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AI checks every IDP / British Council photo requirement — face size, background, expression, centering. Get a compliant IELTS Photo in under 30 seconds. Photos never leave your device.
Official spec from IDP / British Council
IELTS test centres operated by the British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge Assessment require a passport-style photo as part of the candidate registration. For paper-based IELTS, the photo is taken on test day at the test centre during identity check-in. For computer-delivered IELTS and IELTS Online, you upload a digital photo when you register at the testing portal. The spec is ICAO-style 35×45mm at 413×531 px, plain white background, no glasses, neutral expression — same as a passport photo. Here is how the common options compare.
For paper-based IELTS, the photo is captured on test day at the test centre during the identity-verification step at check-in. You arrive with your passport (or national ID, depending on country), the test centre photographs you against their neutral backdrop, and the digital file is attached to your candidate record. The photo is printed on the Test Report Form (TRF) along with the score band when the result is released ~13 days later.
For computer-delivered IELTS, the photo is uploaded at online registration before the test day. The test centre still re-captures a photo on test day at check-in for verification, but the uploaded photo is used for pre-test admin and on the TRF. For IELTS Online (the fully remote format), the uploaded photo is the only photo — there is no in-person re-capture, just a remote-proctoring identity check via webcam.
The TRF photo accompanies the score report to every receiving institution — UK universities, Australian visa office, Canadian Express Entry, US graduate programs, and so on. Some institutions store the photo with the application file and use it for ID verification at enrollment. The same photo can therefore appear on official records for years.
British Council, IDP, and Cambridge IELTS all require glasses to be removed for the photo — including prescription frames. The rule supports the IELTS Online remote-proctoring AI which compares the upload against the live webcam feed. If you wear glasses every day, you can wear them during the actual test (paper or computer); just not in the photo.
IELTS requires plain white background. Off-white, cream, light grey, and patterned backgrounds are rejected. The test-centre on-site capture uses a white backdrop; uploaded photos must match. Phone selfies against a non-white wall fail — use AI background replacement or shoot against a white wall.
Neutral expression required — mouth closed, no teeth visible, no smile. Unlike the SAT or Common App (both of which allow smiling), IELTS follows the strict passport-photo expression rule. The reasoning: IELTS photos are forwarded to UK Home Office and other visa authorities that require passport-style photos.
IELTS requires the photo to be less than 6 months old. The test centre cannot verify the date directly but compares against visible aging and against your passport. For IELTS Online, the remote-proctoring AI also flags significant appearance drift between the upload and the live webcam feed.
IELTS uses 35×45mm (ICAO portrait) at 413×531 px. Square photos (US passport size 51×51mm) are rejected because the aspect ratio is different and cropping would either crop off the head or leave white bars. Confirm the IELTS preset (not "US Visa" or "SAT") when generating the photo.
Hair must not cover the eyes, eyebrows, or any significant portion of the face. The face must be evenly lit with no shadow from overhead lighting or from one side. Religious head coverings (hijab, turban, kippah) are explicitly permitted by all IELTS providers.
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