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Namibia passport photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia for the Namibia passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 6 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Namibia passport photo?

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security asks for one passport size colour photo with a clear background when you apply at a regional office or a Namibian mission, and for children under 16, without giving a size. Missions differ: London asks for 2 identical photos of 35 x 45 mm (written 45mm x 35mm) on white, at most 3 months old; Berlin and Stockholm ask for two; Finland asks for one. No official source read gives 37 x 52 mm or 2 x 2 inches.

Namibian passports are issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS). Its Division of Passports and Citizenship sits in the Directorate of Visas, Permits, Passports and Citizenship at the Windhoek headquarters, and applications are also taken at regional offices and at Namibian missions abroad. The ministry's passport page says applicants should apply in person, and no online passport application is published: the London High Commission states "THERE IS NO ONLINE APPLICATION FORM".

The ministry's checklist for a new passport asks for "One (1) passport size colour photo with clear background if applying in the regions or Namibian diplomatic missions / consulates, as well as when applying for minor and school going children under the age of 16". It gives no dimensions. It does not say whether the head office photographs adults who apply in Windhoek, so ask before you go if you apply there.

Abroad, each mission publishes its own list, and they do not agree. London spells out "Size: 45mm x 35mm" with a white background and a three-month age limit. Berlin asks for "biometric passport photos", Stockholm for two colour photos on white, and the Finland embassy for one. The 2 x 2 inch size that appears for Namibian visas is not a passport rule on any page read.

Namibia passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia:[1]

Print sizeMinistry: "passport size", no dimensions. London High Commission: 35 x 45 mm (written "45mm x 35mm")
Digital sizeNo digital file: paper application with printed photos; London: "THERE IS NO ONLINE APPLICATION FORM"
BackgroundWhite (London, Berlin, Stockholm); the ministry says "clear background"
ColourColour: "passport size colour photo" (ministry); Stockholm: "TWO PASSPORT PHOTOS IN COLOUR"
Photo ageLondon: "maximum 3 months old"; the ministry and other missions state no limit
Print qualityBerlin: two "biometric passport photos" with your name written on the back
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: white.

Key requirements

  • One colour photo at the ministry

    The ministry's checklist lists a single passport size colour photo with a clear background for applications in the regions, at missions and for children under 16. It sets no size.

  • Missions set their own number of photos

    London asks for 2 identical photos, Berlin for two biometric passport photos, Stockholm for two colour photos and the Finland embassy for one for an adult passport. Check your own mission before you print.

  • London is the only mission to publish a size

    The High Commission in London says "Size: 45mm x 35mm", which is 35 x 45 mm, width first. Berlin, Stockholm and the Finland embassy give no dimensions.

  • White background at missions

    London, Berlin and Stockholm all name a white background. The ministry's own checklist says only "clear background".

  • Face and shoulders must show

    London wants ears and neck clearly visible, shoulders covered and no hair or fringe on the forehead. Berlin and Stockholm ask for shoulders square to the camera, no visible shadow, no smile and no uniform.

  • Apply in person, on paper

    London says applications must be made in person without exception. The Finland embassy says the passport form is not available online, and Berlin posts the form on request instead of publishing it.

  • Write your name on the back in Berlin

    Berlin asks for the applicant's name on the back of each photo, and for a child's name on the back of the child's photos.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check the photo count and size with your own mission before you print.
  • Use a plain white background for any mission application.
  • Keep ears, neck and forehead clear of hair and headwear.
  • Wear clothing that covers your shoulders.
  • Write your name on the back of the photos if you apply in Berlin.
  • Bring a photo that is no more than 3 months old to London.

Don't

  • Do not wear glasses: London, Berlin and Stockholm all ask you to remove them.
  • Do not smile: Berlin and Stockholm ask for no smile.
  • Do not wear a head covering, head gear or a uniform.
  • Do not wear facial piercings, and men should not wear earrings.
  • Do not assume 37 x 52 mm or 2 x 2 inches: no passport page gives either.

