Ghana passport photo requirements
The 140 × 170 px photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana for the Ghana passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Ghana passport photo?
A Ghanaian passport photo is uploaded during the online application: a standard passport-size image, listed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal as 140 x 170 pixels, in JPEG or PDF, on a white background and taken within 6 months. Show your full face, forehead and both ears, with a neutral expression, mouth closed and no glasses. Another photo is taken at your Passport Application Centre or mission during biometric enrolment, so do not wear white clothing to the appointment.
Ghanaian passports are issued by the Passport Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. Since 28 April 2025 Ghana has issued ICAO-compliant chip-embedded passports, with a laser-engraved colour photo on a polycarbonate data page. Every application, in Ghana or abroad, must start on the Ministry's official online passport portal.
In Ghana you create an account, complete the online form, pay, and book an appointment at a Passport Application Centre (PAC); the Ministry says all 16 regions now have one. You print the form, have it signed by a professional witness, and attend the PAC with your documents for document checks and biometric capture of your photograph, fingerprints and signature. The Passport Office's client service charter lists no photographs among the documents to bring.
Abroad, Ghanaians apply through an embassy, high commission or consulate general, using the same portal and an appointment at the mission. In both cases the photo you upload must meet the portal's photo rules, and the PAC or mission takes a new picture of you at the appointment.
Ghana passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana:[1]
| Print size | No print needed: upload a standard passport-size photo (no dimensions in mm are given) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | 140 x 170 pixels, as listed by the passport portal for the uploaded photo |
| Background | White |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 6 months |
| File size | Maximum of 250 KB to 1 MB, depending on the mission |
| File format | JPEG or PDF |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
Standard passport size (uploaded: 140px x 170px)
Key requirements
- White background, whole face
The portal's photo table asks for a white background with the full face visible and facing the camera. The forehead must be fully visible and both ears must show.
- Neutral expression
Keep a plain, neutral expression with your mouth closed, and your eyes open and clearly visible.
- No glasses, no large earrings
Glasses and sunglasses are not allowed unless you need them for medical reasons. Large earrings are not allowed either, and the London High Commission adds that decorative headgear is refused.
- Upload in the online form
The photo is uploaded while you complete the application, as a JPEG or PDF. The portal lists the uploaded size as 140 x 170 pixels and a maximum file size between 250 KB and 1 MB, which varies by mission.
- A second photo at enrolment
A passport photo is also taken at the PAC during biometric enrolment, together with your fingerprints and signature. The Ministry and London both ask applicants not to wear white to the appointment.
- ICAO standard or delay
The Ministry says photos must meet ICAO standards, and lists photographs that do not meet ICAO specifications among the common reasons an application is delayed.
- Everyone attends in person
All applicants, children and minors included, must attend their appointment in person for document checks and biometric capture. Proxy applications are not accepted, and the Ministry warns against using middlemen.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a plain white background for the uploaded photo.
- Show your forehead and both ears.
- Upload a JPEG or PDF taken within the last 6 months.
- Check your mission's file size limit before uploading.
- Wear a coloured top, not white, to your appointment.
- Bring the printed form signed and stamped by your witness.
Don't
- Do not wear glasses unless you need them for medical reasons.
- Do not wear large earrings or decorative headgear.
- Do not smile or open your mouth.
- Do not send someone else to the appointment in your place.
- Do not print photos for the application; they are not required.
Sample photos
How a Ghana passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 140 × 170 px and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Glasses are not allowed in a Ghanaian passport photo. The Ministry's photo table says no glasses or sunglasses, except for medical reasons. The London High Commission's upload rules put it more simply: no eyewear.
The same applies when your photo is retaken at the PAC or mission, so be ready to remove your glasses at the appointment unless you have a medical reason to keep them on.
Headwear and religious dress
Headgear is not allowed except for religious reasons. London's mission states that religious headwear is permitted while decorative headgear is not. Whatever you wear, your full face and forehead must be visible, and both ears must show.
