head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceDepartment of Immigration Services of Kenya — eCitizen portal
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Kenya passport photo size is 35 × 45 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 | 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 | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
For a Kenyan passport the eCitizen page lists «three current passport size photos» among the documents to hand in at the Immigration offices — Nyayo House in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu — with the pre-filled eCitizen application form and three receipts, the original birth certificate and a photocopy, the original national ID card and a copy, the recommender's ID card copy, a consent letter for minors, the old passport for a replacement and the parents' national ID cards and copies. The applicant registers on eCitizen, fills the form, pays by mobile money, card or online banking, prints the form and the three receipts, signs and dates the form and submits it in person; a first passport takes at least 10 working days after the physical submission and other applications at least 5. The ordinary 32-page «A» series passport costs Kshs 4,550, the 48-page «B» series Kshs 6,050 and the 64-page «C» series Kshs 7,550. The page gives no size, background, head or glasses rule.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Kenya 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 Department of Immigration Services of Kenya — eCitizen portal publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Fewer than three photographs with the application | Three current passport-size photographs. |
| A photograph that is not current | A current photograph. |
| An application without the printed form, the three receipts or the recommender's ID copy | The pre-filled form, three receipts and the recommender's ID copy. |
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 35 × 45 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″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Kenyan passport is applied for on the eCitizen portal and submitted in person at the Immigration offices (Nyayo House, Mombasa, Kisumu) with the printed form, three receipts and three current passport-size photographs.
immigration.ecitizen.go.ke — Nairobi +254 772 246 669; Mombasa +254 708 206 206
Three current passport-size photographs.
Authority page| Authority | Department of Immigration Services of Kenya — eCitizen portal |
|---|---|
| Source | Passport Application — during the submission you will need the following (Internet Archive copy) |
| Verified |
Questions
Three current passport-size photographs, handed in with the printed eCitizen form and three receipts.
In person at the Immigration offices — Nyayo House, Mombasa or Kisumu — after applying and paying on eCitizen.
At least 10 working days for a first passport and at least 5 for other applications, counted from the physical submission.
The recommended size for the Kenya passport photo is 35 × 45 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 Kenya 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 Kenya 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.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
3 identical photographs, 35 × 45 mm each.
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 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: ID card.