South Africa photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 2 documents issued in South Africa, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
South African passports and smart ID cards applied for at modernised Home Affairs offices or bank branches need no photos, because your image is captured live. Missions abroad still take 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) prints for passports. Visa applicants at missions usually supply two prints of the same size, while eligible short-stay visitors upload a selfie for the Electronic Travel Authorisation.
Overview
Where a South African passport photo is still printed, it is 35 x 45 mm in colour with the head 29 to 34 mm high, on a light grey or plain cream background, no more than one month old and professionally printed; at a Home Affairs office with live capture, or a participating bank branch, the photo is taken digitally and nothing is uploaded.
The Department of Home Affairs issues passports, identity documents and visas. For citizens, passports and the smart ID card share one live capture process: at a modernised office or participating bank branch the photo and fingerprints are taken on the spot. Prints matter mainly abroad, where embassies and high commissions apply the DHA specification, and at any office that has not yet been modernised.
Foreign visitors deal with Home Affairs through missions abroad, VFS Global centres in South Africa and, since August 2026, the Electronic Travel Authorisation. Each channel handles photos differently, from mission prints to biometrics captured at a visa centre and a selfie compared with the passport.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Light grey or plain cream-coloured |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | White or light |
Frequently asked questions
Where prints are needed, yes: both use 35 x 45 mm. Passport prints follow the DHA sheet with a light grey or cream background, while visa checklists at missions vary, with Stockholm accepting white or light backgrounds. The ETA takes a selfie instead of a print.
For passports and smart ID cards, at Home Affairs offices with live capture, including mall service points, and at participating bank branches. Foreign nationals applying for a visa inside South Africa give biometrics at VFS Global visa facilitation centres.
South African embassies, high commissions and consulates, some of them through VFS Global. In the UK, VFS Global facilitates short and long stay visas, while Stockholm and Canberra take applications at the mission itself.
Only in colour. The DHA sheet allows colour or black and white photos for ID applications that still use prints, while passport prints must be in colour. Size, head height and face rules are the same, and smart ID offices capture the image digitally.
Two identical colour photos under the DHA's own requirements, where prints are still used. Missions often want more: six for a first adult passport in London, and four in Canberra, Washington, Toronto and Tokyo. Offices with live capture need none.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Southern Africa:
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs, South Africa. Travel documents dha.gov.za. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Department of Home Affairs, published by the South African High Commission, London. Passport and ID Photograph Specifications dirco.gov.za. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Western Cape Government. Applying for a passport westerncape.gov.za. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Department of Home Affairs, South Africa. Requirements dha.gov.za. Checked 3 November 2026.
- South African Government. Launch of South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorisation gov.za. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"South Africa photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/south-africa