Independent reference to official photo rules

Not affiliated with any government. Always confirm with the issuing authority before you apply.

WorldPhotoSpecsOfficial photo rules for every country

Visas and travel authorisations

Botswana visa photo requirements

The 28 × 36 mm photo rules set by Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Botswana for the Botswana visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

Rate this page

Quick answer

What size is the Botswana visa photo?

For a Botswana e-Visa you upload a colour JPEG photo of 28 x 36 mm, no larger than 30 KB, taken within the last six months on a white, plain light background. The face, from forehead edge to chin, should fill 70 to 80% of the photo, with no frame and no retouching. If you apply on paper with Form 1 at an immigration office or a Botswana mission, the form's photo box is 3 x 4 cm.

Botswana visas are issued by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, under the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. Since 12 August 2021 foreign visitors have been able to apply online through the government's e-Visa portal. The embassy in Berlin describes it as replacing the old system of applying through Botswana embassies, while still letting applicants contact the nearest embassy if they have trouble with it. Citizens of many countries, including the United States, need no visa at all.

Online, you register, pay by card, fill in the visa form and then upload your documents: the photo, a colour PDF of your passport information page of up to 1 MB, and the supporting documents as one PDF of up to 5 MB. The portal checks each upload, and approval is shown online. An approved e-Visa is emailed to you, and you print it and carry it when you travel.

The government's visitor's visa page still offers a paper route as well: Form 1, Application for a Visa, filled in and handed in person at any immigration office, Botswana embassy or consulate. Form 1 is issued under the Immigration Act (Cap. 25:02), Regulation 6(1), and its photo box reads Photo, 3cm x 4cm. The embassy in Washington says fingerprints are taken at the point of entry.

Botswana visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Botswana:[1]

Print sizee-Visa: 28 x 36 mm (1.10 x 1.42 in); paper Form 1: photo box 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm)
Digital sizeNo pixel size published; the e-Visa gives the print-style size 28 x 36 mm and a 30 KB limit
Head heighte-Visa: face from forehead edge to bottom of chin 70 to 80% of the photo
Backgrounde-Visa: plain light background (photo rules); white background (upload step)
ColourColour
Photo agee-Visa: taken within the last six months
File sizee-Visa: 30 KB or less
File formate-Visa: JPG (JPEG)
Pixels when printed331 × 425 px at 300 dpi · 661 × 850 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
28 mm36 mm25.2–28.8 mm
28 × 36 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 25.2–28.8 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: e-Visa: plain light background.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

The photo must be in color, on a white background, without frames and retouching

Botswana e-Visa application (Documents step)[3]

Key requirements

  • Size depends on how you apply

    The e-Visa portal asks for an image in colour and 28mm by 36mm. The paper Form 1 used at immigration offices and missions has a photo box of 3cm x 4cm. Use the size that matches your channel.

  • JPEG of 30 KB or less

    The portal's application terms ask for a recently taken photo in JPG format not bigger than 30 KB. Check the file size before you upload, as the passport scan and supporting documents have their own, much larger limits.

  • Close-up of head and shoulders

    The photo should show a close-up of the head and part of the shoulders, looking straight ahead, centred, with a neutral expression. The face from the edge of the forehead to the bottom of the chin should take up 70 to 80% of the photo.

  • White or plain light background

    The photo rules ask for a plain light background, and the upload step itself says the photo must be on a white background. No other people or objects may appear, and the lighting must be even, with no shadows on the face or behind it.

  • No frame, no retouching

    At the upload step the portal says the photo must be in colour, on a white background, without frames and retouching, and that each applicant submits a full-face colour photograph without corners.

  • Natural brightness and focus

    The image needs adequate brightness and contrast and a natural skin tone; a photo that is too dark or too light is not acceptable. The face must be in sharp focus, with no ink marks, creases or lines, and red eye is not allowed.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Save the photo as a JPEG of 30 KB or less.
  • Use a white or plain light background.
  • Frame a close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders.
  • Light your face evenly so no shadow falls behind you.
  • Use a photo taken within the last six months.
  • Apply only through the government's own e-Visa portal or an official office.

Don't

  • Do not retouch the photo or add a frame.
  • Do not let hair, head coverings or ornaments hide your face.
  • Do not include other people or objects.
  • Do not upload a photo that is too dark or too light.
  • Do not pay a look-alike visa website.
  • Do not start your journey before the visa is approved.

