head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceDepartment for Registration of Persons, Sri Lanka
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Sri Lanka ID card 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 the Sri Lankan National Identity Card the Department for Registration of Persons says «only photographs that comply with the ICAO standards should be used» — and they are taken at studios «registered with the department and given the necessary software and training to take photographs of individuals in accordance with ICAO standards». The photograph goes straight into the Department's data system through the Photo Studio software; «only the Photo Reference Slip issued by the software should be given to the applicant». «A photograph taken by the studio is valid only for a period of six months from the date of taking it», and the one-day-service application lists an «ICAO standard photograph obtained within a 06-month period» among its documents. The maximum fee a studio may charge for the photograph is «Rs. 400», by the gazette notification of 18 December 2023. A studio that takes photographs which do not meet the standard is suspended and, after repeated mistakes, can be blacklisted. The Department publishes no size, head size or background colour on these pages — it refers to the ICAO standard.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Sri Lanka ID card applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Department for Registration of Persons, Sri Lanka publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph that does not comply with the ICAO standard (it is not accepted for the National Identity Card) | An ICAO-standard photograph taken at a registered studio. |
| A photograph older than six months from the date the studio took it | A photograph taken within the last six months. |
| A photograph taken at a studio that is not registered with the Department for Registration of Persons, or handed over as a print instead of a reference slip | A photograph taken at a registered studio with the Photo Reference Slip issued by the software. |
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 Sri Lankan National Identity Card is applied for with an ICAO-standard photograph taken at a studio registered with the Department for Registration of Persons, and the application is made through the Divisional Secretariat or the Department's one-day service.
drp.gov.lk — ICAO Standard Studio Details (the list of registered studios)
The studio gives a Photo Reference Slip; the photograph is valid six months.
Authority page| Authority | Department for Registration of Persons, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Source | ICAO Photographs — taking photographs of citizens for issuing national identity cards |
| Verified |
Questions
At a studio registered with the Department for Registration of Persons, which takes an ICAO-standard photograph with the Department's software and gives you a Photo Reference Slip.
Six months from the date the studio takes it.
By the gazette notification of 18 December 2023 a studio may charge at most Rs. 400.
The recommended size for the Sri Lanka ID card photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height. The photo must reflect your current everyday appearance.
Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. Identity cards are used frequently in daily life — for banking, age verification and domestic travel — so the photo is scrutinised many times and minor background issues become more visible at print scale.
Yes. Stand against a flat light-coloured wall, face a window for even natural light, and use a phone with a timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and ICAO alignment check automatically.
Identity card photos generally need to reflect your current appearance. Most authorities accept photos taken within the last six months, but significant changes to hair, beard or facial features since the photo was taken may require a new one.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. Removing glasses for the shoot is the safest option, especially given the long validity period of most identity cards. Glare that passes today may fail re-verification at a future biometric checkpoint.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Sri Lanka authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
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.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: citizenship application, visa.