Nepal passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Department of Passports, Government of Nepal for the Nepal passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Nepal passport photo?
You do not bring a photo for a Nepali e-passport. Staff take it at the enrolment centre, in Nepal or at a Nepali embassy, when your fingerprints are recorded. The exception is a child under 5: missions ask for 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) borderless prints on a plain white background, with the face filling most of the frame (about 80% in London, 70% in Canberra) and no tika on the forehead.
Nepali passports are issued by the Department of Passports in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, which sits under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ordinary passports are now electronic. You begin with the online pre-enrolment form, which can be filled in at home on a computer or through the Nepal ePassport mobile app, and you choose an enrolment centre and book an appointment as part of it. In Nepal the centre is the District or Area Administration Office, or the Department itself for its fast-track service. Abroad it is the Nepali embassy or consulate for the country where you live.
At the appointment your form is checked, the fee is paid and you are registered, a step the Department describes as having the photo taken and giving biometric details. Its question-and-answer page is blunt about photos: the picture for the passport is taken at the enrolment centre itself, so no separate photo is needed. The same process applies to a first passport, a renewal, a replacement and a data correction.
Young children are the exception. The Department says a photo is needed for children under five and newborn babies who cannot sit calmly to be photographed. It leaves the format to the missions, and the embassies in London, Canberra and Dhaka all ask for 35 x 45 mm borderless prints with a white background.
Nepal passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Department of Passports, Government of Nepal:[1]
| Print size | Age 5 and over: none, taken at enrolment; under 5: 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) prints |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: the photo is captured at the enrolment centre, and under-5s bring prints |
| Background | Under-5 prints: plain white (London, Canberra, Dhaka) |
| Print quality | Under-5 prints: borderless; professionally printed (London); high resolution (Canberra, Dhaka) |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
Passport photos for children under five must be professionally printed, borderless, and passport sized of 35mm × 45mm.
Key requirements
- Photo taken at enrolment
Registration at the enrolment centre has three parts: checking the form, paying the revenue fee, then photo capture and biometrics. The Department of Passports says staff take the picture during live enrolment, so applicants need not bring one. Washington's FAQ gives the same answer for its appointments.
- Under 5: bring prints
A photo is required for children under five and newborns who cannot sit calmly for the camera. London, Canberra and Dhaka specify 35 x 45 mm, borderless, on a white background. Canberra asks for two prints and London says they must be professionally printed.
- Face size on a child print
London wants the child's face to fill approximately 80% of the frame, with eyes open and both ears visible where possible. Canberra asks for only 70% face coverage. Follow the mission that receives the application.
- No tika
Canberra will not accept a child photo with a tika on the forehead. Washington tells adults to remove a tika or bindi at the biometrics counter. The Department itself says there is no clear standard on tika, but that it is better not to wear one.
- Jewellery and make-up
Small everyday jewellery, such as a small nose stud, may stay on if it does not shine in the photo or cover the eyes, mouth or eyebrows; party jewellery must come off. The Department advises against make-up beyond your usual routine. London asks for jewellery and make-up to be removed before biometrics.
- Corrections end at the photo
If you spot a mistake after submitting the online form, ask for it to be corrected when your photo is taken, and check the details before you sign. Once the photo is taken and the form finally approved, it cannot be changed, and an error then means cancelling and starting again.
- Tattoos and injuries
Permanent tattoos or marks on the face or neck need no action. If a mark comes from an injury, the Department suggests waiting until it heals, or getting a new passport later if you need one urgently now, to avoid problems when travelling.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Fill in the pre-enrolment form and book your appointment online.
- Bring the form with its barcode, printed or as the original PDF on your phone.
- Tie long hair back so your forehead and both ears show.
- Wear a dark, collared top that contrasts with the white background.
- Bring 35 x 45 mm borderless prints on white for a child under 5.
- Check every detail on the form before the photo is taken.
Don't
- Do not bring photos to an adult enrolment appointment.
- Do not wear a tika or bindi.
- Do not wear glasses, party jewellery or heavy make-up.
- Do not show a screenshot of the form instead of the PDF.
- Do not use bordered or home-printed photos for a young child.
Sample photos
How a Nepal 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.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
The Department of Passports publishes no separate rule on glasses, because its own staff take the photo. The Embassy of Nepal in Washington does: during biometrics you must remove glasses, jewellery on the face, neck and ears, make-up, a tika or bindi, and artificial additions to the face such as false lashes or hair colour.
Other missions we read do not mention glasses. If yours says nothing, ask at the counter before your photo is taken rather than assume they can stay on.
Headwear and religious dress
Hair and forehead get more attention than hats in the published rules. Washington asks applicants to tie their hair in a ponytail so that the entire forehead and both ears are clearly visible, and London asks for both ears to show in a child's print where possible.
None of the passport pages we read sets a rule for religious head coverings. Ask the enrolment centre or mission handling your application if this applies to you.
