head 64–76 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceSouth African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the South African missions (High Commissions in the UK and Canada)
Verified
Quick answer: A South Africa passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain white, light grey, or cream background. Head occupies 64–76% of photo height (29–34 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 64–76% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 29–34 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | Plain white, light grey, or cream background. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Ordinary prescription glasses are allowed: untinted lenses, a thin frame that does not cover the eyes, no reflections; sunglasses are prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious or medical reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Clothing must not blend into the background; face and shoulder line must be clearly defined. |
| 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 |
The photograph for a South African passport is set by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) on its «Passport & ID Photograph Specifications» poster, which the South African missions display: two identical colour photographs, 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, not more than one month old, printed on high-quality photo paper (photographs printed at home are not likely to be acceptable), showing a close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders so that the face takes up 70–80 % of the photograph — the diagram puts the head at least 29 mm and no more than 34 mm on the 45 mm template. The background is light grey or plain cream-coloured, with uniform lighting, no shadows or flash reflections on the face and no red eye; you face the camera square on with a neutral expression and the mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible, alone in the picture.
Glasses: no dark-tinted lenses or heavy frames, and the frames must not cover any part of the eyes; head coverings only for religious reasons with the face visible from chin to forehead and both edges of the face. The High Commission in Ottawa asks for four identical colour photos on a white background of the same size (35 × 45 mm, «immigration size in Canada»): count the photographs and read the background on the list of the mission that takes your application.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for South Africa 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 South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the South African missions (High Commissions in the UK and Canada) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo older than one month, or one printed at home | Take a new photo and have it printed on high-quality photo paper. |
| A background that is not light grey or plain cream (white at Ottawa), or one with shadows | Use the background your mission lists, plain and evenly lit. |
| A face outside 70–80 % of the photograph, or a photo not 35 × 45 mm | Print 35 × 45 mm with the head 29–34 mm and the face filling 70–80 %. |
| Dark-tinted lenses, heavy frames over the eyes, flash reflections, hair across the eyes | Take the glasses off or use light frames and clear lenses without reflections. |
| An open mouth, a grin, a frown, raised eyebrows, a hat, or another person in the picture | Neutral expression, mouth closed, head uncovered, alone in the picture. |
How to take it
Background: white, light grey or cream
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: 64–76 % of the photo height (29–34 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.
A South African passport is applied for through the Department of Home Affairs inside South Africa or, abroad, at the South African embassy, high commission or consulate that covers you (for example Ottawa or the UK), by post or in person with the form, the printed photographs, the passport copy and the fee.
The passport page of the mission that covers you on dirco.gov.za
Ottawa: four 35 × 45 mm colour photos on white; DHA poster: two on light grey or cream, within one month.
Authority page| Authority | South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the South African missions (High Commissions in the UK and Canada) |
|---|---|
| Source | South African passport photograph specifications |
| Verified |
Questions
Two identical colour 35 × 45 mm photographs not more than one month old, printed on high-quality photo paper, the face 70–80 % of the photograph, a light grey or plain cream background (white at the High Commission in Ottawa, which asks for four), a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes open and visible, no hat.
35 mm wide by 45 mm high, with the head at least 29 mm and no more than 34 mm on the template and the face 70–80 % of the photograph.
Light grey or plain cream-coloured on the DHA poster; white at the High Commission in Ottawa. Check the list of your mission.
Two identical colour photos on the DHA poster; four on the Ottawa High Commission page. Count them on the list of the mission that takes your application.
The South Africa passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 64–76% of the photo height.
Plain white, light grey, or cream 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, 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 South Africa 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 South Africa authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Ordinary prescription glasses are allowed: untinted lenses, a thin frame that does not cover the eyes, no reflections; sunglasses are 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 or medical 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.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: ID card.