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Sri Lanka driving licence photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Embassy of Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi for the Sri Lanka driving licence, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 3 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Sri Lanka driving licence photo?

For a Sri Lankan driving licence renewed, replaced or changed through an embassy or high commission, send black and white passport-size photos of 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in); Abu Dhabi specifies a white background. Colour or wrongly sized photos can be rejected when the Department of Motor Traffic scans the MTA 30/2 form. New licences and new vehicle classes are applied for in person at the Department's Werahera office or a district office.

Sri Lankan driving licences are issued by the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT). New licences and upgrades to other classes of vehicle are handled in person at the Department's Werahera branch or one of its district offices, as the embassy in Abu Dhabi tells applicants abroad. All of these transactions use the MTA 30/2 application form.

Sri Lankans living abroad can renew a licence, replace a lost or damaged one, or change personal details through a Sri Lankan mission, which sends the original MTA 30/2 form to the Department in Sri Lanka. These applications use printed photographs, and the missions agree on the key point: the prints must be black and white and measure 35 x 45 mm. The Geneva mission explains why: the Department of Motor Traffic in Colombo scans the form, and an application with a coloured or wrongly sized photograph might be rejected at that point.

Missions also take your fingerprint and signature on the form and ask for a medical certificate, your current licence and a copy of your visa.

Sri Lanka driving licence photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Embassy of Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi:[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) prints for applications through missions
Digital sizeNo file: mission applications attach prints to the MTA 30/2 form
BackgroundWhite (Abu Dhabi embassy)
ColourBlack and white only
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

  • Black and white only

    Canberra says only black and white photos of 35 x 45 mm will be accepted. Geneva lists a coloured or wrongly sized photograph among the reasons the Department of Motor Traffic may reject an application when it is scanned.

  • White background

    Abu Dhabi asks for two black and white passport-size photographs with a white background, measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm.

  • Number of prints

    Abu Dhabi and Geneva ask for two prints, Canberra for three. Use the number on the checklist of the mission that takes your application.

  • Original form, black ink

    Use the original MTA 30/2 form issued by the mission; photocopied forms are rejected. Fill it in with a black pen only and write nothing outside the borders or the scanning area.

  • Fingerprint and signature

    Abu Dhabi has you place your fingerprint and signature in front of an authorised officer at the embassy. Geneva warns that a fingerprint made with a general-purpose ink pad can lead to rejection.

  • Medical certificate

    Missions also ask for a medical certificate. Abu Dhabi wants eyesight, hearing, height and weight results from a recognised UAE medical institution; Canberra accepts a letter on a local doctor's letterhead dated within 3 months.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Print the photos in black and white.
  • Use a white background for the prints.
  • Check the size: 35 mm wide and 45 mm high.
  • Get the original MTA 30/2 form from your mission.
  • Fill in the form with a black pen.

Don't

  • Do not send colour photos.
  • Do not use a photocopied MTA 30/2 form.
  • Do not write outside the boxes or the scanning area.
  • Do not use an ordinary ink pad for the fingerprint.

Sample photos

How a Sri Lanka driving licence 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.

Headwear and religious dress

None of the Department of Motor Traffic or mission pages we could read states a rule on hats, scarves or glasses for driving licence photos. The missions' rules cover the colour, size and background of the prints only.

If you wear a head covering or glasses every day, ask the mission handling your renewal before you print, because it checks the application before sending it to Sri Lanka.

Mission applications are paper only. The MTA 30/2 form, the black and white prints and your current licence travel to the Department of Motor Traffic, which scans the form there. None of the mission pages we read mentions a digital photo upload for a driving licence.

A colour digital photo can be converted to black and white, cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed at a photo lab. Check that the print really is black and white, since a colour print is the most common photo reason the missions give for rejection.

Where to submit the photo

In Sri Lanka, apply for a new licence or an extra vehicle class at the Department of Motor Traffic in Werahera or a district office, in person.

Abroad, take the MTA 30/2 form, prints, medical certificate, current licence, passport and visa to your Sri Lankan mission. Geneva asks applicants to book an appointment and come in person, while Canberra also accepts every type of licence application by post, with certified copies of your passport and visa.

How to get your Sri Lanka driving licence photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Sri Lanka driving licence: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: black and white only; white background; number of prints; original form, black ink.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Mission applications are paper only. The MTA 30/2 form, the black and white prints and your current licence travel to the Department of Motor Traffic, which scans the form there.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Sri Lanka, apply for a new licence or an extra vehicle class at the Department of Motor Traffic in Werahera or a district office, in person.

Make this photo online

Sri Lanka driving licence photo FAQ

35 x 45 mm, or 3.5 x 4.5 cm (1.38 x 1.77 inches), passport size. The embassy in Abu Dhabi, the High Commission in Canberra and the Permanent Mission in Geneva all give this size for renewals and other licence applications sent through them.

For applications through a mission, yes. Canberra says only black and white photos of 35 x 45 mm will be accepted, and Geneva warns that a coloured photograph may lead the Department of Motor Traffic to reject the application at scanning.

White. The embassy in Abu Dhabi asks for two black and white passport-size photographs with a white background for a licence renewal. Canberra and Geneva do not state a background colour.

It depends on the mission. Abu Dhabi and Geneva ask for two black and white photographs; Canberra asks for three for a renewal, a duplicate licence or a change of personal details.

No. The embassy in Abu Dhabi says applicants for a new driving licence, or for adding vehicle categories, must visit the Department of Motor Traffic at Werahera or one of its district offices. Missions handle renewals, duplicates and changes of personal details.

Related photo specifications

Other Sri Lanka documents

Driving licences nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Embassy of Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi. Miscellaneous Consular Services: Renewal of Driving Licence abudhabi.embassy.gov.lk. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. High Commission of Sri Lanka, Canberra. Issuance of Driving License to Sri Lankans Abroad slhcaust.org. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka, Geneva. Renewal of Driving License for Sri Lankans Living Abroad lankamission.org. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Embassy of Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Sri Lanka driving licence photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/sri-lanka/driving-licence-photo

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