head 70–80 %no glasses
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceDepartment of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Stockholm
Verified
Quick answer: A Sri Lanka passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background (white, light blue or light grey) that contrasts with the face and clothing. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background (white, light blue or light grey) that contrasts with the face and clothing. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses not permitted. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Headwear must not hide the face. |
| 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 |
The photograph for a Sri Lankan passport depends on where you apply. Inside Sri Lanka the Department of Immigration and Emigration has taken digital photographs since 10 August 2015: you have the photo taken at one of its authorised photo studios (or at the head or a regional office), the studio sends it online and gives you an acknowledgement note, only photos taken within six months are valid, and printed photographs are no longer accepted. Through a Sri Lankan mission overseas the application can be made without the digital photograph, with a printed one that follows the specification the Embassy in Stockholm publishes: 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm, a plain light background (white, light blue or light grey) that contrasts with the face and the clothing, eyes open, no hair over the face, forehead or ears, no spectacles, sharp and uniformly lit, printed on professional photo paper rather than on an ordinary printer.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Sri Lanka 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 Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Stockholm publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A printed photograph handed in inside Sri Lanka, or a digital photo older than six months | Have an authorised studio take a digital photograph within six months of applying. |
| Size not 3.5 × 4.5 cm, or the face outside 70–80 % of the photo | Print 3.5 × 4.5 cm with a close-up of the head and partial shoulders. |
| Background not plain light, or not contrasting with the face and clothing | Use a plain white, light blue or light grey background that contrasts with you. |
| Spectacles, red-eye, shadows, or hair over the face, forehead or ears | Take glasses off, light the face evenly and keep the hair away from the face, forehead and ears. |
| Over- or under-exposure, a poor print, or ink marks, creases and lines | Print on professional photo paper at good resolution and keep the print clean and flat. |
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.
Glasses prohibited
Take them off before the shot.
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 glassesTake your glasses off — this document's rules require it.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.
In Sri Lanka a passport is applied for at the Department of Immigration and Emigration (head office, regional offices or service centres), after the digital photograph has been taken at an authorised photo studio; the application can also be started online. Abroad it is applied for through a Sri Lankan mission, which may take a printed photograph.
Head office at Battaramulla and the regional offices; the studio acknowledgement note goes with the application
Digital photograph taken within six months by an authorised studio; no printed photograph is required.
Authority pageThe mission that covers your country of residence
Printed photograph to the Stockholm specification: 3.5 × 4.5 cm, plain light background, no spectacles, professional photo paper.
Authority page| Authority | Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Stockholm |
|---|---|
| Source | Specifications of the Sri Lankan Passport Photographs |
| Verified |
Questions
A printed photo of 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm on a plain light background (white, light blue or light grey) that contrasts with the face and clothing, eyes open, no hair over the face, forehead or ears, no spectacles, sharp, uniformly lit, with a natural skin tone and the face 70–80 % of the picture. Inside Sri Lanka, however, the photo is digital and taken at an authorised studio.
3.5 cm × 4.5 cm (35 × 45 mm), according to the specification published by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Stockholm. For an application made inside Sri Lanka no print size matters, because the studio takes a digital photograph.
No. Since 10 August 2015 the Department takes a digital photograph from an authorised studio (or at the head or a regional office) and says printed photographs are no longer accepted; the studio gives you an acknowledgement note for the application. Only photos taken within six months are valid.
A plain light background: white, light blue or light grey, which must contrast with the face and the clothing. White is the safe choice.
Spectacles are not accepted. Head coverings, head-dress or facial ornaments are allowed only if they do not obscure the face; the eyes must be open and no hair may cover the face, forehead or ears.
The Sri Lanka passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain light background (white, light blue or light grey) that contrasts with the face and clothing. 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 Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Glasses not permitted. 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.