Botswana residence permit photo requirements
The 30 × 40 mm photo rules set by Government of Botswana for the Botswana residence permit, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Botswana residence permit photo?
Botswana's residence permit form (Form 15) has a photo box marked 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm), and the government checklists ask for one recent colour passport-size photo. A work permit, filed separately at a Labour office, needs two passport-size photos with a white background. Both are paper applications handed in at an office, and neither has a published pixel size or head size.
Foreign nationals who want to live in Botswana beyond the visitor period apply for a residence permit from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, part of the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. You complete the residence permit form, hand it in at any immigration office, pay the fee and later check the outcome at the same office. A successful application ends with a residence permit sticker endorsed in your passport. People over 18 must apply separately, supported by the person they will depend on in Botswana.
Working is a separate permission. The work permit, for anyone who will work for reward or invest for profit, is issued by the Department of Labour and Social Security. Its form is downloaded, completed and taken with the supporting documents to the nearest Labour office. The Botswana embassy in Berlin adds that work and residence permit applications are submitted at district and regional Labour and Immigration offices across the country.
The photo rules are brief. The residence permit form is Form 15, issued under the Immigration Act (Cap. 25:02), Regulation 15, and its top right corner holds a box labelled Photo, 3cm x 4cm. The government's checklists for dependants, immigrants and spouses of citizens each ask for one recent colour passport-size photo. The work permit checklist asks for two passport-size photos with a white background.
Botswana residence permit photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Government of Botswana:[1]
| Print size | Residence permit Form 15 photo box: 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm); work permit: passport-size, no dimensions |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: printed photos go with paper forms handed in at an office |
| Background | Work permit: white background; the residence permit checklists name no colour |
| Colour | Colour (residence permit checklists) |
| Photo age | Recent; no time limit is stated |
| Pixels when printed | 354 × 472 px at 300 dpi · 709 × 945 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Fits the 3 x 4 cm box on Form 15
The residence permit application form marks its photo space as 3cm x 4cm. A 30 x 40 mm print fills it exactly; a larger passport photo would have to be trimmed to fit.
- One colour photo for a residence permit
The government checklists for dependants aged 18 to 25 or 65 and over, for immigrants and for spouses of citizens each list one recent colour passport-size photo, alongside Form 15 and Form 3.
- Two photos on white for a work permit
The Department of Labour and Social Security asks employees and investors alike for two passport-size photos with a white background. Renewals use the same requirements, and should be lodged six months before the work permit expires.
- Paper forms, office counters
Neither permit has a published online application. The residence permit goes to an immigration office and the work permit to a Labour office, each with printed photos and certified copies.
- Passport copy must show your picture
Both checklists ask for a certified copy of your passport data page. The work permit and embassy lists say the copy must show the passport picture, number and expiry date; the work permit list adds date and place of birth.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a colour photo for a residence permit.
- Choose a white background for work permit photos.
- Trim or size the print to the 3 x 4 cm box on Form 15.
- Bring two photos for a work permit and one for a residence permit.
- Keep the photo recent.
- Attach a certified passport copy that shows your picture.
Don't
- Do not submit a photo larger than the Form 15 box without trimming it.
- Do not use a patterned or dark background for a work permit.
- Do not send an old or faded print.
- Do not attach a passport copy that hides your picture or passport number.
- Do not expect an online upload; both permits are paper applications.
Sample photos
How a Botswana residence permit photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 30 × 40 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Babies and children
Form 15 asks for the particulars of children under 18, by marriage or adoption, and whether each is applying for residence. Applicants over 18 have to apply separately, backed by the person they depend on.
Dependants aged 18 to 25, and those aged 65 and over, each need their own Form 15, Form 3, a certified passport data page, a certified birth certificate and one recent colour passport-size photo. A dependant living with a guardian also needs a letter of consent from the parents, or a certified adoption or death certificate. A student dependant adds a sponsorship letter and an admission letter.
Printed and digital photos
Both permits are handled on paper. The residence permit photo is fixed to Form 15 in the 3 x 4 cm box, and the work permit photos are handed in with the downloaded form and certified copies. The government's pages give no pixel size, file format or upload route.
A digital photo can be cropped to 30 x 40 mm and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter, then cut to fit the box. For a work permit, make sure the background is white before printing.
Where to submit the photo
Residence permits are handled by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship at its headquarters in Gaborone and at regional and district immigration offices. You check the outcome at the office where you applied; if it is refused, you can appeal or leave the country.
Work permits go to the nearest office of the Department of Labour and Social Security, which has regional Labour offices in Gaborone, Francistown, Lobatse, Maun, Selibe Phikwe, Serowe and Kasane. You collect the permit after you are notified that it was approved. Outside Botswana, the embassy in Washington lists the work permit documents, including passport size photos, and takes enquiries through its consular section.
How to get your Botswana residence permit photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Botswana residence permit: 30 × 40 mm print, work permit: white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: fits the 3 x 4 cm box on Form 15; one colour photo for a residence permit; two photos on white for a work permit; paper forms, office counters.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Both permits are handled on paper. The residence permit photo is fixed to Form 15 in the 3 x 4 cm box, and the work permit photos are handed in with the downloaded form and certified copies.
- Submit the photo with your application. Residence permits are handled by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship at its headquarters in Gaborone and at regional and district immigration offices.
Botswana residence permit photo FAQ
The residence permit application, Form 15, has a photo box marked 3cm x 4cm, which is 30 x 40 mm. The government checklist asks for one recent colour passport-size photo. No pixel size or head size is published.
Two. The Department of Labour and Social Security lists two passport-size photos with a white background, for employees and for investors. The residence permit, applied for separately at an immigration office, needs one recent colour photo.
For a work permit, yes: the checklist says passport-size photos with a white background. The residence permit checklists name no background colour, so a plain white background meets both sets of rules.
No official online route is published. The residence permit form is handed in at an immigration office, and the work permit form is downloaded and taken to a Labour office. The government's e-Visa portal handles visas only, and an employment visa needs the permits or an approval letter first.
Anyone over 18 applies separately, and the checklist for dependants aged 18 to 25 and 65 and over asks each applicant for one recent colour passport-size photo. Children under 18 are listed on the main applicant's Form 15.
In your passport. The government page says a residence permit sticker is endorsed in the passport when the application succeeds, so your passport must be valid; dependants need one valid for more than six months.
Related photo specifications
Other Botswana documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 28 × 36 mm
Residence and work permits nearby
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Morocco residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 30 × 40 mm
- Armenia ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Azerbaijan passport photo 30 × 40 mm
- Azerbaijan visa photo 30 × 40 mm
- Azerbaijan ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Belarus citizenship photo 30 × 40 mm
- Bolivia safe conduct photo 30 × 40 mm
- Brazil ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Brazil SPTrans Bilhete Único photo 30 × 40 mm
- Brazil employment record book photo 30 × 40 mm
- China APEC Business Travel Card photo 30 × 40 mm
- All Botswana photo specifications
- Residence and work permits: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 30 × 40 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Africa
Official sources
- Government of Botswana. Residence Permit Application gov.bw. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Government of Botswana. Work Permit Application gov.bw. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Botswana, Washington DC. Application for Residence Permit (Form 15) botswanaembassy.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Botswana, Washington DC. Residence Permit Application botswanaembassy.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Germany. Frequently Asked Questions embassyofbotswana.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Government of Botswana before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Botswana residence permit photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/botswana/residence-permit-photo