Angola passport photo requirements
The photo rules set by Consulado Geral da República de Angola no Reino Unido, London for the Angola passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What are the Angola passport photo requirements?
No official page gives a size for the Angolan passport photo: consulates ask for passport-type (tipo passe) prints. London and Lisbon want three colour photos on a white background, Washington two. London wants them taken no more than 3 months ago; Lisbon and Washington accept photos under 6 months old. Lisbon also rules out a smile, sunglasses, earrings, piercings, a headscarf, a turban and a fringe, and wants both ears visible. The 30 x 40 mm size often quoted is not on any official page we read.
Angolan passports are issued by the Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME), the migration service of the Ministry of the Interior. In Angola every request now goes through the SME portal, sme.gov.ao: the service says that information requests and applications must be submitted and paid exclusively on that platform. Once a technician approves your paid request, a calendar button in your personal area lets you book a visit to the SME post you chose. The portal lists the new electronic passport for adults and for minors; its detailed pages open only after you log in.
Angolans abroad apply through a consulate or embassy, and the official material for those channels is clearer about photos. The Consulates General in London and Lisbon and the Embassy in Washington all require the applicant to attend in person, sign the forms in front of a consular officer and hand in printed passport-type photos with the file. London and Lisbon ask for three, Washington for two.
None of these pages gives the photo's dimensions, head size or pixel size. What they do set is colour, a white background, how recent the photo must be and, in London and Lisbon, what may not appear in it. Read your own mission's checklist before you print, because the rules differ from one consulate to the next.
Angola passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Consulado Geral da República de Angola no Reino Unido, London:[1]
| Print size | No size published: consulates ask for passport-type (tipo passe) prints without giving dimensions |
|---|---|
| Background | White background (fundo branco) on the London, Lisbon and Washington lists |
| Colour | Colour photos (coloridas) |
| Photo age | London: taken no more than 3 months ago. Lisbon and Washington: less than 6 months old |
| Print quality | Printed photos handed in with the paper file: three in London and Lisbon, two in Washington |
Key requirements
- Attend in person
All three missions state that the applicant's presence is compulsory. London and Lisbon want the original documents with one photocopy of each, and London has the application form and covering letters signed in front of the consular officer. Washington also requires the signature to be made in person.
- Two or three prints
London and Lisbon ask for three passport-type photos for a first passport and for a reissue. Washington asks for two. The photos are part of the paper file, so bring them to your appointment rather than uploading them.
- Colour on a white background
Every consulate list read for this guide asks for colour photos on a white background. None of them gives a size, a head height or a margin, so the only firm visual rules are the colour, the white background and the exclusions listed by London and Lisbon.
- How recent depends on the consulate
London's English checklist says the photos must be taken no more than 3 months ago. Lisbon's 2026 checklists and Washington's passport page accept photos less than 6 months old. If you are unsure where you will apply, a photo taken within the last 3 months satisfies all three.
- Neutral face, ears showing (Lisbon)
Lisbon's checklist of October 2026 says the photo must be taken without a smile and that the ears must be properly visible. It also excludes sunglasses, earrings, piercings, a headscarf, a turban and a fringe, and braids for male applicants.
- Rules for men (London)
London adds a rule for male applicants: their photos must not show earrings, braids or a mohawk (crista). It refuses sunglasses for everyone unless a medical recommendation is proven.
- Online first in Angola
In Angola you register on sme.gov.ao, submit the request and pay the RUPE reference online. The SME says not to go to a post straight after paying: wait until the request is approved, then book a slot from your personal area. Appointments are made only through the portal.
- The electronic passport
On 7 June 2026 the London consulate relayed an SME announcement that the electronic passport is issued throughout Angola. Replacing an old-model passport with the electronic one can be requested only for expiry, full pages, a change of personal data or another duly proven reason.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Check your own consulate's checklist before you print photos.
- Bring three prints for London or Lisbon and two for Washington.
- Use colour prints with a plain white background.
- Keep a neutral expression with both ears visible.
- Have the photos taken within 3 months if you apply in London.
- Book an appointment and attend in person with your original documents.
Don't
- Do not wear sunglasses unless you have a proven medical reason.
- Do not wear earrings, piercings, a headscarf or a turban for a Lisbon application.
- Do not smile or let a fringe show in photos for Lisbon.
- Do not send someone else to apply for you: attendance is compulsory.
- Do not go to an SME post in Angola before your paid request is approved.
- Do not treat the 30 x 40 mm size quoted by photo shops as an official rule.
Glasses
Sunglasses are the only eyewear the consulates mention. London refuses dark glasses unless a medical recommendation is proven; its English checklist puts it as "without sunglasses (unless medically required)". Lisbon lists sunglasses among the things the photo must not show, with no exception stated.
Neither consulate says anything about ordinary clear glasses, and Washington's passport page has no eyewear rule at all. If you normally wear glasses, ask your mission before the photo is taken.
Headwear and religious dress
Lisbon publishes the strictest rules. Its 2026 checklists say the photo must show no headscarf (lenço), no turban and no fringe, and that both ears must be properly visible. The same list excludes earrings and piercings for every applicant and braids for male applicants. No religious or medical exception is mentioned.
London's rule on appearance applies to male applicants only: no earrings, braids or mohawk in the photo. Washington publishes no rule on head coverings, hair or jewellery.
