IC Registration at 15, 30 and 55: Singapore Photo Guide

Short answer: Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) must register for an Identity Card (IC) at age 15 (before their 16th birthday) and re-register at age 30 (before their 31st birthday) and age 55 (before their 56th birthday), unless they were issued a replacement IC in the last 10 years. Every one of these applications needs a recent colour photo taken within the last three months against a plain white background. For online submission, ICA recommends 400 × 514 pixels and accepts jpg, jpeg, heic, heif and png files of up to 8MB. The fee is S$10 for citizens and S$50 for PRs.

This guide covers what each milestone involves, the exact photo rules that apply, and the mistakes that most often slow an IC application down. Every requirement below links to the official ICA source, so you can check it yourself.

Which IC milestone are you at?

ICA treats the age-15 registration and the age-30/55 re-registrations as separate services, but the photo requirement is the same for all of them.

Milestone	Deadline	Who it applies to	Fee
First registration	Age 15, before your 16th birthday	Singapore citizens and PRs	S$10 (citizen) / S$50 (PR)
First re-registration	Age 30, before your 31st birthday	Citizens and PRs not issued a replacement IC in the last 10 years	S$10 (citizen) / S$50 (PR)
Second re-registration	Age 55, before your 56th birthday	Citizens and PRs not issued a replacement IC in the last 10 years	S$10 (citizen) / S$50 (PR)

Sources: ICA – Register Identity Card for 15-year-olds and ICA – Re-Register Identity Card for 30/55-year-olds.

Age 15: first IC registration

The first IC has two parts: an online application and an in-person biometrics enrolment.

• Students at government or government-aided schools get a notification about two weeks before their school's biometrics enrolment day. They must finish the online registration before that date and bring their Student ID (EZ-Link card) on the day.
• Everyone else, including students at other schools and those who missed the school session, is notified on their 15th birthday. After the online registration, they are prompted to book a biometrics appointment at the ICA Services Centre.

Citizens who are changing their name, for example by deed poll, need consent from both parents (or legal guardians). The details are on the ICA registration page.

Parent tip: your teenager's photo has to be taken within the three months before the application. A photo from an old passport application usually won't qualify, even if it looks fine.

Age 30 and 55: IC re-registration

When you become eligible, ICA sends a digital notification by SMS or through the Singpass app. You then have one year from the date of that notification to re-register at the subsidised fee. You apply online through ICA's e-Service by logging in with Singpass.

If you are living overseas during your re-registration period, ICA says you must re-register within one year of returning to Singapore (source).

ICA processes re-registrations within seven working days. It can take longer at peak times, and the application will be delayed if the photo does not meet the requirements. Once it's approved, you're notified by SMS and email and must make an appointment to collect your new IC within three months.

The photo requirements that apply to your IC

The same ICA Photo Guidelines cover IC and passport applications, and ICA says they follow ISO and ICAO specifications. These are the numbers that matter for an online IC application:

Requirement	Official value
Recommended dimensions (online upload)	400 × 514 pixels
Accepted file formats	jpg, jpeg, heic, heif, png
Maximum file size	8MB
Colour	Colour photo
Background	Plain white
Recency	Taken within the last 3 months
Printed size (if a hardcopy is ever needed)	35 mm × 45 mm, matte or semi-matte

Sources: ICA Photo Guidelines (last updated 28 April 2026), ICA IC e-Service landing page and Immigration Regulations, Second Schedule.

Older guides may have outdated numbers. Some websites still quote a 2MB limit or say HEIC and PNG files are rejected. ICA's current page lists all five formats and an 8MB maximum, so check the official page rather than an old blog post. iPhone users can upload HEIC photos as they are.

Pose, face and lighting

The Second Schedule of the Immigration Regulations sets out the detailed specifications for ICA passport photos, and they are a good checklist for your IC photo too:

• Face size: your face should fill at least 70% of the photo, measuring 25–35 mm from chin to crown on a 35 × 45 mm print.
• Look straight at the camera with your eyes open and clearly visible, showing both edges of your face. Don't tilt your head or turn to look over your shoulder.
• Keep hair off your face and make sure the tops of your shoulders are visible.
• Use even lighting. There should be no flash reflections, shadows on your face, bright spots or red eye.
• No sunglasses. If you wear prescription glasses, your eyes must be clearly visible with no glare on the lenses.
• No hats or head coverings, unless you wear one for religious or customary reasons. Even then, your whole face, including both edges, must be visible.
• Be alone in the frame. No chair backs, toys or other people should be visible.

