Cambodia Passport Photo Maker

Cambodia Passport Photo Requirements

These specifications apply to the ordinary Cambodian passport and e-passport issued by the General Department of Immigration.

Passport Authority Overview

Cambodian passports are issued by the General Department of Immigration (GDI), which sits under the Ministry of Interior. The GDI operates the main passport office in Phnom Penh along with provincial service points, and it manages the country's move to chip-based biometric travel documents. Cambodians living overseas usually apply or renew through the nearest Royal Embassy or Consulate, which forwards the file back to the GDI.

Because the GDI records a biometric facial image for the e-passport chip, photo quality is not a formality. A blurred, shadowed, or wrongly framed picture can hold up the whole file, so getting the 40×60 mm image right at the start keeps your application moving.

Passport Application Process in Cambodia

The typical route to a Cambodian passport looks like this:

1. Prepare your documents – Khmer national identity card, birth certificate, and family book (or the equivalent held by an embassy for applicants abroad).
2. Complete the application – at a GDI office, an authorised service counter, or through an embassy for overseas Cambodians.
3. Biometric capture – fingerprints and a facial image are recorded. A compliant 4×6 cm photo is still required for the paper file and for most embassy and agent submissions.
4. Pay the fee and choose a speed – normal, express, or the fastest same-region option, depending on the counter.
5. Collect the passport – in person or by the delivery method offered at your service point.

Cambodia-Specific Photo Rules

Beyond the raw dimensions, the GDI expects a photo that clearly and honestly shows your face:

• Full face square to the camera, both edges of the face and both ears visible where possible.
• Plain white background only. Cream, grey, blue, and textured walls are refused.
• Even lighting with no shadow falling on the face or behind the head.
• No head covering, except one worn for religious reasons, and even then the full face from chin to forehead must be uncovered.
• Natural skin tones. Heavy filters, skin smoothing, and "beauty mode" edits are not allowed.
• A recent image, taken within the past six months, printed on quality photo paper if submitted as a hard copy.

Passport vs visa: This page covers the Cambodian passport (4×6 cm). Cambodia visa photo requirements are different, and the e-Visa commonly asks for a smaller square or 35×45 mm picture, so always match your photo to the exact document.

National Biometric Standards for the e-Passport

The Cambodian e-passport stores a digital facial image on its chip, so the photo has to satisfy machine-readable rules as well as human ones. For a clean Cambodian e-passport picture, the tool aligns your image to these points:

• Face centred and vertical, looking straight ahead, not tilted or turned.
• Eyes open, clearly visible, and no red-eye or reflection.
• Sharp focus across the whole face with no motion blur.
• Uniform lighting, no hot spots, and no shadow behind the head.
• Natural contrast so facial features are easy to distinguish.

Child Passport Photo Requirements

Infants and children use the same 40×60 mm size and white background, but a few rules bend to reality:

• No other person, hand, or toy may appear in the frame. Lay a baby on a plain white sheet and shoot from directly above.
• The child should look toward the camera with a neutral face. For newborns, closed eyes are tolerated when unavoidable.
• No dummies, pacifiers, or feeding items in the mouth.
• Keep the head and shoulders in view, with the face evenly lit and no shadow behind.

Passport Renewal Photo Rules

You cannot reuse the photo from an expiring passport. Each renewal needs a fresh image, taken within the last six months, that reflects how you look now, including any lasting change in appearance such as a beard or very different hairstyle. Cambodians renewing at an embassy abroad usually submit printed 4×6 cm photos with the application, so prepare a new compliant image rather than assuming the old one still qualifies.

Passport Processing Tips

• Apply well before travel dates and keep your payment receipt safe.
• Check that the Latin spelling of your name matches your national ID exactly.
• Bring a couple of spare compliant photos to your appointment in case a counter requests extras.
• Preview your photo against the requirements table above before you submit.
• If you are abroad, confirm your embassy's exact photo count and format, since some request more than one copy.

Can I Take My Cambodia Passport Photo at Home?

Yes. A modern phone and a plain wall are enough if you follow a few habits, then let the tool do the sizing.

Phone camera

Use the rear camera of a recent phone (12 MP or higher) rather than the selfie lens, which distorts the face.

Lighting

Face a window during the day so soft, even light hits your face. Avoid overhead lamps that cast shadows under the eyes.

Background

Stand about half a metre in front of a plain white wall so no shadow lands behind your head.

Distance from camera

Have someone shoot from roughly 1 to 1.5 metres at eye level, keeping your head and shoulders in frame.

Printing

Export the finished 40×60 mm file at 300 DPI, or print the 4R sheet at any Cambodian photo shop.

Common mistakes

Selfie-lens distortion, tilted heads, hair over the eyes, and shadows on the wall are the errors we see most from home photos.

Cambodia Passport Photo vs US Passport Photo

Travellers often assume one photo works everywhere. It does not. Here is how the Cambodian and US standards differ.

Because the shapes and head sizes do not match, a US 2×2 photo cannot simply be reused for a Cambodian passport, and the reverse is equally true.

How to Create Your Cambodia Passport Photo with the Maker

Five steps take you from a phone snapshot to a compliant 4×6 cm file.

1. Upload your photo using the box near the top of this page, or drag one straight in from your gallery.
2. Crop as the tool auto-detects your face and positions it inside the 40×60 mm Cambodia template.
3. Background is cleaned to the plain white the GDI requires, removing walls, colour, and shadows.
4. Verify the preview against the biometric guides for head height, spacing, and a neutral expression.
5. Download a single digital image or a print-ready 4R sheet, then submit or print it.

Common Reasons Cambodian Passport Photos Are Rejected

Most refusals trace back to a short, predictable list. Check yours against these before submitting.

• Photo is not 40×60 mm (wrong crop or aspect)
• Grey, cream, or coloured background instead of white
• Head too large and cropped at the edges
• Head too small with excess space around it
• Shadow falling behind the head or on the face
• Glare or tint on eyeglass lenses
• Photo older than six months
• Dim, uneven, or yellow lighting
• Filters, skin smoothing, or heavy digital edits
• Smiling, open mouth, or tilted head

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