head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceSouth African Department of Home Affairs and DIRCO missions; VFS Global as the visa application centre
Verified
Quick answer: A South Africa visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain white, light grey, or cream 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, light grey, or cream background. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious 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 |
A South African visitor visa takes two identical photographs of 35 mm × 45 mm. The Embassy in Cotonou writes «two recently taken identical passport photographs with white background (35 mm width and 45 mm length)», and the Embassy in Stockholm «two identical photographs 35 × 45 mm, colour or black/white»; VFS Global South Africa in India asks for a photo in colour, without border, on a white background only, with the face taking up 70–80 % of the picture, sharp and clean, looking directly at the camera, taken within the last month and without headgear unless a case-by-case consideration allows it.
The Department of Home Affairs specification that VFS reproduces (headed «photographs submitted for identity documents and passports») differs in detail: length 45 mm and width 35 mm, a plain background free of shadows «and shall not have a white lining», only head and shoulders, the head from chin to top of hair 22–25 mm, spectacles allowed if the lenses do not make the eyes invisible, the full face from the front with the head not bent or turned, and no holes, pencil or ink marks. For a long-term visa the Stockholm embassy asks for two passport-type photographs and says machine-type or instant photographs are not acceptable.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for South Africa visa 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 and DIRCO missions; VFS Global as the visa application centre publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A single photograph, or two photographs that are not identical | Hand in two identical 35 × 45 mm prints. |
| A background that is not plain white, with a border or shadows | Use a plain white background, no border, no shadows. |
| A photo older than one month at VFS India, or not recently taken | Take a new photograph within the last month. |
| Head bent or turned, head covering without approval, eyes hidden by the lenses | Face the camera squarely with the eyes visible and nothing on the head. |
| Holes, pencil or ink marks, creases, or a machine-type or instant print | Print clean copies on photo paper and do not mark them. |
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: 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 South African visa is applied for at the South African embassy, high commission or consulate, or at the VFS Global visa application centre in many countries; the forms are DHA-84 for a visit of up to 90 days and DHA-1738 for a longer stay, and the printed photographs are handed in with them.
The VFS centre of your country, listed on visa.vfsglobal.com
Two identical colour photographs, 35 × 45 mm, white background, no border, face 70–80 %.
Authority pageThe immigration services page of the mission that covers you on dirco.gov.za
Two identical photographs 35 × 45 mm; colour or black-and-white at Stockholm, white background at Cotonou.
Authority page| Authority | South African Department of Home Affairs and DIRCO missions; VFS Global as the visa application centre |
|---|---|
| Source | South African immigration services photo requirement |
| Verified |
Questions
Two identical photographs of 35 mm × 45 mm. At VFS India: in colour, without border, white background only, the face taking up 70–80 % of the photo, taken within the last month, no headgear unless approved case by case. Cotonou asks for a white background; Stockholm accepts colour or black-and-white.
35 mm wide by 45 mm long (3.5 × 4.5 cm). The Department of Home Affairs text gives length 45 mm and width 35 mm.
Two identical photographs on the lists read: the visitor visa at VFS India, Stockholm and Cotonou, and two passport-type photographs for the long-term visa form DHA 1738.
The Home Affairs specification allows spectacles provided the lenses do not make the eyes invisible; dark lenses only if the eyes would look distorted without them or the person is blind. A head covering is not allowed unless the visa centre approves it case by case.
The South Africa visa photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height. Many consulates also require a specific digital file size — see the spec table above for full details.
Plain white, light grey, or cream background. The background must be evenly lit with no shadow gradients, especially around the head. Consular automated pre-screening rejects photos with any wall texture before the human reviewer ever sees the application.
Visa authorities typically require the photo to be taken within the last three to six months. Submitting an older photo, even one that looks similar to your current appearance, is a frequent cause of immediate consular rejection.
Not always. Tourist, work, student and transit visa categories sometimes specify different dimensions or background rules. Follow the requirements for your specific visa type rather than assuming one photo fits all South Africa visa applications.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is the cause of rejection and you supply the consular rejection notice. We recommend keeping the consular receipt with rejection reason as proof.
Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. Consular automated checks flag glasses glare even when it is invisible to the human eye. Removing glasses entirely is the safest choice unless a medical exception is documented in your visa application.
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.