Jewellery is limited too: the portal rules out large earrings.
Babies and children
For passport purposes a minor is anyone under 18. A parent or guardian must accompany the child to the appointment, and the application needs a parental consent form from any parent not attending, copies of both parents' Ghana Card or passport, and the child's birth certificate. Sole custody needs official custody documents.
Children attend in person like adults, and their photograph, fingerprints and signature are captured at the PAC or mission. Upload a photo that follows the same rules: white background, face and ears visible, eyes open and mouth closed.
Printed and digital photos
Ghana uses a digital photo. You upload it with the online application, and London's High Commission states that physical passport photos are not required: you upload a recent photo, and a photo is taken during the in-person appointment. What you print is the completed application form, signed by your witness. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to 140 x 170 pixels and saved as a JPEG before upload.
The photo tool also offers a 50 x 50 mm print for this page. None of the official pages read for this page asks for a 50 x 50 mm photo; if your mission asks for prints, use the size it states.
Where to submit the photo
In Ghana, apply on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' passport portal, pay online through the portal by mobile money, bank card or bank transfer, and book a PAC. Attend on your appointment date with the printed form and your documents. The passport is delivered to your preferred address or nearest post office, and you can follow the application through the e-tracking system.
Abroad, book an appointment with the nearest Ghana embassy, high commission or consulate after paying online. In London the in-person vetting and biometric capture take place at the Highgate Office or the Premium Centre, and you bring a prepaid, self-addressed Royal Mail Special Delivery envelope with tracking so the passport can be posted back. London also points applicants living outside London to scheduled passport capture outreaches in other cities.
How to get your Ghana passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Ghana passport: 140 × 170 px print, 140 × 170 px digital file, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: white background, whole face; neutral expression; no glasses, no large earrings; upload in the online form.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Ghana uses a digital photo. You upload it with the online application, and London's High Commission states that physical passport photos are not required: you upload a recent photo, and a photo is taken during the in-person appointment.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Ghana, apply on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' passport portal, pay online through the portal by mobile money, bank card or bank transfer, and book a PAC. Attend on your appointment date with the printed form and your documents.
Ghana passport photo FAQ
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal describes it as standard passport size and lists the uploaded photo as 140 x 170 pixels. No size in millimetres is published, and London's High Commission says printed passport photos are not required.
White. Both the Ministry's photo table and the London High Commission's upload rules ask for a white background. Because a new photo is taken at enrolment, the Ministry also asks you not to wear white clothing to your appointment.
No, unless you need them for medical reasons. The Ministry's rules exclude glasses and sunglasses, and London's mission says no eyewear is allowed in the uploaded photo.
No. You upload a recent photo during the online application, and the London High Commission states that physical passport photos are not required. The Passport Office's charter lists no photographs among the documents to bring to a PAC.
Yes. The Ministry says a passport photo is also taken at the PAC during enrolment, together with your fingerprints and signature. Missions abroad do the same at the in-person appointment.
Yes, if it is worn for religious reasons. Headgear is otherwise not allowed, and London's mission specifically refuses decorative headgear. Your full face, forehead and both ears still need to be visible.
JPEG or PDF. The portal gives the upload as 140 x 170 pixels and a maximum file size between 250 KB and 1 MB, depending on the mission, so check the limit shown for your application.
Yes. All applicants, including children and minors, must attend in person for document checks and biometric capture. A parent or guardian must accompany a minor, with a consent form from the parent who is not attending.
Related photo specifications
Other Ghana documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- All Ghana photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 140 × 170 px photo
- Photo specifications in Africa
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana. Frequently Asked Questions passport.mfa.gov.gh. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana. Ghana Passport Services passport.mfa.gov.gh. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Passport Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana. Client Service Charter for Passport Office mfa.gov.gh. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ghana High Commission, London. Passport Application Information london.mfa.gov.gh. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ghana High Commission, London. Frequently Asked Questions london.mfa.gov.gh. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Ghana passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/ghana/passport-photo