head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of the Interior and Decentralization of the Republic of the Congo — Decree No. 2013-226 of 7 June 2013 (ordinary CEMAC passport)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Republic of the Congo passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain white background. 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 white background. Make photo background white — Republic of the Congo passport → |
| 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 | No headwear. |
| 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 Congolese ordinary CEMAC passport the decree asks, with the application file, for «four identity photographs, front view, in colour, on a white background, a perfect likeness and bare-headed» — for every Congolese citizen of at least three years, and again «four identity photographs, front view, in colour, on a white background, a perfect likeness and bare-headed» for children under three, who are exempt from the fingerprints. The file also holds the completed application form, the birth certificate, a nationality certificate of less than one year, a criminal-record extract «dating from at least three months», proof of profession and, for a minor, the parental authorisation signed by both parents and the identity document of the parent who applies. The data page (page 2) of the passport «has a 4×4 frame reserved for the photograph», with its enlarged scanned ghost image on the right — a format different from the 35 × 45 mm print. The file is deposited, against a receipt, at the emigration directorate near the general directorate of territorial surveillance; the passport is valid five years (three for the first passport of a child under three) and is issued within at least fifteen days. The decree gives no print size, head size or glasses rule.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Republic of the Congo 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 Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization of the Republic of the Congo — Decree No. 2013-226 of 7 June 2013 (ordinary CEMAC passport) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Fewer than four photographs with the file | Four photographs. |
| A photograph that is not front view, not in colour or not on a white background | A front-view colour photograph on a white background. |
| A photograph with the head covered, or that is not a perfect likeness | A bare-headed photograph that is a perfect likeness of the applicant. |
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 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 Congolese ordinary CEMAC passport is applied for by depositing the file — the form, the civil and nationality certificates, the criminal-record extract, proof of profession and four photographs — at the emigration directorate near the general directorate of territorial surveillance.
interieur.gouv.cg — Passeport
Four identity photographs, front view, in colour, on a white background, bare-headed.
Authority pageQuestions
Four identity photographs — front view, in colour, on a white background, a perfect likeness and bare-headed — for adults and for children under three.
White.
Five years; three years for the first passport of a child under three.
The recommended size for the Republic of the Congo passport photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% 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 Republic of the Congo 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 Republic of the Congo 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.
4 identical photographs, 35 × 45 mm each.