Eswatini passport photo requirements
The 37 × 48 mm photo rules set by Eswatini Government, Immigration (hosted by the High Commission, London) for the Eswatini passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Eswatini passport photo?
An Eswatini passport application needs two recent, clear, unmounted and identical photographs, taken full face without a hat. The government form's text says only "Passport size", and its photo box is marked 37 x 48 mm (1.46 x 1.89 in), which is the only size shown. The Eswatini government page asks for coloured photos. No background colour, head size or glasses rule was found on the pages read.
Eswatini, formerly called Swaziland, issues its passports through the Ministry of Home Affairs. The application, Form D1/109, is headed "Eswatini Government" and "Immigration", and its instructions say "Eswatini passports are issued by the Immigration Office, Mbabane." The ministry's page on travel documents lists an International Passport for travel outside the Southern African Development Community region, and the photo requirement appears in each of its application categories.
The photograph instruction on the form reads "Two recent clear unmounted and identical Passport size Photographs, taken full face (without a hat) of the applicant must be submitted with the application." It gives no millimetres. The only measurements are on the last page, where the box for the first photo is labelled 37 mm wide and 48 mm high, so the 37 x 48 mm size is read from that box and is not stated as a rule. The government page adds that the photos should be coloured.
Citizens abroad apply through an Eswatini mission. The High Commission in London and the embassy in Taipei both ask for two passport-size photos with a renewal and give no dimensions. No page read sets a background colour, so check with the Immigration Office before you print.
Eswatini passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Eswatini Government, Immigration (hosted by the High Commission, London):[1]
| Print size | 37 x 48 mm (1.46 x 1.89 in), from the form's photo box; its text says only "Passport size" |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: two printed photos go with the paper application form |
| Background | No colour published; gov.sz asks for "coloured" photos |
| Colour | Coloured (gov.sz: "Two (2) coloured passport sized photos") |
| Photo age | Recent; no age limit is stated |
| Print quality | Clear, unmounted and identical prints; photo 1 is attached without a stapler |
| Pixels when printed | 437 × 567 px at 300 dpi · 874 × 1134 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Two identical prints
The form asks for "Two recent clear unmounted and identical Passport size Photographs". The first goes in the photo box and the second in the envelope stapled to the form.
- Full face, no hat
The photographs must be "taken full face (without a hat)". The form does not mention glasses, expression or religious head coverings.
- Colour, not black and white
The Eswatini government page lists "Two (2) coloured passport photos" and "Two (2) coloured passport sized photos" for its passport applications.
- The size is read from a box
The form's text says only "Passport size". The box for photo 1 is labelled 37 mm by 48 mm, and that is the only measurement published on the pages read.
- Fingerprints come first
The form says "The Photos must be attached AFTER the Fingerprints have been taken", and the box for photo 1 says "DO NOT use a stapler".
- The photos stay with the Government
The form says all photographs included with an application when it is lodged become the property of the Government, so do not send your only copy.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Bring two identical prints of the same photo.
- Use a recent, clear photograph taken full face.
- Print in colour and keep both prints unmounted.
- Have your fingerprints taken first, then attach the photos.
- Attach photo 1 in the form's box without a stapler, and put photo 2 in the envelope.
- Ask the Immigration Office about the background colour before you print.
Don't
- Do not wear a hat.
- Do not staple the photo in the box.
- Do not send one photo, or two different photos.
- Do not treat 37 x 48 mm as a published rule: it is read from the form's photo box.
- Do not send black and white prints.
- Do not expect the photographs back.
Sample photos
How a Eswatini passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 37 × 48 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Form D1/109, the Eswatini government passport page and the mission pages read say nothing about glasses. The only face rules published are that the photograph is clear and taken full face.
Because there is no published glasses rule, ask the Immigration Office in Mbabane, or the High Commission or embassy you apply through, whether glasses are acceptable.
Headwear and religious dress
The form asks for photographs "taken full face (without a hat)". It does not mention religious head coverings, and neither the government passport page nor the mission pages read give a rule on them.
