head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceEmbassy of Zimbabwe in London (consular services for the Registrar General's Office)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Zimbabwe passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain white 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 background. Make photo background white — Zimbabwe passport → |
| 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 |
The Embassy of Zimbabwe in London asks, for a Zimbabwean passport application, for «2 × colour photographs 4.5 cm long by 3.5 cm wide, taken from a studio with a white background», with the applicant «wearing dark coloured upper clothes — no earrings, no glasses, minimal make-up, no polo-necks»; «if the applicant has long hair, braids or a weave, make sure you tie your hair up to show your ears and your neck». The photographs go with the long birth certificate, the National Registration Card (chitupa) for those of 16 and above, a marriage certificate for married women and a copy of the passport biodata page; the Embassy charges an administration fee of £65, while the processing fee is paid in Zimbabwe, where all passports are processed. The page publishes no head size or file format.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Zimbabwe 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 Embassy of Zimbabwe in London (consular services for the Registrar General's Office) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Photographs that are not in colour, not a studio shot, or not on a white background | Two colour studio photographs on a white background. |
| Photographs that are not 4.5 cm long by 3.5 cm wide | Two photographs of 4.5 × 3.5 cm. |
| Earrings, glasses, heavy make-up or a polo-neck | No earrings or glasses, minimal make-up, and no polo-neck. |
| Long hair, braids or a weave hiding the ears or the neck, or light upper clothes | Hair tied up to show the ears and the neck, and dark-coloured upper clothes. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
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 Zimbabwean passport is applied for with the documents at the Embassy of Zimbabwe (for example in London) or at a passport office in Zimbabwe, where all passports are processed.
zimlondon.gov.zw — Consular Services; passport offices in Harare, Bulawayo and other towns
Two colour studio photographs, 4.5 × 3.5 cm, white background, dark upper clothes.
Authority page| Authority | Embassy of Zimbabwe in London (consular services for the Registrar General's Office) |
|---|---|
| Source | Passport Application |
| Verified |
Questions
The Zimbabwe Embassy in London asks for two colour photographs of 4.5 cm long by 3.5 cm wide, taken at a studio on a white background.
Dark-coloured upper clothes, with no polo-neck; no earrings, no glasses and minimal make-up.
Tie the hair up so that the ears and the neck show.
The recommended size for the Zimbabwe passport photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain white 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 white 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 Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe 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.
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.
2 identical photographs, 35 × 45 mm each.
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.