head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceGovernment of Botswana (passport application form PP1, as published by the Embassy of Botswana)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Botswana passport photo size is 45 × 55 mm. Plain light background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 45 × 55 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | No headwear. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing, shoulders visible, without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 45 × 55 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 4.5 × 5.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.77 × 2.17″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 531 × 650 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 1063 × 1299 px |
The Botswana first-passport application (form PP1) says «all applicants are required to submit two photographs certified by a Commissioner of Oaths», «identical», «not more than six months old», «full face — head and shoulders — without a hat or doek», «clear, front view, full face with a light plain background», sized «not more than 63 mm by 50 mm or less than 52 mm by 37 mm», «printed on normal thin photographic paper and unmounted». The Commissioner of Oaths writes on the back of one photograph «I certify that this is a true likeness of» the applicant, adds a signature and a date, and the photographs are «securely stapled to the application form, using four staples, one at each corner» — the staples must not obscure the face. The applicant is «dressed in normal attire without hat, doek or braids»; headgear is an exception only if it is regional attire worn daily, and uniforms are allowed only for government officers applying for diplomatic or official passports. Colour or black and white, with or without margins; retouched photographs, tinted black-and-white prints, snapshots, full-length photographs, photographs with a waxed back and newspaper or magazine photographs are not acceptable; instant prints only if guaranteed not to fade. Replacements or renewals use form PP2.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Botswana passport applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Government of Botswana (passport application form PP1, as published by the Embassy of Botswana) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Photographs that are not identical, older than six months, or not certified by a Commissioner of Oaths with the «true likeness» statement | Two identical photographs from the last six months, certified, with the statement and signature on the back of one. |
| A size above 63 × 50 mm or below 52 × 37 mm, a mounted print, or a print on a waxed or coated paper | A print within the 52 × 37 to 63 × 50 mm range on thin photographic paper, unmounted. |
| A hat, doek or braids, a uniform (outside the diplomatic and official passport exception), headgear that is not daily regional attire | Normal attire, a bare head, full face with a light plain background. |
| A retouched photograph, a tinted black-and-white print, a snapshot, a full-length photograph, a newspaper or magazine photograph | An unretouched, clear head-and-shoulders photograph in colour or black and white. |
| Staples that obscure the face, or fewer than four staples | Four staples, one at each corner, clear of the face. |
How to take it
Background: plain light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 45 × 55 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 4 (2 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 20 (4 × 5) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A first Botswana passport is applied for with form PP1, two certified photographs stapled to it and a National Registration Identity Card for applicants over 16; replacements and renewals use form PP2.
The Botswana embassy or the Department of Civil and National Registration for your country
Two identical photographs (52 × 37 to 63 × 50 mm), certified by a Commissioner of Oaths, stapled with four staples.
Authority page| Authority | Government of Botswana (passport application form PP1, as published by the Embassy of Botswana) |
|---|---|
| Source | Passport application form PP1 — instruction 2, Passport photographs |
| Verified |
Questions
Form PP1 gives a range: not more than 63 mm by 50 mm and not less than 52 mm by 37 mm, printed on thin photographic paper and unmounted.
Two identical photographs, not more than six months old, certified by a Commissioner of Oaths.
On one photograph the Commissioner of Oaths writes «I certify that this is a true likeness of» the applicant and adds a signature and the date.
Yes, colour or black and white, with or without margins; tinted prints, retouched photographs and waxed-back photographs are not acceptable.
The recommended size for the Botswana passport photo is 45 × 55 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain light background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat, plain wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the Botswana biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the Botswana authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
45 × 55 mm = 4.5 × 5.5 cm = 1.77 × 2.17 inches. At 300 dpi that is 531 × 650 pixels; at 600 dpi, 1063 × 1299 pixels.
2 identical photographs, 45 × 55 mm each, taken within the last 6 months.