If you wear a religious head covering every day, ask the Immigration Office or your mission whether it is acceptable before you print.
Babies and children
The pages read give no separate photo rule for a child, so the same instruction applies: two recent, clear, unmounted and identical photographs, taken full face without a hat. The government page says regular passports go to applicants aged 16 and over and child passports to children aged fifteen and below, valid for two years.
On the form, a minor is a person who has not yet reached twenty-one, and a minor may not be granted a passport without the written consent of the father, the mother or a legal guardian. The form says a divorced parent or another person claiming custody must produce the court order.
Printed and digital photos
The application is a paper form, and the photographs are printed pictures attached to it. No page read mentions a digital file, a pixel size or an upload.
A digital photo can be cropped and resized, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut into two identical prints. Make sure both prints are cut cleanly to the same size and left unmounted.
Where to submit the photo
In Eswatini the form says passports are issued by the Immigration Office in Mbabane. It also says the photos go on after the fingerprints are taken, and it strongly advises applying at least two months before the planned day of departure.
Citizens abroad can renew or replace a passport through the Eswatini High Commission in London, which asks for the form, fingerprints taken at a local police station or at a consular appointment, a birth certificate and National ID copy, a letter to the Chief Immigration Officer and two passport-size photos. The embassy in Taipei asks for the form with fingerprints from the nearest immigration office and two passport size photos.
How to get your Eswatini passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Eswatini passport: 37 × 48 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two identical prints; full face, no hat; colour, not black and white; the size is read from a box.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The application is a paper form, and the photographs are printed pictures attached to it. No page read mentions a digital file, a pixel size or an upload.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Eswatini the form says passports are issued by the Immigration Office in Mbabane. It also says the photos go on after the fingerprints are taken, and it strongly advises applying at least two months before the planned day of departure.
Eswatini passport photo FAQ
The application form's text says only "Passport size". The photo box on it is labelled 37 mm wide and 48 mm high (1.46 x 1.89 in), which is the only measurement published on the pages read.
Two. Form D1/109 asks for "Two recent clear unmounted and identical Passport size Photographs". The High Commission in London and the embassy in Taipei also ask for two passport-size photos with a renewal.
No background colour is published on the form, the government page or the mission pages read. The government page asks for coloured photographs, so check the background with the Immigration Office before you print.
No hat: the form asks for photographs "taken full face (without a hat)". No glasses rule is published on the pages read, so ask the Immigration Office or the mission you apply through.
Yes. The Eswatini government passport page asks for "Two (2) coloured passport photos" and "Two (2) coloured passport sized photos". The form itself asks for recent, clear, identical prints.
Photo 1 goes in the marked box on the last page without a stapler, and photo 2 goes in the envelope that is stapled to the form. Attach them after your fingerprints have been taken.
Yes, for renewal and replacement. The High Commission in London says it handles both for citizens living abroad, and the embassy in Taipei takes renewals. Each asks for two passport-size photos and the fingerprints on the form.
No separate photo rule is published. The same two identical, full-face photos apply. A minor, meaning anyone under twenty-one, also needs the written consent of a parent or legal guardian on the application.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Botswana passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Namibia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- South Africa passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Angola passport photo
- Benin passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Burkina Faso passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cameroon passport photo 40 × 40 mm
- Central African Republic passport photo 40 × 40 mm
- Chad passport photo 40 × 40 mm
- All Eswatini photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 37 × 48 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Africa
Official sources
- Eswatini Government, Immigration (hosted by the High Commission, London). Application for an Eswatini Passport (Form D1/109) eswatinihighcommissionlondon.org.uk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Eswatini. Travel Documents and Passports gov.sz. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Eswatini High Commission, London. Eswatini Passport Services eswatinihighcommissionlondon.org.uk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Taipei. Services (passport renewal) eswatiniembassy.tw. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Eswatini Government, Immigration (hosted by the High Commission, London) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Eswatini passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/eswatini/passport-photo