Colombia visa photo requirements
The 30 × 40 mm photo rules set by Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería) for the Colombia visa, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Colombia visa photo?
A Colombian visa needs one digital photo, attached to Cancillería's online application. It is a 3 x 4 cm scale image in colour on a white background, recent and sharp, facing the camera with a neutral expression, head complete and centred, both eyes open and ears visible. Save it as a JPG; Resolution 5477 of 2022 sets 300 KB as the ceiling. People with white hair or no hair, and members of religious orders in a light-coloured habit, may use blue.
Colombian visas are decided by the Visa and Immigration Authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería). There are three types, visitor (V), migrant (M) and resident (R), each with several categories. The study and issue of a visa happen entirely online, and the result is an electronic visa emailed to the address on your application. A visa label is printed and stamped in your passport only when the authority considers it necessary; Cancillería says visas valid for three months or less do not need one.
You apply through the electronic visa form on Cancillería's SITAC platform. Supporting documents go in as PDF files and the photo as a JPG. Applicants outside Colombia pick the consulate nearest their country of residence, while those already in Colombia with regular status pick the Bogotá office. Once the form is complete you pay the study fee within ten calendar days, or the application is treated as withdrawn.
The photo rules come from Article 24 of Resolution 5477 of 2022, which lists the general requirements for every visa application, and from an illustrated guide that the visa group in Bogotá published in 2026.
Colombia visa photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería):[1]
| Print size | 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm) scale, as a digital image; no print is submitted |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No pixel size published; the image must be sharp and of good resolution |
| Background | White; blue only for people with white hair or no hair, or religious wearing a light-coloured habit |
| Colour | Colour |
| Photo age | Recent (no time limit stated) |
| File size | Up to 300 KB (Resolution 5477 of 2022); the form's own note now gives 495 KB |
| File format | JPG |
| Pixels when printed | 354 × 472 px at 300 dpi · 709 × 945 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- A 3 x 4 scale image
Cancillería describes the photo as a 3 x 4 cm scale image. It is uploaded, not printed, so what matters is the 3:4 portrait shape and a sharp, well-resolved picture rather than a paper size.
- White background, two exceptions
The background is white. Blue is allowed only for people without hair or with white hair, and for religious who wear a light-coloured habit. The 2026 guide shows a blue background as an incorrect example for everyone else.
- Whole head, centred, ears showing
Face the camera directly with your whole head in the frame and centred. Both eyes must be open and both ears visible. The guide marks as wrong a photo taken from head to waist, one taken from too far away and one taken too close.
- Nothing covering the face
Article 24 says neither hair nor accessories may cover the head or the face. The image may contain nothing but your own face: no other people, pictures or objects.
- Even exposure, no glare
The photo must show no glare. The guide rejects pictures with shadows, pictures that are too dark and pictures that are overexposed.
- Neutral expression
The resolution asks for a neutral expression with the face turned to the camera. Profile shots are among the guide's incorrect examples.
- JPG, 300 KB
Attach the photo as a JPG. The resolution and the 2026 guide both set 300 KB as the maximum. The English note on the online form gave 495 KB when checked on 1 November 2026; a file under 300 KB satisfies both.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a plain white background unless an exception applies to you.
- Keep both ears and both eyes clearly visible.
- Centre your whole head and frame it closer than head to waist.
- Light your face evenly to avoid shadows and glare.
- Save the photo as a JPG under 300 KB.
- Choose the consulate nearest your residence in the form.
Don't
- Do not let hair or accessories cover your head or face.
- Do not turn into profile or look away from the camera.
- Do not send a photo that is too dark or overexposed.
- Do not include other people or images in the picture.
- Do not upload the photo as a PDF: only documents go in as PDF.
- Do not visit the Bogotá visa office unless the authority asks you to.
Sample photos
How a Colombia visa 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.
Glasses
Cancillería's visa rules do not mention glasses by name. What they do require is that accessories do not cover the head or the face, and that the photo shows no glare. In the 2026 guide, the incorrect example captioned as taken in profile or with accessories shows a person wearing glasses.
Glasses are therefore not expressly banned, but lenses that reflect light or frames that hide part of the face would break the published rules. Taking them off before the photo avoids both problems.
Headwear and religious dress
Article 24 of Resolution 5477 of 2022 says that neither hair nor accessories may cover the head or the face, so hats, caps and similar items come off.
The only religious provision in Cancillería's visa guidance concerns colour: members of religious orders who wear a light-coloured habit may be photographed on a blue background instead of white. The same exception covers people with white hair or no hair. No separate rule on other religious head coverings is published.
