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Tanzania visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Immigration Services Department, Tanzania for the Tanzania visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 5 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Tanzania visa photo?

The Tanzania e-Visa asks for a colour photo on a plain background showing your full face, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, with eyes open. It must not exceed 35 mm wide by 45 mm high, and the JPG or JPEG file must be 500 KB or smaller. Glasses worn regularly may stay on; head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons. Embassy applications in Paris use 35 x 45 mm prints on a light background.

Tanzanian visas are issued by the Immigration Services Department. Its visa guidelines give two ways to get one: apply online through the electronic visa system, or obtain a visa on arrival at an official entry point. The Department recommends the online route, and says applications should be made only through its official website and not through any other online links. One e-Visa covers both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.

Online, you log in with your email address, fill in the form, upload a photo and attach the documents for your visa type, then pay by Visa card or Mastercard and submit. The decision arrives by email as a Visa Grant Notice, which you can also download from the portal. The portal warns that applicants may be asked to visit the nearest Tanzanian embassy or consulate for an interview.

The photo rules sit in section 10 of the guidelines, Photo Specifications for Visa Application. They set a maximum size, a file limit and rules for glasses and head coverings. Some Tanzanian embassies also still take applications in person or by post, with printed photos.

Tanzania visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration Services Department, Tanzania:[1]

Print sizee-Visa: no larger than 35 x 45 mm (width x height); Paris embassy prints: 35 x 45 mm
Digital sizeNo pixel size published; the photo is uploaded as a file of up to 500 KB
Backgrounde-Visa: plain background; Paris embassy: light (white, off-white or light grey)
ColourColour photo
Photo ageRecent; Paris and Ottawa embassies: taken in the last 6 months
File sizeUp to 500 KB
File formatJPG or JPEG
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: e-Visa: plain background.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

The photo size should not exceed 45mm (length) X 35 mm (Width)

Tanzania Visa Guidelines[1]

Key requirements

  • Colour on a plain background

    Every visa applicant's photograph must be in colour, with a plain background. The guidelines add that there should be no distracting shadows or images on the face or the background.

  • Full face, hair to chin

    The image must show an unmounted full face: you face the camera directly, and the whole head appears from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin. Eyes must be open and the expression natural.

  • A maximum, not an exact size

    The guidelines say the photo size should not exceed 45 mm in length and 35 mm in width. A portrait of 35 x 45 mm is therefore the largest accepted, and nothing larger, such as 2 x 2 inches, should be used.

  • 500 KB, JPG or JPEG

    The uploaded image must not exceed 500 KB, and the file must be in JPG or JPEG format. No pixel dimensions are given, so check the file size before you upload.

  • Glasses and head coverings

    If you regularly wear glasses, you may keep them on. Head coverings are not permitted unless worn for religious reasons, and even then your face must be clearly visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face showing.

  • One application per passport

    Every passport holder needs their own visa application. The guidelines stress this for minors too: a child entered in a parent's application still needs a separate one, with its own photo.

  • Embassy applications use prints

    For applications lodged at an embassy, Paris and Ottawa ask for two passport-size photographs and three for a multiple-entry visa. Paris wants 35 mm wide by 45 mm high, taken in the last 6 months, by a professional or in a photo booth.

  • Paris: neutral face, mouth closed

    The Paris embassy's photo rules add a neutral expression with the mouth closed, the head held straight in front of the lens, and eyes fully visible and open. The print must be clean, with no crease or mark.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use a colour photo with a plain background.
  • Show your whole head from the top of the hair to the chin.
  • Keep your eyes open and your expression natural.
  • Save the photo as a JPG or JPEG of 500 KB or less.
  • Keep the photo within 35 mm wide and 45 mm high.
  • Submit a separate application for each child.
  • For an embassy application, close your mouth and keep a neutral face.

Don't

  • Do not use a 2 x 2 inch photo for the e-Visa.
  • Do not leave shadows on your face or the background.
  • Do not wear a head covering unless it is for religious reasons.
  • Do not apply through unofficial visa websites.
  • Do not upload a PNG or a file over 500 KB.

Sample photos

How a Tanzania visa 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.

Glasses

Glasses are allowed if you normally wear them. The e-Visa guidelines say an applicant who regularly wears eyeglasses may be photographed with them on. Make sure the lenses do not hide your eyes, since the photo must show your eyes open.

