head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceState Department for Immigration and Citizen Services of Kenya (Directorate of Immigration Services) — Electronic Travel Authorisation
Verified
Quick answer: Background for the Kenya visa photo: plain white or off-white background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
|---|---|
| Background | Plain white or off-white background. Make photo background white — Kenya visa → |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. 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 | PDF / JPG / Word |
Kenya now grants entry through an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) applied for on the official site, and the «Required Documents» list asks for a «selfie or passport-type photo» with the passport (valid for at least six months, with one blank page), the contact details, the travel itinerary, the accommodation booking and a payment method; the site's privacy policy says it collects a «photo suitable for use in an identity document». No size, file format or background is named on the eTA pages. The earlier eVisa system, in a copy of 28 February 2023, gave detailed rules: «DO NOT take a photograph of or scan the photo in your passport»; taken «within the past 6 months, showing your current appearance»; «in color»; «your full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background»; «normal street attire — uniforms should NOT BE worn except religious attire that is worn daily»; «do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline»; prescription glasses, a hearing device or a wig worn as usual, but «dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons»; the files PDF, JPG or Word. An eTA is required for each traveller, is processed in about three working days (an urgent service exists) and should be applied for at least two weeks before travel; it is not the final authority to enter — admissibility is decided at the point of entry. Citizens of the East African Partner States and the nationals of the countries listed on the site, for 60, 90 or 180 days, are exempt from the eTA.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Kenya 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 State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services of Kenya (Directorate of Immigration Services) — Electronic Travel Authorisation publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph taken of or scanned from the photo in the passport (earlier eVisa rule) | A new selfie or passport-type photograph. |
| A photograph older than six months, in black and white, or not showing the full face from the front (earlier eVisa rule) | A colour photograph of the last six months, full face, front view. |
| A background that is not plain white or off-white (earlier eVisa rule) | A plain white or off-white background. |
| Dark or tinted glasses, a uniform or a hat or headgear that hides the hair or hairline (earlier eVisa rule) | Normal street attire; prescription glasses as usual; no headgear hiding the hair. |
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 the required size.
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
A Kenyan eTA is applied for online on the official eTA site (evisa.go.ke or etakenya.go.ke) or in the «Kenya Travel Authorisation» app, for each traveller, with the passport, a selfie or passport-type photo and the trip details, at least two weeks before travel.
evisa.go.ke; etakenya.go.ke
A selfie or passport-type photo.
Authority page| Authority | State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services of Kenya (Directorate of Immigration Services) — Electronic Travel Authorisation |
|---|---|
| Source | eVisa — Photo requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
The official eTA site asks for a «selfie or passport-type photo»; it names no size or file format.
In a copy of 28 February 2023: within six months, in colour, full face from the front on a plain white or off-white background, normal street attire, no hat or headgear hiding the hair, no dark or tinted glasses — and not a photo taken or scanned from the passport.
Yes, unless you are exempt — for example a citizen of an East African Partner State, or a national of a country the site lists for 60 or 90 days.
Usually three working days (72 hours), with an urgent service; the site recommends applying at least two weeks before travel.
The Kenya visa photo requirements are in the table above. 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 or off-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 Kenya 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.
Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. 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.
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.