Babies and children
A visa for a minor follows the same photo rules: one digital colour photo meeting Article 24. What changes are the documents. Cancillería asks for proof of who the parents are, such as a birth certificate apostilled or legalised, with an official Spanish translation if needed, and a visa request written by both parents or by whoever holds parental authority or guardianship, naming the person who will look after the child in Colombia.
If that carer is not a parent or guardian, they must also send a written statement accepting the responsibility. The same extra requirements apply to adults with a disability who cannot act for themselves.
Printed and digital photos
Visa applications use a digital photo only. Cancillería asks for a recent digital photograph in JPG, and the whole procedure, from study to issue, runs online. No prints go to the consulate, although the Visa Authority may ask to see original documents or call you in person.
Any digital photo can be cropped to the 3 x 4 shape and saved as a JPG under 300 KB. Check that it is still sharp after compression, since a blurred or pixelated image fails the resolution requirement.
Where to submit the photo
Fill in the electronic visa form on Cancillería's SITAC system, upload your documents as PDFs and your photo as a JPG, then pay the study fee within ten calendar days using the reference number the platform gives you. Abroad, choose the Colombian consulate nearest your country of residence, or one in a third country where you hold temporary or permanent residence. In Colombia, with regular migration status, choose the Bogotá office.
Do not go to the visa office in Bogotá unless the Visa Authority asks you to appear, by email to the address on your form; otherwise the process continues online. If the authority asks for more information, upload it through SITAC within the time given, up to ten calendar days, rather than sending it by email.
How to get your Colombia visa photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Colombia visa: 30 × 40 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: a 3 x 4 scale image; white background, two exceptions; whole head, centred, ears showing; nothing covering the face.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Visa applications use a digital photo only. Cancillería asks for a recent digital photograph in JPG, and the whole procedure, from study to issue, runs online.
- Submit the photo with your application. Fill in the electronic visa form on Cancillería's SITAC system, upload your documents as PDFs and your photo as a JPG, then pay the study fee within ten calendar days using the reference number the platform gives you.
Colombia visa photo FAQ
Cancillería asks for a 3 x 4 cm scale photo in colour (30 x 40 mm). It is uploaded with the online application rather than printed. No pixel dimensions are published; the image must be sharp, of good resolution and saved as a JPG.
300 KB, according to Article 24 of Resolution 5477 of 2022 and Cancillería's 2026 photo guide. On 1 November 2026 the English note on the online form gave 495 KB instead. Keeping the file below 300 KB meets both.
Only in specific cases. The standard is white. Cancillería allows blue only for people without hair, people with white hair, and religious who wear a light-coloured habit. Its guide shows a blue background as an incorrect example for everyone else.
They are not banned by name, but accessories must not cover the face and the photo must be free of glare. Cancillería's guide uses a person in glasses, seen in profile, as an incorrect example. Taking them off is the safest choice.
Yes. Cancillería's guide says both eyes must be open and the ears must be visible. Pull your hair back if it covers your ears, since hair must not cover the head or the face either.
No. The visa process is fully online and the photo is a digital JPG attached to the form. The consulate you select handles the application, but you appear in person only if the Visa Authority asks you to.
Cancillería sets no rule on who takes the photo. It asks for a recent, sharp colour photo of good resolution, on white, with even light and no glare. A phone photo taken against a white wall and cropped to 3 x 4 can meet this if it is in focus and well lit.
Related photo specifications
Other Colombia documents
- Passport photo
- ID card photo 40 × 50 mm
- Driving licence photo
- Residence visa photo 30 × 40 mm
- Nationality photo 40 × 50 mm
Visas and travel authorisations nearby
- Argentina visa photo 40 × 40 mm
- Bolivia visa photo 40 × 40 mm
- Brazil visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Chile visa photo 50 × 50 mm
- Suriname visa photo 30 × 40 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
- Botswana residence permit 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
- All Colombia photo specifications
- Visas and travel authorisations: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 30 × 40 mm photo
- Photo specifications in South America
Official sources
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería). ABC de Visa: instrucciones y requisitos generales cancilleria.gov.co. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Cancillería, GIT de Visas e Inmigración. ¿Cómo tomar la foto correctamente para solicitar la visa colombiana? (infographic, Spanish and English) cancilleria.gov.co. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería). Resolución 5477 de 2022, artículo 24 cancilleria.gov.co. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería). Visa – Preguntas frecuentes cancilleria.gov.co. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería). Solicitud de visa en línea (SITAC form) tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co. Checked 1 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Colombia visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/colombia/visa-photo