(Immigration Regulations, Second Schedule)

Can you take it with your phone?

Yes. ICA's own FAQ recommends using mobile apps designed for passport or IC photos, since they help you get the right dimensions. You can also resize the photo with image-editing software on a computer. ICA adds two warnings (ICA Photo Guidelines):

1. Don't alter or enhance the photo. That includes changing facial features with beauty filters or retouching tools. Cropping and resizing to the required dimensions is fine, but editing your face is not.
2. Avoid selfies. ICA says selfies usually aren't ideal and can delay an application. It recommends asking someone else to take the photo.

A 10-minute home setup that works

You don't need a studio. Here's a simple routine for an HDB flat or condo:

1. Choose a plain, light wall with nothing hanging on it, about half a metre to a metre behind you, so you don't cast a shadow on it.
2. Face a window in daytime. Soft, indirect daylight on your face lights it evenly. Avoid direct midday sun and overhead downlights, which cause shadows under your eyes and nose.
3. Turn off the flash. It causes glare on skin and glasses.
4. Ask someone to hold the phone at your eye level about 1–1.5 m away and take the photo with the rear camera. Leave space around your head and shoulders so the photo can be cropped properly.
5. Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed and eyes open. Tuck your hair behind your ears if it covers your eyebrows or the edges of your face.
6. Take several shots and pick the sharpest one with even lighting.
7. Size it to 400 × 514 px with a plain white background, then check the file is one of the accepted formats and no larger than 8MB.

Common reasons IC photos get held up

ICA doesn't publish rejection statistics, but these problems break the published rules most often:

• The photo is too old. It was taken more than three months ago, often reused from a previous passport application. ICA confirms you can use the same photo for both IC and passport applications only if it was taken within 3 months of the application date (ask.gov.sg).
• The background isn't white. An off-white or textured wall, or a visible door frame, fails the plain white background rule.
• The photo was retouched. Smoothing, slimming or "beauty mode" filters count as altering the photo.
• Glare on glasses. Tilting the frames slightly downward or moving the light source to the side usually fixes it.
• Shadows. A single overhead light or a window off to one side often leaves half the face darker.
• Wrong crop. The head is too small or too large in the frame, or the shoulders are cut off.

How IC Photo Singapore can help

If you already have a good phone photo, IC Photo Singapore can turn it into an upload-ready file. You upload your photo, see a watermarked preview, and after checkout download the digital photo plus a printable photo sheet. It doesn't replace ICA's own checks. ICA reviews every photo after you upload it, so take the original photo with good lighting and a neutral pose, and don't edit your face.

IC Photo Singapore is an independent service and is not affiliated with ICA.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to re-register my IC at 30 if I replaced it recently?

Not necessarily. Re-registration at 30 and 55 applies only if you haven't been issued a replacement IC in the last 10 years (ICA). Follow your ICA notification. If you weren't notified, check with ICA.

How long do I have after getting the ICA notification?

For re-registration at 30 or 55, you have one year from the date of the digital notification to re-register at the subsidised fee (ICA).

Can I upload an iPhone HEIC photo?

Yes. ICA accepts jpg, jpeg, heic, heif and png files up to 8MB for online photo submissions (ICA Photo Guidelines).

Can I wear glasses in my IC photo?

Prescription glasses are allowed if your eyes are clearly visible and there is no reflection on the lenses. Sunglasses are not allowed (Immigration Regulations, Second Schedule).

Can I use my passport photo for my IC?

Yes, if it was taken within 3 months of your IC application (ask.gov.sg).

How much does IC registration or re-registration cost?

S$10 for Singapore citizens and S$50 for Singapore permanent residents. You can pay online by Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Internet Direct Debit or PayNow (ICA).

How long does processing take?

ICA processes re-registrations within seven working days, though it can take longer at peak times. For first registration at 15, ICA's service commitment is within one month after biometrics enrolment in school, or within 7 working days after biometrics enrolment at ICA for non-school registrants (ICA Service Commitment).

Requirements were checked against ICA's official pages in October 2026. ICA can update its rules at any time, so check the official Photo Guidelines before you submit.