Sri Lanka photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 5 documents issued in Sri Lanka, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Sri Lanka relies on approved studios for its main identity documents. Passport photos taken in Sri Lanka are uploaded by an authorised studio, and NIC photos come from a DRP-registered studio at 35 x 45 mm on light blue. Missions abroad take 35 x 45 mm prints: colour on white for passports, black and white for driving licence renewals. Dual citizenship needs 3 colour 3.5 x 4.5 cm prints, and the online ETA visa needs no photo.
Overview
Two departments under the same roof at Suhurupaya, Battaramulla, handle most Sri Lankan identity documents. The Department of Immigration and Emigration issues passports, dual citizenship and visas; the Department for Registration of Persons issues the National Identity Card. The Department of Motor Traffic issues driving licences.
In Sri Lanka, passport and NIC photos are not printed by the applicant at all: approved studios take an ICAO-standard photo and send it to the department electronically, and you hand in an acknowledgement note or reference slip. The NIC photo has a light blue background by regulation. Abroad, the picture changes: missions take 35 x 45 mm prints for passports, on white at the embassies in Muscat and Abu Dhabi, and black and white prints of the same size for driving licence renewals. Dual citizenship applications carry three colour prints, and most visitors apply for an ETA that needs no photo.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Mission prints: plain white |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | Not specified in the Department or mission… |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 35 × 45 mm | — | Uniform, plain, non-textured light blue |
Driving licences
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving licence | 35 × 45 mm | — | White |
Citizenship and naturalisation
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual citizenship | 35 × 45 mm | — | Not specified by the Department |
Frequently asked questions
The National Identity Card always does: its photo must be taken by a studio registered with the Department for Registration of Persons. Passport applications made in Sri Lanka also need a digital photo from a studio authorised by the Department of Immigration and Emigration; applications through missions abroad use prints.
35 x 45 mm, also written 3.5 x 4.5 cm. It is the NIC size in the regulations, the size of passport prints taken by missions abroad, the box on the dual citizenship form and the size missions give for driving licence photos.
Not for the ETA, which the official ETA website says needs no photographs. A photo is needed when a mission issues the visa, usually two colour 3.5 x 4.5 cm prints, and when you extend a visa in Sri Lanka.
Each authority sets its own. The NIC regulations require light blue, passport prints at the missions in Muscat and Abu Dhabi must be on white, and Abu Dhabi also asks for white behind black and white driving licence photos. Visa and dual citizenship rules name no colour.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Southern Asia:
Official sources
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka. General Information on Passports immigration.gov.lk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department for Registration of Persons, Sri Lanka. ICAO Photographs drp.gov.lk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka (ETA). What is an ETA? eta.gov.lk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka. Dual Citizenship immigration.gov.lk. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Embassy of Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi. Miscellaneous Consular Services: Renewal of Driving Licence abudhabi.embassy.gov.lk. Checked 1 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Sri Lanka photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/sri-lanka