Kenya photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 2 documents issued in Kenya, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
In Kenya, ePassport applicants bring no photo: it is captured at the passport processing centre with fingerprints. Abroad, missions ask for two prints: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in Washington or 35 x 45 mm in London, and Washington and Ottawa want white backgrounds and no spectacles. Visitors upload a selfie or passport-type photo for the eTA, which publishes no size, and permit and pass applicants upload colour passport-size photos on eFNS.
Overview
For a Kenyan ePassport applied for in Kenya you supply no photo, because it is captured at the passport processing centre, while Kenyan missions abroad ask for two prints on a white background, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in Washington or 35 x 45 mm in London, and publish no pixel size.
The Directorate of Immigration Services, under the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, handles every document on these pages. It issues ePassports to citizens, runs the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) that replaced the eVisa from 5 January 2024, and grants work permits and passes through the eFNS portal.
The photo route differs by document. Passport applications are made on eCitizen and finished in person, where biometrics are enrolled; in Kenya the requirement lists contain no photos, while missions abroad ask for prints whose size varies by country. The eTA takes an uploaded selfie or passport-type photo with no published specification. Permits and passes take uploaded colour passport-size photos with the other requirements.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | — | — | Not published for the eTA or for permit uploads |
Frequently asked questions
Not for a passport applied for in Kenya, where the photo is captured at the processing centre. Kenyans applying through a mission abroad bring two prints in the size that mission states. Visitors upload a photo for the eTA, and permit applicants upload colour passport-size photos.
Not necessarily. The eTA asks for a selfie or passport-type photo and gives no size or background, while Kenyan missions set exact print sizes for passports, such as 2 x 2 inches in Washington and 35 x 45 mm in London.
Passport prints for missions abroad: Washington and Ottawa both require a white background without shadows. No background colour is published for the eTA photo or for the photos uploaded with permits and passes.
All three come from the Directorate of Immigration Services. Passports are applied for through eCitizen, the eTA on its own website or mobile app, and work permits and passes on the eFNS portal.
No. The Washington embassy and the Ottawa high commission both say pictures are taken without spectacles, and neither makes an exception for glasses you wear every day. The eTA publishes no glasses rule for its selfie or passport-type photo.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Eastern Africa:
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mozambique
- Réunion
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Somalia
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Official sources
- Directorate of Immigration Services, Kenya eTA. How to Apply (eTA) etakenya.go.ke. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, Washington DC. ePassport kenyaembassydc.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Kenya High Commission, London. Passport Renewals kenyahighcom.org.uk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Kenya High Commission, Ottawa. e-Passport Info kenyahighcommission.ca. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Kenya photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/kenya