Cambodian Embassy Photo Requirements for Australian Applicants (Canberra, 2026)

The two-print rule (and why it surprises postal applicants)

Aussies new to the embassy route often print a single photo, glue it to the application form, and post the envelope to Canberra. The file comes back a week later with a note asking for a second print attached to the receipt copy. That round-trip costs another week of postal time, sometimes the same money order, and is entirely avoidable.

The embassy keeps a working file (with the first photo) and issues a receipt copy back to you with a stamped acknowledgement and the second photo paper-clipped to it. That receipt is the document you use to claim the passport at pickup or to track the file by email if there is a delay. The two-print rule is not arbitrary — it is how the consular team's internal workflow is wired.

How to attach the prints cleanly

• Print one — staple through the top-left corner only, into the photo-box outline printed on the application form. A single staple through one corner avoids cracking the print.
• Print two — paper-clip (not staple) to the top of the embassy receipt copy. The clip lets the consular officer detach it cleanly when they update the file.
• Do not glue the photos. Glue residue interferes with the visa-sticker placement and the consular team will reject the lodgement.
• Write your name and date of birth lightly in pencil on the back of both prints. Helps the consular team if a print is ever separated from the file.

Cost and timing versus the eVisa most Aussies use

For the small embassy-required cohort, the printed-photo step adds $8-20 AUD and a kiosk trip to the overall lodgement. For everyone else in Australia, the relevant comparison is the eVisa, which skips printed photos entirely.

Aussie edge cases worth knowing

Religious head coverings

Religious head coverings are accepted under the same exception that applies to the Australian passport itself and to the Cambodian eVisa. The covering must not obscure the facial outline from forehead to chin, and the face must be fully visible. A hijab worn for genuine religious observance is fine. A beanie worn because it is cold in Canberra is not — that will be sent back.

Glasses

Glasses must be removed for the print, even prescription ones. This is stricter than the older Aussie passport rule, which used to allow non-reflective glasses. The Cambodian Embassy follows the current ICAO standard, which is full no-glasses across the board. Take a friend with you if you are very short-sighted and worried about finding the camera — the kiosk staff are used to this.

Photos taken overseas before relocating

If you have printed photos done overseas before moving to Australia, they are accepted as long as they are still less than 6 months old and meet the spec. The embassy does not require the print to be made in Australia. That said, it is usually cheaper and faster to just get a fresh set printed locally at Big W rather than fish a six-month-old print out of a moving box.

Babies, infants, and minors

Children under 18 follow the same 35x45mm matt-finish spec. Babies under 12 months can be photographed on a plain white sheet with arms by their sides, eyes open if possible — the embassy is realistic about infant photo limits and will accept a best-effort attempt. The two-print rule still applies for every applicant in the file, including infants.

Clean checklist before you post or walk in

If you are firmly in the embassy-route cohort, the printed-photo step is a 30-minute side errand that should never block your lodgement. The whole exercise is: take the JPEG, print at the nearest Big W or Officeworks, keep two prints aside for the file, and attach them per the staple-and-clip rule above.