head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador — Consulate of Ecuador in Houston
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Ecuador visa photo size is 50 × 50 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 50 × 50 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Ecuador visa → |
| 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 | JPG |
| File size | max 1 MB Compress photo to 1 MB — Ecuador visa → |
| Millimetres | 50 × 50 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 5 × 5 cm |
| Inches | 1.97 × 1.97″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 591 × 591 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 1181 × 1181 px |
The Consulate of Ecuador in Houston lists, among the mandatory requirements of an Ecuadorian tourist visa, «a colour photograph in JPG format of at most one MB, 5 × 5 cm (2 × 2 inches), current, with a white background; the facial expression must be neutral (preferably), or have a natural smile, with both eyes open». Next to it: a valid passport (original and copy), regular stay in the country from which the visa is applied for, an original criminal record certificate (apostilled or legalised, counted at 180 days from its issue to the last entry; only for people over 18) and proof of lawful means of subsistence. The tourist visa does not allow work, and it is required of nationals of a list of countries. The consulate points to the virtual consulate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility for the complete information.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Ecuador visa applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador — Consulate of Ecuador in Houston publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph that is not a JPG, is larger than one MB, or is not in colour | A colour JPG of at most one MB. |
| A photograph that is not 5 × 5 cm, not current, or not on a white background | A current 5 × 5 cm (2 × 2 inch) photograph on a white background. |
| Eyes not both open, or an expression that is neither neutral nor a natural smile | Both eyes open and a neutral expression or a natural smile. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
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 50 × 50 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″ | 6 (3 × 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.
An Ecuadorian tourist visa is applied for at an Ecuadorian consulate (for example in Houston) after an appointment, or through the virtual consulate of the Ministry, with the photograph and the documents.
cancilleria.gob.ec/houston; consuladovirtual.gob.ec
Colour JPG of at most one MB, 5 × 5 cm, white background, neutral expression or natural smile.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador — Consulate of Ecuador in Houston |
|---|---|
| Source | Visas de turismo — requisitos obligatorios |
| Verified |
Questions
The Houston consulate asks for 5 × 5 cm (2 × 2 inches), in colour, as a JPG of at most one MB, current, on a white background.
The consulate says the expression must be neutral (preferably) or have a natural smile, with both eyes open.
No: the page says this visa does not allow work activities.
The recommended size for the Ecuador visa photo is 50 × 50 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height. Many consulates also require a specific digital file size — see the spec table above for full details.
Plain white background. The background must be evenly lit with no shadow gradients, especially around the head. Consular automated pre-screening rejects photos with any wall texture or off-white shade before the human reviewer ever sees the application.
Visa authorities typically require the photo to be taken within the last three to six months. Submitting an older photo, even one that looks similar to your current appearance, is a frequent cause of immediate consular rejection.
Not always. Tourist, work, student and transit visa categories sometimes specify different dimensions or background rules. Follow the requirements for your specific visa type rather than assuming one photo fits all Ecuador visa applications.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is the cause of rejection and you supply the consular rejection notice. We recommend keeping the consular receipt with rejection reason as proof.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. Consular automated checks flag glasses glare even when it is invisible to the human eye. Removing glasses entirely is the safest choice unless a medical exception is documented in your visa application.
50 × 50 mm = 5 × 5 cm = 1.97 × 1.97 inches. At 300 dpi that is 591 × 591 pixels; at 600 dpi, 1181 × 1181 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.