Bahamas visa photo requirements
The 2 × 2 in photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas for the Bahamas visa, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Bahamas visa photo?
The photo for a Bahamian visa is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) at 600 dpi, in colour, on a plain white or off-white background, and no more than six months old when you apply. Selfies are not accepted. The expression must be neutral with the mouth closed, and the hairline and ears must be visible. Each application carries one digital passport-sized photograph, and the Visa Office approves it.
Bahamian entry visas are processed and issued by the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before you travel. The Department of Immigration only checks for the visa at the border, and its entry pages publish no photograph rules for visas. Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. The Ministry lists the countries whose citizens are exempt and those who must apply. Indian nationals, for example, are exempt for up to 3 months if they hold a valid visa issued by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States or a Schengen state, and other Indian nationals need a Bahamian visa.
Applicants choose a processing office in the Ministry's eVisa application, and Bahamian missions abroad act as those offices: the High Commission in London tells applicants to select the London office. Applicants are interviewed at the office they selected, with fingerprints taken if required, and bring the completed form, the visa confirmation page and original documents. If the Visa Office needs more from you, it contacts you by email, and the follow-up section of the portal includes an option to submit a new photograph.
Self-sponsored visitor, sponsored visitor and seaman's visas all use the same photograph rules. Official and diplomatic visas are not available online, so those applicants contact the Visa Office.
Bahamas visa photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas:[1]
| Print size | 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 2 x 2 inches at 600 dpi (1200 x 1200 pixels); one digital photograph |
| Background | Plain white or off-white |
| Colour | Colour photograph |
| Photo age | No more than six months old at the time of the application |
| File size | No file size limit is published |
| File format | One digital photograph; the Ministry's pages say jpg in some places and pdf in others |
| Pixels when printed | 600 × 600 px at 300 dpi · 1200 × 1200 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- 2 x 2 inches at 600 dpi
The Ministry's one-page eVisa photograph specification (version 1.1, dated 14 April 2020) asks for a photograph that is 2 x 2 inches at 600 dpi. It gives no head-height range and no pixel range.
- Six months at most
The photograph must be no more than six months old at the time of the application. The same six-month limit applies to the police report, medical certificate and bank letter in the application.
- Colour, plain white or off-white
The photograph must be in colour with a plain white or an off-white background. Clothing should be in colour with the shoulders covered, and must not bear military or civil servant badges or ornaments.
- Face the camera, neutral
The applicant must face the camera directly in a full face view. The expression is neutral, not smiling, and the mouth must be closed.
- Hair, make-up and jewellery
The hairline and ears must be visible. Make-up should be neutral and jewellery modest.
- Head coverings need approval
Covering the head is prohibited unless it is for medical or religious purposes. A formal written request must be submitted and approved by the Visa Office, sent by e-mail to the Visa Office address in the specification.
- No selfies
The specification lists "No Selfies" as a rule of its own. Have someone else take the picture, or use a photo lab.
- Visa Office approval
The specification closes with the note that all passport photographs are subject to the approval of the Visa Office. A new photograph can be requested later, and the portal has a section for submitting it.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a 2 x 2 inch photograph at 600 dpi
- Take it within six months before applying
- Face the camera directly with a neutral expression and closed mouth
- Wear coloured clothing that covers your shoulders
- Keep your hairline and ears visible
- Ask the Visa Office in writing before using a head covering
- Check your nationality on the Ministry's visa list before you apply
Don't
- Do not submit a selfie
- Do not smile or open your mouth
- Do not wear clothing with military or civil servant badges
- Do not use heavy make-up or flashy jewellery
- Do not cover your head without an approved request
- Do not reuse a photograph older than six months
Sample photos
How a Bahamas visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 2 × 2 in and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
The Ministry's photograph specification does not mention glasses, and nor does its visa page, so there is no published rule that allows or bans them. The listed requirements are a full face view, a neutral expression, visible hairline and ears, and approval by the Visa Office. If you wear glasses every day and want certainty, email the Visa Office before you apply.
Headwear and religious dress
Head coverings are prohibited unless they are worn for medical or religious purposes. In that case the applicant submits a formal written request, which the Visa Office must approve, and sends it by email to the Visa Office address printed in the specification. Hair must not hide the face either: the hairline and ears must be visible.
