Crop a photo to 35 × 45 mm — South Africa passport
Upload a photo — the frame is already set for a South Africa passport. Ready to print or upload.
Upload your photo
The document is already selected — the frame is locked to 35 × 45 mm. Drag the photo inside the frame; the shape cannot be broken.
The photo is cropped in your browser. It is not uploaded to a server and we do not store it.
How to crop it, in three steps
- Upload a photo taken face-on, in even light
- Move the photo until the eyes sit on the guide line and the head fills 64–76%
- Save the 35 × 45 mm result — print it or attach it to the application
Exact numbers for this document
| Parameter | What it must be |
|---|---|
| Print size | 35 × 45 mm |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
| Aspect ratio | 7:9 |
| Head, share of height | 64–76% of photo height |
| Head, chin to crown | 29–34 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Plain white, light grey, or cream background. #ffffff |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
What these millimetres work out to
- In a 35 × 45 mm frame a head band of 64–76% is 29–34 mm from the chin to the crown.
- Of the 45 mm of height that leaves 11–16 mm for the gap above the crown and the space below the chin together.
- At 300 dpi that is a head 343–402 pixels tall — below 343 px the file is too small to print, however good the crop is.
What cropping will not fix
- A wrong background — cropping does not repaint the wall behind you. This document needs: cream or light grey
- A shadow on the face or on the wall. Step 1–2 m away from the wall and shoot facing a window.
- Glare on the lenses. Take the glasses off or turn away from the light source and shoot again.
- A smile, raised brows or a half-open mouth. Cropping keeps the face it was given.
- Too few pixels. If the original is smaller than 413 × 531 px, enlarging it only blurs the face.
Why these photos get rejected — and how to fix each one
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Background not pure RGB 255,255,255 white | Re-shoot against true white — DHA strict |
| Head outside 29-34mm | Re-shoot — South African narrow range |
| Glasses worn (any type) | Remove glasses — no exception |
| Smile, frown or raised eyebrows | Re-shoot completely neutral |
| Photo older than 6 months | Re-shoot |
South Africa-specific things to know
- Head 29-34mm — UNIQUE NARROWER range (similar to Switzerland/UK)
- PURE WHITE background (RGB 255,255,255) — off-white commonly rejected
- NO glasses (any type — no medical exception)
- DHA on-site capture for in-person applications
Printing on a single sheet
4 × 2 frames fit on one 10×15 cm sheet — 8 copies from a single print.
Photos per print sheet
| 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.
Where these numbers come from
Source: Department of International Relations and Cooperation / DHA. Last checked against the official page on 2026-05-17.
- South African passport applications abroad require four identical colour photos for passports.
- The required photo size is 35 × 45 mm.
- The face should take up 70–80% of the photograph.
- The Ottawa mission page requires a white background; the official photo-specification PDF also accepts light grey or plain cream-coloured background.
- The photo must be high quality, with direct camera gaze, appropriate brightness and contrast, clear eyes and no heavy frames or dark-tinted lenses.
Questions people ask before cropping
35 × 45 mm. 64–76% of photo height.
413 × 531 px (300 dpi) · 827 × 1063 px (600 dpi).
64–76% of photo height. 29–34 mm chin to crown.
Plain white, light grey, or cream background.
A wrong background — cropping does not repaint the wall behind you. This document needs: cream or light grey A shadow on the face or on the wall. Step 1–2 m away from the wall and shoot facing a window. Glare on the lenses. Take the glasses off or turn away from the light source and shoot again. A smile, raised brows or a half-open mouth. Cropping keeps the face it was given. Too few pixels. If the original is smaller than 413 × 531 px, enlarging it only blurs the face.
4 × 2 frames fit on one 10×15 cm sheet — 8 copies from a single print.