Babies and children
Children under 5 are the only applicants who supply a photo. London asks for professionally printed, borderless 35 x 45 mm prints on a plain white background, face filling about 80% of the frame, eyes open and both ears visible where possible. Canberra wants two high-resolution borderless prints of the same size, 70% face coverage, white background and no tika. Dhaka asks under-5s to bring a high-resolution borderless 35 x 45 mm photo on white.
Attendance differs. Canberra says children below 5 need not come to the embassy for biometrics: parents send the signed form, documents and prints by post or bring them in. Dhaka says applicants must be present for live enrolment. A child born abroad without a minor identity certificate first gets a birth registration or temporary number from the embassy, and the Department lists two recently taken passport-size photos of the child for that step.
Printed and digital photos
Nowhere in the e-passport process do you upload a portrait. The online form takes scans of your documents, which the Department asks you to keep to 1 MB or less, but the passport picture is captured live by enrolment staff. Applicants aged 5 and over need neither a print nor a file.
Prints are for young children only. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed at a photo lab; London requires professional printing, and all three missions ask for borderless prints. If a submitted application is rejected and sent back in, the Department says the photo usually does not have to be taken again.
Where to submit the photo
In Nepal you apply at the District or Area Administration Office that issued your citizenship certificate or minor identity certificate, which offers the regular service only. The Department of Passports in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu offers only the fast-track service, at a higher fee.
Abroad, apply at the Nepali mission in your country of residence, or the mission responsible for that country if there is none, and pick it as the enrolment centre on the form. Washington lists presence in person for biometrics as a must, and London asks applicants to attend only on the date and time booked.
How to get your Nepal passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Nepal passport: 35 × 45 mm print, under-5 prints: plain white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: photo taken at enrolment; under 5: bring prints; face size on a child print; no tika.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Nowhere in the e-passport process do you upload a portrait. The online form takes scans of your documents, which the Department asks you to keep to 1 MB or less, but the passport picture is captured live by enrolment staff.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Nepal you apply at the District or Area Administration Office that issued your citizenship certificate or minor identity certificate, which offers the regular service only.
Nepal passport photo FAQ
For anyone aged 5 or over there is no photo to supply: it is taken at the enrolment centre. For a child under 5, Nepali missions ask for 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) borderless prints on a plain white background. Canberra asks for two copies.
No. The Department of Passports says staff take the photo during live enrolment, so applicants do not bring one, and the Washington embassy says photographs are taken there on the day. Parents of children under five who cannot sit still for the camera should bring prints.
Better not. The Department of Passports says there is no clear standard on tika but advises against wearing one when the photo is taken. Washington requires a tika or bindi to be removed at biometrics, and Canberra will not accept a child's print that shows one.
Small jewellery you always wear, such as a small nose stud, is fine if it does not shine or cover the eyes, mouth or eyebrows. Party jewellery has to come off. The Department advises keeping make-up to your usual routine; London and Washington ask for make-up to be removed before biometrics.
Plan to take them off. The Embassy of Nepal in Washington tells applicants to remove glasses during biometrics. The Department of Passports does not publish a separate glasses rule, as its staff take the photo, so ask at the counter if you are unsure.
Ask the verification or enrolment staff to correct it when your photo is taken, and check everything before you sign. After the photo is taken and the form is finally approved, nothing can be changed. An error found later means cancelling the application and going through the process again.
It depends on the mission. Canberra says children below 5 do not need to be present for biometrics and accepts the form, documents and two prints by post. Dhaka says applicants must be present for live enrolment, with under-5s bringing a 35 x 45 mm print.
A permanent tattoo or mark on the face or neck needs no action. For a temporary injury, the Department suggests waiting until it has healed. If you need the passport urgently, apply now and get a new one once the mark has gone, to avoid difficulties when travelling.
Related photo specifications
Other Nepal documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Afghanistan passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Bangladesh passport photo 89 × 127 mm
- Bhutan passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- India passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Iran passport photo 30 × 40 mm
- Maldives passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Pakistan passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Sri Lanka passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Nepal photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Department of Passports, Government of Nepal. What to do to get an ordinary passport (Nepali) nepalpassport.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department of Passports, Government of Nepal. Where to apply for a passport (Nepali) nepalpassport.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department of Passports, Government of Nepal. Documents required for a passport (Nepali) nepalpassport.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department of Passports, Government of Nepal. How to fill in the passport application (Nepali) nepalpassport.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department of Passports, Government of Nepal. Frequently asked questions (Nepali) nepalpassport.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Embassy of Nepal, London. Passport uk.nepalembassy.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Embassy of Nepal, Canberra. Children below 5 year: Special Provision au.nepalembassy.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Embassy of Nepal, Dhaka. e-Passport bd.nepalembassy.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Embassy of Nepal, Washington DC. e-Passport us.nepalembassy.gov.np. Checked 1 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Department of Passports, Government of Nepal before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Nepal passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/nepal/passport-photo