Saint Kitts and Nevis passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Nevis Island Administration for the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport photo?
A Saint Kitts and Nevis ePassport application needs printed photos 35 x 45 mm (the form writes 45 x 35 mm, height first) on a plain white background, no more than six months old. The face fills 70 to 80% of the photo length, both ears show, the expression is neutral and no glasses are worn. The national form asks for two photos and the London High Commission for four. Citizens by investment also enrol biometrics.
Saint Kitts and Nevis passports are issued by the Immigration Department in Basseterre, under the Ministry of National Security, Citizenship and Immigration. In the Federation you apply at the Passport Office in Basseterre on St Kitts or in Charlestown on Nevis, using the ePassport application form. Citizens overseas apply through a high commission, embassy or consulate, which sends the application on for processing, or through a proxy who lodges it at the Passport Office for them.
Photos are supplied as prints. The national instructions, revised on 2 August 2024 and published by the Nevis Island Administration and the embassy in Washington, ask for two facial photos with every application, one of them endorsed on the back by a recommender. The High Commission in London, which takes applications by post from the UK and Europe, asks in its 2025 instructions for four, two of them endorsed.
Since 14 April 2026, the National Biometric Enrolment and Passport Modernisation Programme has recorded fingerprints, a live digital facial image and a digital signature at approved centres. Enrolment is compulsory for people who became citizens through the Citizenship by Investment programme; native-born and other citizens are encouraged to enrol but are not bound by its deadline.
Saint Kitts and Nevis passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Nevis Island Administration:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in); the form gives it as 45 x 35 mm, height by width |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload size: prints go with the paper form (London also wants scans of the photos by e-mail first) |
| Head height | Face 70 to 80% of the photo length; close-up of head and top of shoulders |
| Background | Plain and white; clothing must contrast with it |
| Photo age | No more than 6 months old |
| Print quality | High-quality paper at high resolution; uniform lighting with no shadows or reflections |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Two prints, four in London
The national instructions ask for two facial photos with all applications. The London High Commission asks for four single-cut identical photos and wants the front and back of all four scanned and e-mailed for review before you post the originals.
- Recommender endorsement
A recommender who knows you personally, and is not a member of your immediate family, writes "I certify this is a true likeness of" with your name on the back of one photo (two in London), then adds a signature and official stamp.
- Face 70-80%, ears visible
Show a close-up of the head and top of the shoulders, looking straight at the camera with both ears showing. The face takes up 70 to 80% of the photo length. London also wants the whole hairline and forehead visible.
- White background with contrast
Use a plain white background and even lighting with no shadows or reflections on the face or behind you. Wear clothing that stands out from the background: no white shirt on white.
- Neutral expression, no glasses
Keep the mouth closed and the eyes open, with no hair over the eyes. Prescription glasses, tinted shades and sunglasses are not allowed, and the London High Commission adds that no teeth may show.
- Loose photos, not attached
Do not stick, staple or otherwise fix a photo to the application form. The photo box on the form is marked for office use.
- Biometric enrolment for citizens by investment
Citizens by investment, including children, enrol at an approved centre, where a live photo is taken. Passports issued through the programme before 14 April 2026 stop being accepted for travel after 31 July 2027.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Wear clothing that contrasts with the white background
- Show both ears and keep hair away from your eyes
- Print on high-quality photo paper at high resolution
- Have the recommender sign and stamp the back of the photo
- Bring originals or notarised copies of your documents
- Check how many photos your mission asks for
Don't
- Do not wear prescription glasses, tinted shades or sunglasses
- Do not show your teeth
- Do not staple or glue a photo to the form
- Do not ask a family member to act as recommender
- Do not use a photo older than six months
- Do not wear a head covering unless for religious, cultural or medical reasons
Sample photos
How a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height 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 worn. The national instructions rule out prescription glasses, tinted shades and sunglasses, and the London High Commission says simply that no glasses should be worn.
The same applies at a biometric enrolment appointment for citizens by investment: glasses must be removed, and tinted or reflective lenses are not permitted.
Headwear and religious dress
Head coverings are not allowed except where there is a religious, cultural or medical reason. The London instructions add that a covering worn for religious purposes must be black, and that the entire hairline, forehead and both ears must be clearly showing.
At biometric enrolment, religious head coverings must be dark in colour and must not hide facial features or cast shadows.
Babies and children
The photo rules are the same for children as for adults. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, who must show identification, and a parent or guardian signs the declaration. Children aged 8 and over sign the signature box themselves if they can; if a child cannot sign, the box is left blank.
An application made on behalf of a child by someone other than the custodial parent, adoptive parent or guardian needs a letter of authorisation from that parent or guardian, which the national instructions say must be notarised. Children who became citizens through the Citizenship by Investment programme must also complete biometric enrolment, following age-appropriate international standards.