Sample photos

How a Botswana visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 28 × 36 mm, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Prescription glasses may be worn if the lenses are clear and the frames thin, with no flash reflection and nothing obscuring the eyes. Your eyes must be open, and photos with red eye are not allowed.

Form 1, the paper application, sets out no separate glasses rule beyond its photo box.

Headwear and religious dress

The e-Visa rules accept head coverings, head-dress and facial ornaments only where they do not obscure the face. Hair is held to the same rule: it must not cover the face, and the eyes must be visible.

Babies and children

Each applicant, including a child, must submit a colour photograph. For unaccompanied minors under 18 who travel without their biological parents, the portal's terms ask for a consent letter from both parents.

The embassy in Washington adds that minors crossing any Botswana border must produce certified copies of their unabridged birth certificates, and that a parent who is not travelling must give an affidavit consenting to the trip.

The e-Visa is fully digital. You upload a JPEG photo, and once the visa is approved it is emailed to you to print and carry. A digital photo can be cropped to the 28 x 36 mm shape and saved as a compressed JPEG to stay within 30 KB.

On the paper route, a printed photo goes in the 3 x 4 cm box on Form 1. A 30 x 40 mm print can be cut from a 4x6 inch sheet printed at a photo counter. An approved paper visa is printed or endorsed at the office where you applied, or at the port of entry if you travel with the approval letter.

Where to submit the photo

Online, use the e-Visa portal run by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship; Botswana's embassies and the government service page link to it, and its address ends in gov.bw. Other sites offering Botswana visas are not official. If the portal gives you trouble, the nearest Botswana embassy can help.

On paper, take Form 1 and the supporting documents in person to any regional or district immigration office, Botswana embassy or consulate. You can check the outcome online or at that office. If you travel with an approval letter before the visa is printed, the visa is printed at the port of entry, where your fingerprints are also taken.

How to get your Botswana visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Botswana visa: 28 × 36 mm print, e-Visa: plain light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: size depends on how you apply; jPEG of 30 KB or less; close-up of head and shoulders; white or plain light background.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The e-Visa is fully digital. You upload a JPEG photo, and once the visa is approved it is emailed to you to print and carry. A digital photo can be cropped to the 28 x 36 mm shape and saved as a compressed JPEG to stay within 30 KB.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Online, use the e-Visa portal run by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship; Botswana's embassies and the government service page link to it, and its address ends in gov.bw. Other sites offering Botswana visas are not official.

Make this photo online

Botswana visa photo FAQ

The e-Visa portal asks for a colour image of 28 x 36 mm, saved as a JPG of 30 KB or less. The face from forehead edge to chin should fill 70 to 80% of the photo, on a white or plain light background.

It depends on how you apply. The online e-Visa uses 28 x 36 mm. The paper Form 1, handed in at an immigration office or a Botswana mission, has a photo box of 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm).

White or plain light. The photo requirements page says plain light background, and the upload step says the photo must be on a white background. There must be no other people or objects, and no shadows behind you.

The portal sets the 30 KB limit but no pixel size. Crop the photo to the 28 x 36 mm shape, then reduce its pixel dimensions or JPEG quality until the file is 30 KB or less, and check that your face is still sharp and naturally lit.

Yes, if they are prescription glasses with clear lenses and thin frames, with no flash reflection and nothing hiding the eyes. Red eye is not allowed, so avoid a flash close to the face.

The portal run by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, whose address ends in gov.bw. The government's own service pages and Botswana's embassies link to it. Sites on other domains that sell Botswana visas are not government sites.

No. The Botswana embassy in Washington states that citizens of the United States do not need a visa to enter Botswana, and it lists other visa-exempt countries alongside those whose citizens must apply.

The portal verifies each upload. If the photo fails, the application shows Invalid Photo and asks you to upload a new one, so check the size, background and file limit before you submit.

Related photo specifications

Other Botswana documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Was this page helpful?

No ratings yet. Be the first to rate this page.

Official sources

  1. Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Botswana. e-Visa Photo Requirements evisa.gov.bw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Botswana. e-Visa Application Terms evisa.gov.bw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Botswana. Botswana e-Visa application (Documents step) evisa.gov.bw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Government of Botswana. Visa Application: Visitor's Visa gov.bw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the Republic of Botswana, Washington DC. Application for a Visa (Form 1) botswanaembassy.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Republic of Botswana, Washington DC. Guidelines for Completing a Visa Application botswanaembassy.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Germany. Visa embassyofbotswana.de. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Botswana before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Botswana visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/botswana/visa-photo

Categories: