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Thailand visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand for the Thailand visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Thailand visa photo?

A Thai visa photo is usually 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm), in colour, on a plain white background and taken within the last 6 months, with no glasses. Some missions, such as Los Angeles and Manila, take 2 x 2 inch photos. Visa on Arrival at Thai checkpoints needs one 4 x 6 cm photo pasted on the form. Most embassy visas are now applied for online.

Thai visas are issued by Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General abroad, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Visa on Arrival is a separate route for short tourist stays, granted at designated immigration checkpoints in Thailand. Since 1 January 2025 the ministry's e-Visa system has covered its 94 embassies and consulates-general, so most applicants now attach a photo file instead of handing in prints. Each mission still writes its own photo rules, and those rules decide the size to prepare.

The most detailed list comes from the Nairobi embassy, which follows the ICAO standard: a colour photo 4.5 cm high and 3.5 cm wide, facing the camera, taken within 6 months and printed professionally or in a passport photo booth. Manila accepts either 3.5 x 4.5 cm or 2 x 2 inches on a white background. The Los Angeles consulate asks for 2 x 2 inch photos with a light background.

Which size applies: use 35 x 45 mm unless your mission asks for something else. Use 2 x 2 inches when you apply through a Thai consulate in the United States that asks for it, such as Los Angeles. Use 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm) for Visa on Arrival, where the print is glued to the application form at the airport or border checkpoint.

Thailand visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand:[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in); 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) at Los Angeles and Manila; 4 x 6 cm for Visa on Arrival
Digital sizePrints for Visa on Arrival need no file; embassy visas go through the e-Visa upload
BackgroundPlain white (Manila, ICAO list); Los Angeles asks for a light colour background
ColourIn colour, not black and white
Photo ageTaken within the last 6 months
Print qualityPrinted professionally or taken in a passport photo booth; photocopies are not accepted
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: plain white.

In the official words

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

The photographs must be: printed professionally or taken in a passport photo booth

Tourist Visa / Visa on Arrival[2]

Key requirements

  • The size depends on the channel

    Missions set their own wording. The ICAO list used by Nairobi gives 3.5 x 4.5 cm, Manila accepts 3.5 x 4.5 cm or 2 x 2 in, and Los Angeles asks for 2 x 2 in. Check the page of the mission that will decide your application.

  • Visa on Arrival takes 4 x 6 cm

    The Visa on Arrival form needs one 4 x 6 cm photo, taken no more than 6 months earlier and pasted on the form. It is for tourism stays of up to 15 days at designated checkpoints, including all international airports.

  • Colour and recent

    The photo must be in colour and taken within the last 6 months. Los Angeles and the ICAO list both use the 6-month limit.

  • No glasses on the ICAO list

    Nairobi asks for the eyes open and clearly visible with no glasses. Los Angeles bans dark glasses and hats.

  • Face uncovered

    Nothing may cover the face. A head covering is allowed only for religious or medical reasons, and the face from chin to forehead and both edges of the face must stay visible.

  • Alone, neutral, sharp

    The photo shows you alone, with no chair back, toys or other people, looking at the camera with a neutral expression and mouth closed. It must be in sharp focus with no ink marks or creases.

  • A proper print

    Nairobi asks for photos printed professionally or taken in a passport photo booth. Los Angeles does not accept photocopies.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check the photo wording of the mission you apply to
  • Use 35 x 45 mm unless the mission asks for 2 x 2 in
  • Bring a 4 x 6 cm print for Visa on Arrival
  • Use a plain white background and even light
  • Keep the face fully visible, eyes open, mouth closed
  • Have prints made at a photo lab or a photo booth

Don't

  • Do not wear glasses, sunglasses or a hat
  • Do not use a black-and-white photo
  • Do not reuse a photo more than 6 months old
  • Do not hand in a photocopy of a photo
  • Do not bring a 35 x 45 mm print for Visa on Arrival
  • Do not include other people or objects in the frame

Sample photos

How a Thailand 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 the point where missions differ. The ICAO list on the Nairobi embassy's visa page asks for eyes clearly visible with no glasses. Los Angeles bans dark glasses, and the photo guideline linked by the Brussels embassy allows clear, thin-framed prescription glasses without flash reflection.