Sample photos

How a Namibia passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm 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

Glasses must come off. London says "No reflection on eyes (no spectacles: remove the spectacles)", and Berlin and Stockholm both list "no eyeglasses". The ministry's checklist does not mention glasses.

Headwear and religious dress

London asks for no head covering, cloth or hair band on the head, and says ears and neck should clearly appear. Berlin and Stockholm ask for no head gear and for the forehead, shoulders and ears to stay uncovered. The ministry's checklist is silent on headwear.

Babies and children

The ministry asks for one passport size colour photo for children under 16, and says parents apply for a minor up to the age of 16 who has no ID. London requires one biological parent to apply in person for a child and applies the same photo list.

Berlin asks for two biometric passport photos with the child's name on the back for children aged 0 to 13. Stockholm lists two passport photos for children under 15, and the Finland embassy one photo for children aged 0 to 15.

Every route takes printed photos with a paper form, because no online passport application is published. A digital photo can be cropped to the size your mission or the ministry names and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

London also warns that photographs of documents taken on a phone are not accepted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, so bring clear photocopies of your documents rather than phone pictures.

Where to submit the photo

In Namibia, apply at the ministry's headquarters in Windhoek or at a regional office. Abroad, apply through the Namibian embassy or high commission that serves your country. London requires you to apply in person, Berlin mails its form to applicants in the countries it is accredited to, and the Finland embassy asks you to contact it for the original form.

The Finland embassy notes that it can take 2 to 6 months for the ministry in Namibia to process an application, so apply well before you travel. Fees differ by mission and change, so check them with yours.

How to get your Namibia passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Namibia passport: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one colour photo at the ministry; missions set their own number of photos; london is the only mission to publish a size; white background at missions.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Every route takes printed photos with a paper form, because no online passport application is published. A digital photo can be cropped to the size your mission or the ministry names and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Namibia, apply at the ministry's headquarters in Windhoek or at a regional office. Abroad, apply through the Namibian embassy or high commission that serves your country.

Make this photo online

Namibia passport photo FAQ

The ministry gives no dimensions for passports, only "passport size". The London High Commission asks for 35 x 45 mm (it writes 45mm x 35mm). Berlin, Stockholm and the Finland embassy publish no size. Ask your own office before you print.

No official source read for this guide gives 37 x 52 mm for a Namibian passport. The ministry says "passport size" and London says 35 x 45 mm. If a mission asks for 37 x 52 mm, follow that mission's instruction.

Not on any passport page read. The 2 x 2 inch size appears on the Berlin embassy's tourist visa page, which is a different document. For a passport, the ministry says "passport size" and London asks for 35 x 45 mm.

It depends on where you apply. The ministry lists one colour photo for regional offices, missions and children under 16. London asks for 2 identical photos, Berlin and Stockholm for two, and the Finland embassy for one.

The ministry does not say. Its checklist asks for a photo only when applying in the regions, at a mission or for a child under 16, which suggests head-office applicants may be photographed on site, but no page confirms it. Ask before you go.

No online passport application is published. London says there is none and that applications must be made in person. The Finland embassy says the form is not available online, and Berlin sends the form on request.

White at the missions that name a colour: London, Berlin and Stockholm. The ministry's own checklist asks only for a clear background.

Related photo specifications

Other Namibia documents

Passports nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia. Passports General Information mha.gov.na. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia. Department of Immigration Control & Citizenship mhaiss.gov.na. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. High Commission of the Republic of Namibia, London. Consular Forms (new passport and renewal) namibiahc.org.uk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Embassy of the Republic of Namibia, Berlin. Application for New Passport namibia-botschaft.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the Republic of Namibia, Stockholm. Requirements for New Namibian Passport and Emergency Travel Certificate embassyofnamibia.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in Finland. Requirements for Documents for Namibian Nationals namembassy.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Namibia passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/namibia/passport-photo

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