Crop a photo to 35 × 45 mm — Kenya ID card

Exact numbers for this document

What this document is

Kenya’s identity card is the Maisha Card, the third-generation ID issued by the National Registration Bureau. First registration is mainly for people who have just turned 18: they appear in person before the registrar at any Registration Office or Huduma Centre with their birth certificate, a copy of a parent’s ID and a school certificate, the service is free, and fingerprints are captured on site and sent electronically to Nairobi. Newborns and first-time registrants also receive a lifelong Maisha Namba.

How to crop it, in three steps

1. 01

   Upload a photo taken face-on, in even light

2. 02

   The tool finds the face and aligns the frame itself — check that the head lands in 70–80%

3. 03

   Save the 35 × 45 mm result — print it or attach it to the application

What we fix for free, and what AI fixes

Glare on the lenses. Take the glasses off or turn away from the light source and shoot again.

Why these photos get rejected — and how to fix each one

Kenya-specific things to know

• The High Commission in Canada accepts a 2 × 2 inch picture if the face is small enough to fit within the 35 × 45 mm frame — «distance between you and the cameraman will help create this effect» — and lists three photographs for a first-time applicant but two in the paragraph above them.
• The UK High Commission takes applications by appointment only and returns the cards only by post, and the Canada page asks for a pre-paid return envelope — the cards come back by post.

Printing on a single sheet

Where these numbers come from

Source: Kenya High Commissions in Canada (Ottawa) and the United Kingdom (London) — State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services. Last checked against the official page on 1 Oct 2026.

What the source confirms

• Kenya High Commission in Canada, «Requirements for Applying for a Kenyan Identity Card (ID)»: the form Reg. 136A must be duly filled before the appointment; married women who wish to change their names and the husband must be present; «Applicants are required to bring two (2) passport size photographs recently taken on a white background following these dimensions 35mm x 45mm (3.5 x 4.5cm) 1.35×1.77inches). You may take a 2”x2” passport size picture but make sure your face appears small (fits within the 1.38×1.77inches) dimensions. Distance between you and the cameraman will help create this effect.»; holders of first-generation identity cards (the big size) are considered first-time applicants; a money order of CAD 70 payable to the Kenya High Commission; processing takes approximately eight weeks; a pre-paid self-addressed return Xpresspost envelope with a tracking number is attached.
• Same page, the lists: first-time applicants and holders of first-generation cards — the form Reg. 136A, the original first-generation ID, the applicant's copy of the Kenyan birth certificate, «Three (3) passport size photographs recently taken on a white background», a copy of the bio data page of the Kenyan passport, a copy of the parent's or parents' Kenyan identity card, the money order and the return envelope; replacement of a lost, mutilated or duplicate card — a police report or a notarised affidavit, «Two passport size photographs recently taken on a white background», a copy of the passport bio data page, of the identity card and of the birth certificate, the original and a copy of the card (for a duplicate or mutilated one), a copy of the lost card, the money order and the envelope; change of particulars — the original and a copy of the ID and «Two passport size photographs recently taken on a white background».
• Kenya High Commission in the United Kingdom, «Kenyan National ID» and «National ID applications»: the form Reg. 136A must be filled before coming to the High Commission; «Applicants are required to bring two (2) passport size photographs recently taken on a white background.»; holders of first-generation identity cards (the big size) are considered first-time applicants; £30 paid by card at the High Commission for first-time applicants; duplicate, replacement and change of particulars are free for six months up to 30 October 2026; submission strictly by appointment only; collection of the cards only by post, with a secure, registered, trackable self-addressed prepaid envelope.
• Same UK pages, the lists: a new ID — a valid original and copy of the Kenyan passport, the original and a copy of the Kenyan birth certificate, a copy of the parents' Kenyan identity cards (and of their birth certificates), «Two (2) passport size photographs», a copy of the UK residence status, visa, naturalisation certificate or proof of having regained Kenyan citizenship, the fee of £30 and the new ID application form; replacement of a lost, mutilated or duplicate card — a police report (immobilise.com) and a notarised affidavit, «Two (2) passport size photographs recently taken on a white background» and a copy of the lost card.

ICAO biometric portrait baseline ↗

Questions people ask before cropping

Next steps

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