head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourcePassport Authority of Panama — consular missions in Houston and Berlin
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Panama 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 Panamanian passport renewed at a consulate the Consulate in Houston asks for «two recent biometric colour photographs, front view, taken vertically, on a strictly white background, passport size» with «both ears visible» and «no white clothing»; for women no large earrings or accessories (headbands, flowers), no plunging necklines, no sleeveless tops, no wigs, hair behind the ears or tied up and no high hairdos; for men no makeup, earrings or loose long hair or buns; for everyone no glasses or coloured contact lenses, «no facial expressions (smiles)», no hair or fringe on the forehead and no piercing anywhere on the face. The Embassy in Berlin asks for «four recent biometric colour photographs, front view, on a white background» with the face and ears uncovered, no wigs, no glasses or coloured lenses, and for men no earrings, hair tied up and no loose buns. Minors give two biometric colour photographs with no white clothing; a first passport is issued only at the Passport Authority in Panama, not at a consulate; by post the Houston consulate also takes two passport-size photos, a $100 money order and a tracked return envelope, and the processing takes about three weeks. Neither page gives a size in millimetres.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Panama 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 Passport Authority of Panama — consular missions in Houston and Berlin publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not biometric colour, front view, on a strictly white background | A biometric colour front-view photo on a strictly white background. |
| White clothing, a smile, hair or a fringe on the forehead, or a piercing | Dark clothing, a neutral expression, a clear forehead and no piercing. |
| An ear hidden, a wig, loose long hair or a high hairdo | Both ears and the face uncovered, hair behind the ears or tied up. |
| Glasses or coloured contact lenses | No glasses and no coloured contact lenses. |
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 Panamanian passport is renewed at a Panamanian consulate (in person or by post) with the forms, two biometric colour photographs (four at the Embassy in Berlin) and the fee; a first passport is issued only by the Passport Authority in Panama.
24 Greenway Plaza, Suite 710, Houston, Texas 77046
Two biometric colour photos, strictly white background, both ears visible, no white clothing.
Authority page| Authority | Passport Authority of Panama — consular missions in Houston and Berlin |
|---|---|
| Source | ICAO biometric portrait baseline |
| Verified |
Questions
Two at the Consulate in Houston and four at the Embassy in Berlin — recent, biometric, in colour, front view, on a white background.
No — the consulate asks for no facial expression (no smile) and no glasses or coloured contact lenses.
No — first-time passports are processed strictly at the Passport Authority in Panama; the consulate renews and replaces passports.
The recommended size for the Panama 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 Panama 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 Panama 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.
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.