Georgia Passport Photo Requirements & Guidelines

Georgia uses the standard 35 × 45 mm passport photo, so applicants assume it works like any European one. It mostly does — with one quiet exception. Georgia's head-height band sits lower than most countries, at roughly 69% of the frame, so a photo cropped tight enough for Germany can be too tight for Tbilisi.

This guide covers every current Georgia passport photo requirement for 2026 — the 35 × 45 mm size, the plain light background, the 22.5–31.5 mm head height, the two-photo rule, and the expression and glasses rules the Public Service Development Agency applies.

Georgia Passport Photo Requirements at a Glance

Here are the core specifications for the Georgian passport photo:

The head-height line is the one that catches people — it is lower than the 34–36 mm most European countries expect.

Photo Size and Head Position Rules

Exact photo dimensions

The Georgian passport photo is 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall — the international ICAO standard, which at 300 DPI works out to roughly 413 × 531 pixels. Digitally, the file must not exceed 240 KB.

Head size and placement

This is Georgia's distinctive rule. Your head should measure 22.5 to 31.5 mm from the chin to the top of the head — about 69% of the photo height — with at least 5 mm of clear space above your head. That is a noticeably smaller head and more headroom than most 35 × 45 mm countries require.

Cropping to a lower head height while keeping 5 mm of clearance is easy to get wrong by eye. You can create your Georgia passport photo and have the 35 × 45 mm frame, head height, and headroom calculated from your source image.

Background Requirements

Acceptable backgrounds

Georgia requires a plain, light, evenly lit background, free of shadows, patterns, and objects. Plain white is the safe, widely accepted choice; some services and centres also accept a light grey tone. Whichever you use, keep it flat and uniform.

Common background mistakes

• Shadow outlines behind the head from standing too close to the wall.
• Uneven lighting leaving one side of the background brighter.
• Dark or coloured tones — the background must stay light.
• Clutter — furniture edges or door frames in shot.

Pose, Expression, and Lighting Rules

Expression and eyes

Hold a neutral expression with your mouth closed — no smiling, no frowning. Face the camera directly with your head centred and level, not tilted or turned, and keep both eyes open and visible.

Lighting

Use soft, even, frontal light so both sides of your face match, with no shadow across the face or on the background. Face a window for daylight; direct flash creates glare and a hard wall shadow.

Glasses, Head Coverings, and Other Restrictions

Glasses

Remove your glasses unless they are medically required. Where worn, the frames must not obstruct the eyes and there must be no glare on the lenses. Tinted lenses are not accepted.

Head coverings

Everyday hats and caps are not permitted. Religious head coverings are accepted provided the full face remains visible from the chin to the forehead, without shadow.

Editing and retouching

Do not alter the photo. No blemish removal, no skin smoothing, no filters, no AI enhancement — the image must show your natural appearance as captured.

Digital Upload vs. Printed Photo Specs

Printed photo

Provide two identical 35 × 45 mm prints on photo paper, accurate in colour and free of creases, marks, or damage. The two-copy requirement is easy to forget and a common reason an application is returned.

Digital photo

Where a digital file is used, supply a JPEG of no more than 240 KB at the 7:9 proportion, sharp and naturally coloured. Export sensibly to stay under the limit rather than upscaling a small crop or letting a messaging app recompress it.

Top Reasons Georgia Passport Photos Get Rejected

• Head too large — cropped to the 34–36 mm common elsewhere instead of Georgia's lower 22.5–31.5 mm.
• Not enough headroom — under the 5 mm clearance above the head.
• Only one photo — the two-copy rule is missed.
• Background faults — shadows, coloured tones, or uneven lighting.
• Oversized files — digital uploads above the 240 KB limit.
• Retouched photos — smoothing, filters, or edited features.
• Outdated photos — older than six months or no longer a true likeness.

How to Take a Compliant Photo at Home

1. Find a plain light wall — white is the safe choice.
2. Stand about half a metre in front of it so no shadow falls behind you.
3. Face a window for even, frontal daylight.
4. Set the camera at eye level, 1.5–2 metres away.
5. Leave headroom — Georgia wants a lower head and at least 5 mm of space above it, so shoot a little wider.
6. Hold a neutral expression — mouth closed, both eyes open.
7. Remove glasses and any non-religious head covering.
8. Crop to 35 × 45 mm with your head at about 69% of the height and 5 mm of clearance, print two copies, and keep any digital file under 240 KB — or let an automated tool handle the framing.

Beyond Georgia: Other Countries' Requirements

Georgia shows that even the "standard" 35 × 45 mm size hides differences: Georgia wants a lower head at about 69% of the frame, while Germany, the UK, and India crop closer to 70–80%. The frame is identical; the head is not. If you are preparing documents for more than one country, our passport photo tool for 150+ countries applies each official spec to the same source photo so the head height is right every time.

Conclusion

Three rules decide a Georgian passport photo: the 35 × 45 mm frame with a lower head at 22.5–31.5 mm and at least 5 mm of headroom, a plain light background, and two identical, recent, unedited prints (or a digital file under 240 KB). Mind the lower head height and the second copy, and the photo clears on the first pass.