head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceUganda High Commissions in London and Abuja — passports portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (passports.go.ug)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Uganda passport photo size is 51 × 51 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 | 51 × 51 mmICAO 9303: 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 | 51 × 51 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 5.1 × 5.1 cm |
| Inches | 2 × 2″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 602 × 602 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 1205 × 1205 px |
For a Ugandan e-passport applied for abroad the two High Commissions read give different answers on the photograph: **the High Commission in London says «do I need to bring my own passport photos to the appointment? No.
Your photo is taken during your appointment», while the High Commission in Abuja lists «two recent passport-size photographs» among the documents of a first passport. Both work through the online portal passports.go.ug — the applicant fills the form, pays, prints the form and the payment receipt, books an appointment and attends in person for «biometric capture and document verification»; in London a National ID is not required and a recommender is a person with a Ugandan National ID or valid passport who can attest to the applicant's identity; in Abuja a first-time applicant also brings proof of citizenship and a signed recommendation letter. The pages give no size in millimetres and no face rule**.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Uganda 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 Uganda High Commissions in London and Abuja — passports portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (passports.go.ug) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Bringing photographs to the London appointment on the assumption that they will be used | No photographs; the photo is taken during the appointment. |
| Fewer than two recent passport-size photographs where the mission lists two (Abuja) | Two recent passport-size photographs. |
| An application without the printed form and the payment receipt | The printed online form and the payment receipt at the appointment. |
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 51 × 51 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″ | 4 (2 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 20 (4 × 5) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Ugandan e-passport is applied for on the online passports portal and finished at a Ugandan High Commission by appointment, with the printed form, the payment receipt and — where the mission asks — two passport-size photographs.
passports.go.ug — the missions list their opening hours and collection days
London: the photo is taken at the appointment. Abuja: two recent passport-size photographs for a first passport.
Authority page| Authority | Uganda High Commissions in London and Abuja — passports portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (passports.go.ug) |
|---|---|
| Source | ICAO biometric portrait baseline |
| Verified |
Questions
It depends on the mission: the High Commission in London says no — the photo is taken during the appointment — while Abuja lists two recent passport-size photographs for a first passport.
The London High Commission says a National ID is not required; a recommender with a Ugandan National ID or valid passport must attest to your identity.
Yes — both High Commissions say the applicant attends for biometric capture and document verification after applying on the portal.
The recommended size for the Uganda passport photo is 51 × 51 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. 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 Uganda 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 Uganda authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses 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.
51 × 51 mm = 5.1 × 5.1 cm = 2 × 2 inches. At 300 dpi that is 602 × 602 pixels; at 600 dpi, 1205 × 1205 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.