Babies and children
A child's passport photos follow the adult rules. For an applicant under 18, London asks for three colour prints on a white background taken no more than 3 months ago, together with a Parental Responsibility Statement (Termo de Responsabilidade) signed by a parent or legal guardian in front of the consular officer. London asks for extra identity documents for children under 5.
Lisbon lists the same three photos for minors, plus a copy of the child's identity card where one exists and an Angolan document of a parent, guardian or legal representative. Washington's online booking generates the responsibility statement when the application is for a minor. In Angola, the SME portal has a separate electronic passport request for minors, made by the child's legal guardian.
Printed and digital photos
Abroad, the photos are prints that become part of your paper file. London and Lisbon take originals plus photocopies at the counter, and the passport form used in London has a photo box marked "presencial" (in person) next to the fingerprint box. Washington lets you fill in the form online when you book, download it as a PDF and upload your documents, but its list of documents to present still includes the passport-type photograph.
No official page gives a pixel size or file size for an Angolan passport photo. If you make your own photo, crop it to the passport-type size your consulate accepts and have it printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter, in colour and on a white background.
Where to submit the photo
In Angola, apply on sme.gov.ao and attend the SME post you selected, at the time you booked after approval. The SME portal also offers an assisted electronic passport request.
Abroad, apply at the consulate or embassy that covers your country of residence. The London Consulate General covers Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland; it asks for a consular registration card valid for at least six months, which can be issued at the same visit. Lisbon asks for a copy of your consular registration valid for more than 3 months. Lisbon also issues a declaration that lets a citizen have a passport processed by the SME in Angola instead.
How to get your Angola passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Angola passport: white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: attend in person; two or three prints; colour on a white background; how recent depends on the consulate.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Abroad, the photos are prints that become part of your paper file. London and Lisbon take originals plus photocopies at the counter, and the passport form used in London has a photo box marked "presencial" (in person) next to the fingerprint box.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Angola, apply on sme.gov.ao and attend the SME post you selected, at the time you booked after approval. The SME portal also offers an assisted electronic passport request. Abroad, apply at the consulate or embassy that covers your country of residence.
Angola passport photo FAQ
No official size is published. The SME pages that are open to the public, and the consulate checklists in London, Lisbon and Washington, ask for passport-type (tipo passe) photos in colour on a white background without giving dimensions. The 30 x 40 mm figure appears on commercial photo sites, not on the official pages read for this guide.
It depends on the mission. London and Lisbon ask for three passport-type photos for a first passport and for a reissue, children included. Washington asks for two. Check your own consulate's list before you print.
Not if you apply in Lisbon: its checklist says the photo must be taken without a smile. London and Washington give no rule on expression, so a neutral face is the safe choice wherever you apply.
London wants photos taken no more than 3 months ago. Lisbon and Washington accept photos less than 6 months old. A photo taken within the last 3 months meets all three rules.
Sunglasses are refused: London allows them only with a proven medical recommendation, and Lisbon lists them among things that must not appear. Neither consulate mentions clear glasses, so ask your mission if you wear them.
Yes. London, Lisbon and Washington all state that the applicant's presence is compulsory, and the forms are signed in front of a consular officer. In Angola you also attend an SME post, at an appointment booked on sme.gov.ao after your request is approved.
The consulate pages read for this guide do not say. London relayed the SME's announcement of 7 June 2026 that the electronic passport is issued throughout Angola, and Lisbon issues a declaration that lets a citizen have a passport processed by the SME in Angola. Ask your consulate which passport it can issue.
Not straight away. The SME announcement relayed by London says the switch to the electronic passport can be requested only when the old one has expired, its pages are full, your personal data have changed or another duly proven reason applies.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Cameroon passport photo 40 × 40 mm
- Central African Republic passport photo 40 × 40 mm
- Chad passport photo 40 × 40 mm
- Democratic Republic of the Congo passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Equatorial Guinea passport photo
- Republic of the Congo passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Official sources
- Consulado Geral da República de Angola no Reino Unido, London. Passaportes: Passaporte Nacional Ordinário consuladogeralangola-uk.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Angola in the United Kingdom, London. Requirements: Ordinary National Passport, First Issue consuladogeralangola-uk.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Angola in the United Kingdom, London. Requirements: Ordinary National Passport, Reissue consuladogeralangola-uk.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros, published by the Consulate General in London. Formulário digital de pedido de passaporte (filled-in guide) consuladogeralangola-uk.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulado Geral da República de Angola no Reino Unido, London. Passaporte Electrónico emitido em todo território nacional (7 June 2026) consuladogeralangola-uk.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulado Geral da República de Angola em Lisboa. Pedir o 1.º Passaporte consuladogeral-angola.pt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulado Geral da República de Angola em Lisboa. Passaporte Nacional Ordinário, 1.ª Vez: Requisitos (2026) consuladogeral-angola.pt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulado Geral da República de Angola em Lisboa. Passaporte Nacional Ordinário, Reemissão: Requisitos (2026) consuladogeral-angola.pt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulado Geral da República de Angola em Lisboa. Declaração para tramitação do processo de passaporte junto do SME consuladogeral-angola.pt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embaixada da República de Angola nos Estados Unidos da América, Washington DC. Passaporte Nacional Ordinário angola.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME). Portal do SME sme.gov.ao. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME). Catálogo de actos: passaportes sme.gov.ao. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Serviço de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME). Agendamento sme.gov.ao. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Consulado Geral da República de Angola no Reino Unido, London before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Angola passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/angola/passport-photo