For applications lodged at the embassy in Paris, the photo rules add that frames must not obscure the eyes.

Headwear and religious dress

Head coverings are not permitted in a Tanzania visa photo except for religious reasons. When you wear one for religious reasons, your facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of your face, must be clearly visible.

Embassy rules can be stricter about hats: Beijing asks for a hat-free colour photo.

Babies and children

Children need their own visa application, and so their own photo. The guidelines say every passport holder must submit a separate application, even minors who were entered in their parents' application. The same photo rules apply, including the full face from hair to chin with the eyes open.

For embassy applications, Paris asks for a notarised letter when a minor under 18 travels alone or with only one parent or legal guardian. The letter must be signed jointly by the parents or legal guardians approving the travel, and come with a copy of the minor's ID.

The e-Visa is fully digital. You upload one photo with the application and receive the Visa Grant Notice by email; no prints are posted. Because the rule is a maximum of 35 x 45 mm and 500 KB, a digital photo can be cropped to a 35 x 45 mm portrait and saved as a compressed JPEG before upload.

Paper applications are different. Paris and Ottawa list two passport-size photographs for applications lodged through the embassy, and Paris gives 35 x 45 mm on a light background. Beijing asks for a two-inch colour photo on a light blue or white background. Ottawa's fee schedule also mentions one digital passport-size photo taken in the last 6 months.

Where to submit the photo

Apply on the Immigration Services Department's electronic visa system and track your application there with your application ID. Nationals on the referral list must apply online and wait for approval; the Department advises them to apply at least two months before travel and not to buy tickets until the visa is approved. Eligible nationals can instead get a visa on arrival at an official entry point.

Some embassies still accept applications directly. Paris takes postal applications with a registered, self-addressed, stamped envelope, and Ottawa lets applicants drop off applications in person without an appointment. Check your embassy's own page for the number of photos it wants.

How to get your Tanzania visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Tanzania visa: 35 × 45 mm print, e-Visa: plain background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: colour on a plain background; full face, hair to chin; a maximum, not an exact size; 500 KB, JPG or JPEG.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The e-Visa is fully digital. You upload one photo with the application and receive the Visa Grant Notice by email; no prints are posted.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply on the Immigration Services Department's electronic visa system and track your application there with your application ID.

Make this photo online

Tanzania visa photo FAQ

For the e-Visa, the photo should not exceed 45 mm high and 35 mm wide, so 35 x 45 mm is the largest accepted. For applications lodged at the embassy in Paris, prints of exactly 35 x 45 mm are required.

A plain background with no distracting shadows or images. The e-Visa guidelines name no colour, while the embassy in Paris asks for a clean, light background such as white, off-white or light grey.

A JPG or JPEG file of no more than 500 KB. The guidelines do not give pixel dimensions, so compress the image if it is larger than 500 KB rather than shrinking it beyond the 35 x 45 mm frame.

Yes, if you regularly wear them. The e-Visa guidelines allow applicants who usually wear eyeglasses to keep them on. Paris adds, for embassy applications, that the frame must not obscure the eyes.

Yes, if it is worn for religious reasons. The guidelines allow religious head coverings only, and your face must still be clearly shown from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges visible.

Yes. The guidelines say every passport holder must submit their own visa application, even minors entered in their parents' application, so each child needs their own photo uploaded.

Paris and Ottawa list two passport-size photographs for single-entry, tourist and transit visas lodged at the embassy, and three for a multiple-entry visa. Paris wants them 35 x 45 mm and taken within the last 6 months.

US passport holders visiting for tourism must apply for a multiple-entry visa, not an ordinary visa, according to the guidelines. The multiple visa for US tourists lists a recent passport-size photo, uploaded with the same e-Visa photo rules.

Related photo specifications

Other Tanzania documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Immigration Services Department, Tanzania. Tanzania Visa Guidelines visa.immigration.go.tz. Checked 3 November 2026.
  2. Immigration Services Department, Tanzania. Tanzania Electronic Visa Application System visa.immigration.go.tz. Checked 3 November 2026.
  3. Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania, Paris. Requirements for VISA fr.tzembassy.go.tz. Checked 3 November 2026.
  4. High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania, Ottawa. Visa Information ca.tzembassy.go.tz. Checked 3 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania, Beijing. VISA Entry Requirements cn.tzembassy.go.tz. Checked 3 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration Services Department, Tanzania before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Tanzania visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/tanzania/visa-photo

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