on-site to ICAO/ANAC standards. Only children under 5 supply a photo in advance: a recent 5×7 cm colour photo on a white background with the face fully visible. Verified against gov.br/pf (Polícia Federal).
The essentials
- Photo size
- 50×70 mm
- Head height
- 44–51% of the photo (chin to crown)
- Eye line
- 55–68% up from the bottom
- Background
- Plain white
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Output resolution
- 591×827 px @ 300 dpi
- Max file size
- 10240 KB (JPEG)
Every rule, sourced
Head size, shape & position
Source ↗For children under 5, supply a recent colour photo measuring 5×7 cm on a white background. For applicants 5 and over, the Polícia Federal captures the facial photo in person at the appointment, so no photo is submitted in advance; framing is handled on-site to ICAO/ANAC standards.
Expression
Not specified by authorityNot specified by Brazil's Polícia Federal for advance-submitted photos; ICAO/best-practice default applies — keep a neutral expression with the mouth closed and both eyes open. (For newborns, the Polícia Federal exceptionally accepts a photo with eyes closed.)
Glasses
Source ↗The Polícia Federal does not address eyeglasses directly, but colored contact lenses are prohibited by ANAC and ICAO (OACI) standards. For glasses, the ICAO/best-practice default applies — remove them, or ensure clear frames with no glare or obstruction of the eyes.
Head coverings (religious / medical)
Source ↗Accessories — earrings, necklaces, piercings, makeup, patient scarves, religious scarves or veils, corrective wigs, bows, and headbands — are allowed only as long as they do not cover the eyebrows or the shape of the face. Religious head coverings are permitted provided they do not prevent perfect visualization of the face.
Hats & caps
Not specified by authorityNot specified by Brazil's Polícia Federal as a separate rule; ICAO/best-practice default applies — no hats or caps. The only permitted head coverings are religious ones, which must not block any part of the face.
Lighting
Not specified by authorityNot specified by Brazil's Polícia Federal for advance-submitted photos (the photo is captured on-site for applicants 5 and over); ICAO/best-practice default applies — use even lighting that reproduces natural skin tone with no over- or under-exposure.
Shadows
Not specified by authorityNot specified by Brazil's Polícia Federal for advance-submitted photos; ICAO/best-practice default applies — no shadows across the face or on the background.
Background
Source ↗Children under 5 must supply a photo with a white background. For applicants 5 and over the photo is taken on-site, so no background is supplied by the applicant; a plain white background is the ICAO/best-practice default.
Red-eye & flash
Not specified by authorityNot specified by Brazil's Polícia Federal; ICAO/best-practice default applies — avoid red-eye from flash by using diffused or off-axis lighting so the eyes appear natural.
Hair & face obstruction
Source ↗The face must not be covered, even partially, by accessories, ornaments, or adornments — this is required in compliance with international civil aviation standards. Voluminous hairstyles are allowed only if they do not conceal the shape of the face or the eyebrows.
Gaze & eyes
Not specified by authorityNot specified by Brazil's Polícia Federal for advance-submitted photos; ICAO/best-practice default applies — face the camera directly with both eyes open and the head not tilted.
Babies & children
Source ↗Children under 5 do not have their photo captured on-site: a parent must bring a recent 5×7 cm colour photo on a white background, with the child's face fully visible and not covered by accessories or adornments. A photo with eyes closed is exceptionally accepted only for newborns. A photo may be refused if it is too old to still identify the child.
Brazil passport photo requirements, in plain English
Brazil is different from most countries on this list. The Polícia Federal (Federal Police) issues Brazilian passports, and for almost everyone the passport photo is taken in person at your scheduled appointment — alongside your fingerprints — and captured directly to the international ICAO/ANAC standard. That means there is very little for you to prepare as a photo in advance, and many of the fine-grained photo-quality rules other countries publish simply do not apply here because the agency controls the capture itself.
Who actually submits a photo
- Applicants 5 and over — you do not bring a photo. The Polícia Federal
photographs you on-site at the appointment.
- Children under 5 — a parent or guardian must bring a **recent 5×7 cm
colour photo on a white background**. The child must still attend in person.
Children under 5 — the photo you bring
For the youngest applicants, the photo you supply must:
- Be recent — a photo too old to still identify the child can be refused.
- Show the full face, not covered even partially by accessories, ornaments,
or adornments.
- Have a white background and be in colour.
A photo with the eyes closed is accepted only as an exception for newborns.
Accessories, head coverings, and hair
The Polícia Federal does publish clear guidance on what you may wear, which applies to the on-site capture as well:
- Allowed — earrings, necklaces, piercings, makeup, patient scarves,
religious scarves or veils, corrective wigs, bows, and headbands — as long as they do not cover your eyebrows or the shape of your face.
- Religious head coverings are permitted provided they do not prevent
perfect visualization of your face.
- Voluminous hairstyles are allowed only if they do not conceal the shape of
your face or your eyebrows.
Colored contact lenses
The Polícia Federal is explicit here: colored contact lenses that change your eye colour are prohibited by ANAC and ICAO (OACI) standards. Wear your natural eye colour.
Everything else — handled on-site to ICAO standard
Because the agency captures the photo for applicants 5 and over, the Polícia Federal does not publish separate public rules for expression, glasses glare, lighting, shadows, red-eye, or gaze. Where those are marked as gaps above, the standard ICAO/best-practice expectation applies — a neutral, closed-mouth expression, both eyes open and looking straight at the camera, even lighting, no shadows, and a plain background. If you are preparing a photo for a child under 5, following those defaults on top of the explicit white-background and uncovered-face rules gives you the safest result.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to bring a photo for a Brazilian passport?
- Usually no. For applicants aged 5 and over, the Polícia Federal captures your facial photo in person at the appointment, to ICAO/ANAC standards. Only children under 5 must bring a recent 5×7 cm colour photo on a white background.
- Can I wear a religious veil or scarf in a Brazilian passport photo?
- Yes. Religious scarves and veils are allowed, along with earrings, necklaces, makeup, and headbands, as long as they do not cover your eyebrows or the shape of your face. Religious head coverings must not prevent perfect visualization of the face.
- Are colored contact lenses allowed?
- No. The use of colored contact lenses that alter your eye colour is prohibited by ANAC and ICAO (OACI) standards.
Sources, verified 2026-06-15: Polícia Federal — Passaporte · Polícia Federal — Fotografia 5x7: o que preciso saber? · Polícia Federal — Acessórios, brincos, lenços etc: posso usar durante a fotografia?
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