head 71–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMaldives Immigration
Verified
Quick answer: A Maldives passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 71–80% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 71–80% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Maldives passport → |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | No tinted lenses or reflections; frame must not cover the eyes. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Headwear is allowed only for religious reasons and must not hide the oval of the face. |
| 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 |
Maldives Immigration asks for a photo «taken within the last 30 days», «printed on high-quality paper with a print resolution of at least 600 dpi», «clean, undamaged and free of creases», 35 × 45 mm in its sample drawing, with «the face taking up 70–80 % of the photo, which corresponds to a height of 32–36 mm» — a photo is rejected only if the face measures less than 27 mm or more than 40 mm. The background «must be white in contrast with face and hair», not patterned, with no borders, and only the person in the picture. The head is «neither tilted nor turned (portrait style)», the expression neutral with the mouth closed, the eyes open, clearly visible and not covered by hair or frames, with no flash reflection on lenses and no sunglasses; hats and head coverings are not permitted, with exceptions «in particular for religious reasons (women wearing hijab)» if the face is visible from chin to crown; facial ornaments that obscure the face and non-neutral make-up are out. Because the second-generation passport is polycarbonate and prints the portrait in grey scale, «people with white hair, bald heads and fair skin» and light clothing or hijabs «may not appear evidently on a white background», so a darker shade of clothing is advised. Children of 9 and under: the face 50–80 % (22–36 mm); of 5 and under: no neutral expression or direct look is needed.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Maldives 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 Maldives Immigration publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo older than 30 days, printed below 600 dpi, or damaged by creases, staples, pins, paper clips, folding or ink marks | A clean photo from the last 30 days printed at 600 dpi or more. |
| A face of less than 27 mm or more than 40 mm (the target is 32–36 mm, 70–80 % of the photo), or a head that is not centred | A face of 32–36 mm, centred, from the chin to the crown. |
| A background that is not white or is patterned, a blue background, borders, another person or object | A plain white background with no borders and nobody else in the picture. |
| A tilted or turned head, an open mouth or a smile, eyes covered by hair or frames, flash reflection, sunglasses | A straight head, a neutral expression, a closed mouth, clear eyes. |
| A hat or head covering without a religious reason, a covering that hides the chin or eyebrows, ornaments or make-up that hide the face | No head covering, or a hijab with the face visible from chin to crown; no obscuring ornaments. |
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: 71–80 % of the photo height (32–36 mm)
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.
The photograph for a Maldivian passport follows the Maldives Immigration photo standard, which the guide says is also followed for the other identification documents of Maldives Immigration.
immigration.gov.mv — the passport pages and the IMUGA portal
35 × 45 mm, white, no border, taken in the last 30 days, 600 dpi print; dark clothing advised.
Authority page| Authority | Maldives Immigration |
|---|---|
| Source | Maldives Passport Photo Standard Guide |
| Verified |
Questions
A photo taken within the last 30 days, printed at 600 dpi or more, on a plain white background with no border, the face 70–80 % of the photo (32–36 mm), a neutral expression with the mouth closed.
A darker shade of clothing: the photo has a white background and the passport prints it in grey scale, so light clothing or a light hijab blends in.
Hats and head coverings are not permitted, with exceptions in particular for religious reasons (women wearing hijab), and then the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the crown.
For children aged 9 and under the face takes 50–80 % (22–36 mm); for children aged 5 and under no neutral expression or direct look is needed.
The Maldives passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 71–80% of the photo height.
Plain white 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 white 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 Maldives 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 Maldives authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
No tinted lenses or reflections; frame must not cover the eyes. 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.
Headwear is allowed only for religious reasons and must not hide the oval of the face. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.