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Vietnam visa photo requirements

The 40 × 60 mm photo rules set by Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam for the Vietnam visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 2 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Vietnam visa photo?

For a Vietnam e-Visa, upload a recent portrait of 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm) as a JPG or JPEG file no larger than 2 MB. Use a white background, look straight ahead and wear formal clothes, with no hat and no glasses. You also upload an image of your passport data page. Embassy applications use printed photos instead; the Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington asks for 2 x 2 inch prints.

Most foreign visitors who need a visa for Vietnam apply online for an electronic visa (e-Visa) on the National Electronic Visa system of the Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security. An e-Visa is valid for up to 90 days, for a single entry or multiple entries. The form asks for two images: your portrait photo and a picture of your passport data page. The system reads the passport page, fills in your personal details and compares the face in the two images.

You can still apply through a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, and that route uses printed photos. Each mission publishes its own checklist, and sizes differ: the Embassy of Viet Nam in the United States asks for 2 x 2 inch prints, while the e-Visa portrait follows a 4 x 6 cm format. Decide which channel you are using before you print or upload anything.

Vietnam visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam:[1]

Print sizee-Visa: 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm, 1.57 x 2.36 in); Embassy in Washington: 2 x 2 in (51 x 51 mm) prints
Digital sizee-Visa: JPG or JPEG upload; the portal publishes no pixel size
BackgroundWhite background (e-Visa portrait)
Photo ageRecent ("newly taken"); no exact time limit is published
File sizee-Visa: 2 MB or less (one portal label says 10 MB)
File formatJPG or JPEG
Pixels when printed472 × 709 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1417 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm60 mm
40 × 60 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: white background.

Key requirements

  • Two uploads, not one

    The e-Visa form will not go ahead without both a portrait photo and an image of the passport data page. Upload only the data page, sharp and with no corners cut off.

  • No glasses, no hat

    The portal's photo note reads: straight face, no hat, no glasses, formal clothes, white background. The ban covers clear glasses as well as sunglasses.

  • Automatic face checks

    After upload, the system asks for another photo if it finds no face, more than one face, a face that is not looking straight, or a face too small for the required resolution. For most of these it warns that the application may be rejected.

  • Must match your passport

    The portal compares your portrait with the photo on the passport page. If the match rate is low it asks for another photo and warns that the application may be rejected.

  • Take a new photo, not a copy

    A portrait that the system suspects was re-photographed from another source triggers a rejection warning. Take a fresh picture of yourself rather than photographing a print or a screen.

  • Embassy rules are separate

    Paper applications follow the mission's own list. In Washington that means one 2 x 2 inch photo for a visa in the passport, or two for a loose-leaf visa.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Save the portrait as a JPG or JPEG under 2 MB
  • Stand against a white background and face the camera
  • Wear formal or polite clothes
  • Upload a clear image of the full passport data page
  • Use a recent photo that looks like your passport picture
  • Check your embassy's own photo list if you apply on paper

Don't

  • Do not wear glasses or a hat
  • Do not photograph an old print or a screen for the portrait
  • Do not upload a group photo or a picture with other faces in it
  • Do not crop the corners off the passport page image
  • Do not assume the e-Visa size applies at every embassy

Sample photos

How a Vietnam visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 60 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

No. Every version of the e-Visa photo note says "no glasses"; in Vietnamese the words are "không đeo kính", with no exception for clear lenses. The portal publishes no medical exception, so take your glasses off.

If you apply at an embassy, follow that mission's checklist. The Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington lists the size and number of photos but says nothing about glasses.

Headwear and religious dress

The e-Visa rule is "no hat" (không đội mũ), and the face must be clearly visible and looking straight for the automatic check to pass. The portal does not mention an exception for religious head coverings.

If you wear a head covering for religious reasons, keep your whole face uncovered. Contact the Immigration Department or the mission handling your application if you are unsure.

Babies and children

Children under 14 who travel on a parent's passport can be added to that parent's e-Visa application, and each child needs a portrait photo of their own. The portal says not to add a child who holds a separate passport; that child needs an application of their own.

Children's portraits follow the same note as adults: recent, 4 x 6 cm, JPG or JPEG, white background, no hat and no glasses.

If you apply online for an e-Visa, you need digital files only. Prepare a portrait in 4 x 6 cm proportions, saved as JPG or JPEG, plus an image of your passport data page. The upload instructions and the portal's size error both use 2 MB, although one label on the form says 10 MB; keeping the file under 2 MB satisfies both. No pixel dimensions are published, but the portal warns when the face is too small for the required resolution.

If you apply at the Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington, in person or by mail, you need printed 2 x 2 inch photos. Send one with the original passport for a sticker visa, or two with a copy of the passport ID page for a loose-leaf visa. At other missions, follow the photo list on that mission's own page.

A digital photo can be cropped to 4 x 6 cm proportions and saved as JPEG for the e-Visa, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter for an embassy application.

Where to submit the photo

e-Visa applications go through the National Electronic Visa system of the Immigration Department. You fill in the form, upload the two images, confirm and pay online, then check the result with your application code. The Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington notes that it cannot confirm the reliability of the many companies offering online visa services.

Paper applications go to a Vietnamese embassy or consulate. The Washington embassy takes them in person or by mail, with the application form, a passport valid for at least six months beyond your entry date, the photos and the fee. Include a visa approval letter from the Immigration Department if you already have one, plus a prepaid return envelope if you want documents posted back.

How to get your Vietnam visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Vietnam visa: 40 × 60 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two uploads, not one; no glasses, no hat; automatic face checks; must match your passport.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. If you apply online for an e-Visa, you need digital files only. Prepare a portrait in 4 x 6 cm proportions, saved as JPG or JPEG, plus an image of your passport data page.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. e-Visa applications go through the National Electronic Visa system of the Immigration Department. You fill in the form, upload the two images, confirm and pay online, then check the result with your application code.

Make this photo online

Vietnam visa photo FAQ

A recent portrait of 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm), uploaded as a JPG or JPEG file of 2 MB or less, with a white background. The portal does not publish a pixel size, but it checks that the face is large enough.

No. The e-Visa photo note says no glasses and no hat, and the Vietnamese wording makes no exception for clear lenses. Remove your glasses before taking the picture.

The upload instructions say 2 MB or less, and the portal's error message refers to 2 MB. One label on the form mentions 10 MB, so a file under 2 MB is the safe choice.

The system compares your portrait with the photo on your passport data page. If they do not match well, it asks you to upload another photo and warns that the application may be rejected. Use a clear, recent, front-facing photo that resembles your passport picture.

Not for an e-Visa, which takes uploaded files only. Embassy applications use prints: the Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington asks for one 2 x 2 inch photo for a sticker visa or two for a loose-leaf visa.

Yes, if the child is under 14 and travels on your passport. Add the child in the application with a portrait photo. A child who has their own passport needs a separate e-Visa application.

It is what the Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington asks for on paper applications. The e-Visa portal asks for a 4 x 6 cm portrait instead, so use the format of the channel you apply through.

Related photo specifications

Other Vietnam documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 40 × 60 mm

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Official sources

  1. Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam. Vietnam National Electronic Visa system: application instructions and photo note evisa.gov.vn. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Embassy of Viet Nam in the United States. Apply for visa in person or by mail vietnamembassy-usa.org. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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