South Africa · 3 documents
South Africa document photo requirements
South Africa has 3 verified document photo formats covered on this site. Pick the document you need — each page lists the exact size, background, head ratio, and the official source it was verified against.
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South Africa · 3
| Document | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa3 documents | ||||
| South Africa |
Passport, South Africa | 35 × 45 mm | White | |
| South Africa |
Visa, South Africa | 35 × 45 mm | White | |
| South Africa |
ID Card, South Africa | 35 × 45 mm | White | |
What these formats have in common — South Africa
- 01Every format here uses the same photo size: 35 × 45 mm.
- 02The background is the same in every format: White, light grey or cream.
- 03Across these formats the head takes 64–80% of the picture height.
- 042 documents — you supply the photo yourself.
- 05A single document can still add rules of its own on top of this — the document page is the complete list.
Photo specifications at a glance — South Africa
| Document | Photo size | Head in frame | Background | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID Card | 35 × 45 mm | 64–76%Converted from the millimetres the authority publishes | White, light grey or cream | |
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | 64–76%Converted from the millimetres the authority publishes | White, light grey or cream | |
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | 70–80% | White, light grey or cream |
How to make such a photo
For the selected document — South Africa Passport, 35 × 45 mm. Three ways; pick the one that suits you.
With a phone at home
Ask someone to photograph you against a light wall in daylight, the phone at eye level. Then, for free:
With AI from a selfie
Upload any selfie — the AI builds a photo to the selected document’s rules: size, background, light and head position. You see the result before you pay.
€5.99per photo, one-off, no subscription
If it’s rejected, we refund you
Make it from a selfie- 10 × 15 sheet · 4 photos 35 × 45 mm
In a photo studio
If you need a printed photo today, show the photographer the requirements from the document’s page. And a ready phone photo we will lay out on a 10 × 15 or A4 sheet for free — print it at any photo studio.
Where these rules come from — South Africa
Every document lists the issuing authority, a link to its rules and the date we checked them. The drawings show only numbers from those rules.
| ID CardDepartment of Home Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of South Africa — missions in Copenhagen, Canberra and Berne. Open the official page | |
| PassportSouth African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the South African missions (High Commissions in the UK and Canada). Open the official page | |
| VisaSouth African Department of Home Affairs and DIRCO missions; VFS Global as the visa application centre. Open the official page |
Recent notes — South Africa
Short notes we wrote when a requirement, a form or a submission portal changed.
- South Africa Smart ID Card Photo: No Photos at Smart ID Offices, Two Photos for Replacements and Temporary IDsSmart ID offices capture your photo digitally, so no prints.
- South Africa Visa and eVisa Photo 2026: 35x45 mm Size, Background, and Upload RequirementsA detailed overview of the official South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) photo requirements for paper visas via VFS Global and electronic visas (eVisa). Covers technical parameters for digital photos, background and lighting requirements, and common applicant mistakes.
Tables and free tools
- Every specification in one table — South AfricaThe same rows, plus the source and how each value was verified.
- Check a photo you already have — free, in your browserIt measures the frame — head height, eye line, background — and names what to fix before you submit.