Babies and children
No separate photograph rule for children appears on the Ministry's visa pages, so the adult specification applies. When a visa is requested for a child, the application adds a copy of the child's birth certificate to prove the parental relationship, and the application form can be completed by the applicant or a guardian. Every applicant, child or adult, has one digital passport-sized photograph attached.
Printed and digital photos
The Ministry asks for a digital file, not a print. The supporting-document lists say to append one digital passport-sized photograph, and no page read requests a printed photograph for the interview. At 600 dpi, a 2 x 2 inch photograph is 1200 x 1200 pixels. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to that pixel size, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter if you want a paper copy for your own records.
Where to submit the photo
Apply through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' eVisa online services: choose the visa type (self-sponsored, sponsored or seaman's), the entry type (single or multiple), and the processing office closest to you. The Ministry's Visa Office in Nassau answers questions on telephone and email during business hours. Missions that facilitate visas include the High Commissions in Ottawa and London, the embassies in Beijing and Washington, and the consulates in New York, Miami and Atlanta.
Visa-required travellers need the visa before they travel, including when they arrive by cruise ship from the United States. The Department of Immigration says travellers who arrive without a required visa are refused leave to land, and an Electronic Entry Visa does not guarantee entry.
How to get your Bahamas visa photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Bahamas visa: 2 × 2 in print, 1200 × 1200 px digital file, plain white or off-white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: 2 x 2 inches at 600 dpi; six months at most; colour, plain white or off-white; face the camera, neutral.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The Ministry asks for a digital file, not a print. The supporting-document lists say to append one digital passport-sized photograph, and no page read requests a printed photograph for the interview. At 600 dpi, a 2 x 2 inch photograph is 1200 x 1200 pixels.
- Submit the photo with your application. Apply through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' eVisa online services: choose the visa type (self-sponsored, sponsored or seaman's), the entry type (single or multiple), and the processing office closest to you.
Bahamas visa photo FAQ
2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) at 600 dpi, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' eVisa photograph specification. The same sheet asks for colour, a plain white or off-white background and a photograph no more than six months old.
No. The Department of Immigration says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for processing and issuing Bahamian visas through its Consular Division, and all visas are issued before travel. Immigration officers check for the visa at the border and refuse entry to visa-required travellers who lack one.
One digital passport-sized photograph per application, for self-sponsored, sponsored and seaman's visas alike. It is uploaded with the signed application form and the other documents, all of which must be less than six months old where the Ministry says so.
No. The Ministry's specification says "No Selfies". The photograph must show your full face, looking directly at the camera, with a neutral expression, a closed mouth and your hairline and ears visible.
All photographs are subject to the approval of the Visa Office. If it needs more information, it emails the applicant, and the eVisa portal has a section for applicants who were contacted, where you can pay the visa fee, submit a new photograph or submit documents.
Only for medical or religious purposes, and only after a formal written request has been approved by the Visa Office. The request is sent by email. Hairline and ears must still be visible.
No. The Ministry lists ordinary passport holders from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada as exempt from a Bahamian visa for up to 8 months, so they do not apply for one. Travellers whose nationality is on the visa-required list do, including when they arrive by cruise ship from the United States.
Related photo specifications
Other Bahamas documents
- Passport photo 2 × 2 in
- eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
Visas and travel authorisations nearby
- Bahamas eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
- Barbados visa photo
- Cuba visa photo 45 × 45 mm
- Dominican Republic visa photo 40 × 50 mm
Also 2 × 2 in
- American Samoa passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Armenia eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
- Belize passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Belize visa photo 2 × 2 in
- Belize residence permit photo 2 × 2 in
- Democratic Republic of the Congo passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Egypt visa photo 2 × 2 in
- Ethiopia eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
- Guam passport photo 2 × 2 in
- India visa photo 2 × 2 in
- All Bahamas photo specifications
- Visas and travel authorisations: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 2 × 2 in photo
- Photo specifications in North America
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas. eVISA Online Services mofa.gov.bs. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas. Bahamas eVISA Photograph Specifications (version 1.1) mofa.gov.bs. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas. Who needs visas to enter The Bahamas mofa.gov.bs. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Bahamas Department of Immigration. Before Your Arrival immigration.gov.bs. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas. Bahamas Overseas Offices: Addresses and Contacts mofa.gov.bs. Checked 2 November 2026.
- The Bahamas High Commission, London. Visas bahamashclondon.net. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of The Bahamas, Washington. Consular Services bahamasembdc.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Bahamas before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Bahamas visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/bahamas/visa-photo