head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceConsular Section of the Embassy of Costa Rica in Colombia — Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners (DGME)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Costa Rica passport photo size is 51 × 51 mm. Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 51 × 51 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. |
| 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 | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing, shoulders visible, without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 51 × 51 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 5.1 × 5.1 cm |
| Inches | 2 × 2″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 602 × 602 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 1205 × 1205 px |
At the consular section of the Costa Rican embassy in Colombia the «photograph that will stay in the passport is taken at the Consulate on the day of the appointment»: the applicant «must be present» for the «computerised information capture system», and the passport is printed by the Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) in Costa Rica and sent by courier to the consulate, about 5 working days after the request. The applicant brings only «one passport-size photograph (for the consular register form)»; a minor's application takes the same line for the minor and both parents attend. The other requirements of an adult are the valid Costa Rican identity card, the current passport (not for a first passport) and a copy of its biographical page, a bank payment of USD 76.00, a separate payment for the delivery by Correos de Costa Rica and the consular register form; the passport is collected within 15 days of the notice. The sheet gives no size in millimetres, background or face rule.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Costa Rica 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 Consular Section of the Embassy of Costa Rica in Colombia — Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Applying without being present for the computerised capture | The applicant attends the appointment in person. |
| No passport-size photograph for the consular register form | One passport-size photograph with the register form. |
| A payment receipt without the bank's original stamp | Two payment receipts, each with the bank's original stamp. |
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 51 × 51 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 Costa Rican passport is applied for at an appointment at the consular section (here the embassy in Colombia), where the passport photograph is taken, with the identity card, the payments and the consular register form.
embajadadecostarica.org — Bogotá D.C.
The passport photograph is taken at the consulate; one passport-size photo for the consular register form.
Authority page| Authority | Consular Section of the Embassy of Costa Rica in Colombia — Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) |
|---|---|
| Source | ICAO biometric portrait baseline |
| Verified |
Questions
One passport-size photo for the consular register form; the photograph that stays in the passport is taken at the consulate on the day of the appointment.
Yes — the computerised capture system requires the applicant to be present at the consulate.
About 5 working days from the request to the delivery; the passport is collected within 15 days of the notice.
The recommended size for the Costa Rica passport photo is 51 × 51 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. 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 Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica 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.
51 × 51 mm = 5.1 × 5.1 cm = 2 × 2 inches. At 300 dpi that is 602 × 602 pixels; at 600 dpi, 1205 × 1205 pixels.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 51 × 51 mm format and head size apply to: visa.