Quick answer
How do I make a 400 × 514 pixel Singapore passport photo?
Take a photo against a plain white wall, open the cropper, choose "Singapore passport, NRIC & ICA" and upload it. Drag and zoom until the top of your head is on the guide line and your chin is in the band, then download the single 400 × 514 pixel JPEG for the ICA e-Service.
This free cropper turns your photo into one digital photo of the exact pixel size you need: 400 × 514 px for ICA's passport, NRIC and pass e-Services, or the size your university or concession card asks for. It only crops, resizes and straightens, and it works entirely in your browser.
Photo sizes in this cropper
| Photo | Size | File rules | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport, NRIC, visa, PR, LTVP, Student's Pass | 400 × 514 px | JPG, PNG or HEIC, up to 8 MB (the cropper saves JPEG) | Passport photo rules |
| NUS student card | 340 × 453 px | JPEG under 2 MB, white background | NUS rules |
| NTU matriculation card | 354 × 472 px | No border, white background | NTU rules |
| SMU student card | 354 × 472 px (minimum) | JPEG up to 4 MB | SMU rules |
| Student concession (bus) card | 240 × 320 px | JPEG, no more than 150 KB | Concession card rules |
How to make a 400 × 514 px Singapore passport photo
- Take the photo against a white wall. Have someone photograph you about 1.5 m away, against a plain white wall with even light and no shadows. See how to take a white background photo.
- Choose the photo size. Pick "Singapore passport, NRIC & ICA" for 400 × 514 px, or your university or concession card size.
- Add your photo. Choose, drop or paste the original photo from your camera. It is opened in your browser, not uploaded.
- Line up your head with the guide. Drag and zoom until the top of your head touches the solid line and your chin sits in the red band, then straighten the photo if it is tilted.
- Download the JPEG. Check the preview and any warnings, then download the single photo and upload it to the ICA e-Service or your institution's portal.
What the head guide shows
ICA asks for a face measuring 25 to 35 mm from chin to crown on a 45 mm high photo, which is about 56% to 78% of the photo height. The guide puts the top of your head 8% below the top edge and shows the band your chin must fall in for your face to be that size. A chin near the middle of the band gives a comfortable margin.
NTU publishes the same 25–35 mm rule. NUS, SMU and SimplyGo do not publish a head size, so the guide uses the same proportions for their photos: a centred face with space above your head and your shoulders visible.
Cropping is allowed, editing is not
ICA lets you crop and resize your photo, but not alter or enhance it. This cropper only changes the framing: it does not smooth skin, change colours or touch the background. If any part of the frame falls outside your photo, the cropper fills it with white and warns you, so zoom in or move the photo until the warning disappears.
ICA rejects replaced backgrounds
For a passport, NRIC, visa, PR or pass application, the white background must be real. Retake the photo against a white wall instead of editing it. For other uses, such as student and concession cards, a background tool like 123PhotoTool or ChangeBackground.com can turn the background white; follow our guide to changing a photo background to white, and check your institution's rules.
Your photo stays on your device
The cropper is a script that runs in your browser. Your photo is read from your device, cropped in memory and saved back to your device as a JPEG. It is never uploaded to this website or anyone else, and it is gone when you close the page.
Tips for a sharp result
- Use the original photo from your camera. Screenshots and photos sent through chat apps are often too small and compressed.
- If the cropper warns that your photo is being enlarged, retake it a little closer (but no closer than about 1.5 m) or zoom in with the camera.
- Straighten small tilts with the slider, but keep your head upright when you take the photo: the head itself must not be tilted.
- Compare your result with the sample photos before you upload it.
Photo cropper FAQ
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many photos you crop.
No. The cropper runs as JavaScript in your browser. Your photo is read, cropped and saved on your own device, and is never sent to this website or anyone else. Closing the page discards it.
ICA allows you to crop and resize your photo to 400 × 514 pixels, which is all this tool does. Whether the photo is accepted depends on the original: it must meet ICA's rules on background, lighting, expression and recency. The cropper does not change your face or the background.
Yes. Choose NUS (340 × 453 px), NTU or SMU (354 × 472 px), or the student concession card (240 × 320 px) before you add your photo. You can switch sizes at any time without starting again.
The part of the photo inside the frame has fewer pixels than the finished photo, so it has to be stretched and may look soft. Use the original photo from your camera rather than a screenshot or a photo sent through a chat app.
Safari can. Other browsers, such as Chrome on Windows, usually cannot. Open this page in Safari, or export the photo as a JPG first.
The cropper makes digital photos for online applications. For a paper form, get matte or semi-matte prints from a photo studio or a photo print layout tool.
Official sources
- ICA: Photo guidelines
- ICA: Apply for a passport
- NUS Registrar: Requirements of photograph for online submission (PDF)
- NTU: Student matriculation card
- SMU: Guidelines on taking photograph (PDF)
- SimplyGo: Concession card photo guidelines
Last checked . Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm with the issuing agency before you apply. This site is independent and not affiliated with any government agency.