Taking glasses off meets every one of these rules, while keeping them on meets only some.

Headwear and religious dress

Nairobi's list allows no covering on the head unless it is worn for religious or medical reasons. Even then, the facial features from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, and both edges of the face, must be clearly shown.

Los Angeles asks for a full-face view without a hat, with the shoulders covered.

Babies and children

Children follow the same photo rules as adults: the ICAO list asks for a photo of each person on their own, so a child needs a separate photo and cannot share one with a parent.

Missions add paperwork for minors. Nairobi asks applicants under 20 for a birth certificate and a letter of consent from any parent not travelling, and Manila asks for a copy of the birth certificate and the parents' marriage certificate.

Printed photos are still needed for Visa on Arrival, where one 4 x 6 cm print is pasted on the form at the checkpoint. A mission may also ask for prints in other cases, so read its own visa page.

Applications to embassies and consulates now go through the e-Visa website, where the photo is a file. Missions still describe that file by a print size: Manila by 3.5 x 4.5 cm or 2 x 2 in, Los Angeles by 2 x 2 in in JPEG format. A digital photo cropped to the right size can be uploaded, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut out for a paper form.

Where to submit the photo

Apply online to the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General responsible for the country where you are. Manila, for example, takes Filipino nationals and foreigners who are in the Philippines, and advises others to apply in their home country or country of residence.

For Visa on Arrival, eligible passport holders apply at one of the designated immigration checkpoints with the form, the photo, a confirmed return ticket within 15 days, proof of accommodation and proof of funds. The Copenhagen embassy also links to an online Visa on Arrival application site run by VFS Global.

How to get your Thailand visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Thailand visa: 35 × 45 mm print, plain white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the size depends on the channel; visa on Arrival takes 4 x 6 cm; colour and recent; no glasses on the ICAO list.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Printed photos are still needed for Visa on Arrival, where one 4 x 6 cm print is pasted on the form at the checkpoint. A mission may also ask for prints in other cases, so read its own visa page.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply online to the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General responsible for the country where you are.

Make this photo online

Thailand visa photo FAQ

Usually 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm), which is the size on the ICAO list published by the Nairobi embassy and one of the two sizes Manila accepts. Some missions, such as Los Angeles, ask for 2 x 2 inches, and Visa on Arrival needs 4 x 6 cm.

One 4 x 6 cm photo taken within the last 6 months, pasted on the Visa on Arrival application form. Bring it with you: the visa is issued at a designated immigration checkpoint for tourism stays of up to 15 days.

Yes, where the mission asks for or accepts it. The Thai consulate in Los Angeles asks for 2 x 2 inch photos, and the Manila embassy accepts 2 x 2 inches as well as 3.5 x 4.5 cm. Other missions follow 3.5 x 4.5 cm.

It depends on the mission. Nairobi's ICAO list asks for no glasses, Los Angeles bans dark glasses, and the Brussels guideline allows thin-framed clear lenses without reflection. A photo without glasses satisfies all three.

Mostly not for embassy visas, which are applied for online with a photo file. You do need a 4 x 6 cm print for Visa on Arrival. A mission can still ask for prints in particular cases, so follow its own visa page.

Plain white is the safest choice: Manila asks for a white background and the ICAO list expects a plain, light one. The Los Angeles consulate asks for a light colour background, which white satisfies.

Related photo specifications

Other Thailand documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Kick-off THAI E-VISA (global launch, 1 January 2025) mfa.go.th. Checked 3 November 2026.
  2. Royal Thai Embassy, Nairobi. Tourist Visa / Visa on Arrival nairobi.thaiembassy.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
  3. Royal Thai Embassy, Manila. E-Visa Requirements and Procedures (as of 2 January 2026) thaiembassymnl.ph. Checked 3 November 2026.
  4. Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles. Tourist visa thaiconsulatela.thaiembassy.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
  5. Royal Thai Embassy, Bern. Visa on Arrival (VoA) thaiembassy.ch. Checked 3 November 2026.
  6. Royal Thai Embassy, Copenhagen. Visa On Arrival (VOA) - UPDATED copenhagen.thaiembassy.org. Checked 3 November 2026.
  7. Royal Thai Embassy, Brussels. Photo guideline (linked from How to apply for a visa) image.mfa.go.th. Checked 3 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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