Printed and digital photos
Native-born and other citizens supply printed photos only, and the national instructions describe no online application. In London the process starts by e-mail: you send scans of the form, your documents and the front and back of four photos for review, then post the originals with two extra sets of photocopies. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo lab.
Citizens by investment are different. Since 14 April 2026 their passport photo is a live digital facial image captured at a biometric enrolment centre, and the Citizenship Unit says digital filters and cosmetic alterations are strictly prohibited there. Biometrics captured once remain valid for the life of the passport, so adults do not re-enrol at every renewal.
Where to submit the photo
In the Federation, apply at the Passport Office in Basseterre, St Kitts, or in Charlestown, Nevis. First-time applicants may be asked to attend an interview. The national fee table also lists a charge for a live capture photo.
Overseas, apply through the nearest high commission, embassy or consulate, which sends the application to the Ministry of National Security for processing. Residents of the UK and Europe apply to the High Commission at 10 Kensington Court, London. A proxy can also lodge your application at the Passport Office. Citizens by investment book biometric enrolment through an authorised agent on the official Government platform, at centres that include St Kitts, London, Toronto, Dubai and the Washington, D.C. area.
How to get your Saint Kitts and Nevis passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport: 35 × 45 mm print, plain and white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two prints, four in London; recommender endorsement; face 70-80%, ears visible; white background with contrast.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Native-born and other citizens supply printed photos only, and the national instructions describe no online application.
- Submit the photo with your application. In the Federation, apply at the Passport Office in Basseterre, St Kitts, or in Charlestown, Nevis. First-time applicants may be asked to attend an interview. The national fee table also lists a charge for a live capture photo.
Saint Kitts and Nevis passport photo FAQ
35 mm wide and 45 mm high (1.38 x 1.77 in). The form writes it as 45 x 35 mm, height first. The face should take up 70 to 80% of the photo length, on a plain white background.
Two under the national instructions, which the Passport Office, the Nevis Island Administration and the embassy in Washington use. The London High Commission's 2025 instructions ask for four identical photos, two of them endorsed by the recommender, although its web page still lists two for applicants aged 16 and over.
A recommender of standing who knows you personally, such as a Justice of the Peace, notary, minister of religion, medical or legal practitioner, senior civil servant or senior bank official, but not a member of your immediate family. They certify that the photo is a true likeness of you and add their signature and official stamp.
No. Prescription glasses, tinted shades and sunglasses are all ruled out, so take your glasses off before the photo is taken. The same rule applies at biometric enrolment.
They need biometric enrolment. Since 14 April 2026, Citizenship by Investment citizens, including children, enrol at an approved centre, where fingerprints, a digital facial image and a digital signature are captured. Passports issued through the programme before that date stop being accepted for travel after 31 July 2027.
Not by the 31 July 2027 deadline. The government encourages native-born and other citizens to enrol but does not require it of them, and their passport applications still go in with printed photos.
No. The expression must be neutral, with the mouth closed and the eyes open. The London High Commission adds that no teeth may show.
Yes. Apply through the nearest Saint Kitts and Nevis high commission, embassy or consulate, which passes the application to the Ministry of National Security, or ask a proxy to submit it at the Passport Office. Fees from abroad are paid in the currency of the country you apply from.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Aruba passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Bahamas passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Barbados passport photo 50 × 50 mm
- British Virgin Islands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cayman Islands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cuba passport photo 45 × 45 mm
- Dominica passport photo 38 × 45 mm
- Dominican Republic passport photo 50 × 50 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 Saint Kitts and Nevis photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in North America
Official sources
- Nevis Island Administration. Passport & Visa Services nia.gov.kn. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Government of St Kitts and Nevis (published by the Nevis Island Administration). Application for ePassport: instructions and form (v1, revised 2 August 2024) nia.gov.kn. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of St Kitts and Nevis, Washington. Forms & Documents: St. Kitts and Nevis Passport Application embassydc.gov.kn. Checked 2 November 2026.
- St Kitts and Nevis High Commission, London. Passport: Application Procedures stkittsnevishcuk.gov.kn. Checked 2 November 2026.
- St Kitts and Nevis High Commission, London. Application for ePassport: Instructions on how to complete application stkittsnevishcuk.gov.kn. Checked 2 November 2026.
- St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Unit (CIU). Biometrics ciu.gov.kn. Checked 2 November 2026.
- St Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS). St. Kitts and Nevis Raises Global Standard with Next-Level Biometric Passport Upgrade sknis.gov.kn. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Nevis Island Administration before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Saint Kitts and Nevis passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/saint-kitts-and-nevis/passport-photo