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Zambia photo specifications

Photo sizes and rules for 2 documents issued in Zambia, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.

Based on 4 official sources · last checked Official sources

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At a glance

Zambian passport applications need two recent prints on a white background; Form A accepts 38 x 51 mm (1.5 x 2 in) up to 51 x 64 mm, and the barcoded form has a 35 x 45 mm box. Zambian visas ask for a passport-sized photo with no published size, uploaded as JPG, PNG or TIFF for the e-Visa, while the Washington embassy wants 2 x 2 inch prints.

Overview

Two different departments handle the documents covered here. The Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, issues Zambian passports. You apply in person at a passport office or a Zambian mission, with two printed photos endorsed by a recommender, and missions forward applications rather than printing passports.

Visas for visitors come from the Department of Immigration. Many nationalities need no visa, and the rest apply on the Department's e-Visa portal, at the port of entry or at a mission. The passport forms give exact sizes; the visa rules ask only for a passport-sized photo, except at the embassy in Washington.

Photo specifications by document

Passports

Zambia Passports
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Passport38 × 51 mm—White

Visas and travel authorisations

Zambia Visas and travel authorisations
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Visa2 × 2 in—White on the Washington embassy form

Frequently asked questions

Not necessarily. Passport Form A sets 38 x 51 mm to 51 x 64 mm, with a 35 x 45 mm box on the barcoded form. The Department of Immigration gives no size for visa photos, and the Washington embassy asks for 2 x 2 inches.

Passports are issued by the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship under the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the Passports Act No. 28 of 2016. Visas for visitors are issued by the Department of Immigration, mostly through its e-Visa portal or at ports of entry.

For a Zambian passport, bring two prints on photographic paper. For a Zambian e-Visa, upload the photo as a JPG, PNG or TIFF file; prints are only needed for paper visa applications at a mission such as Washington.

White. Passport Form A asks for a white background, and so does the Washington embassy for visa photos. The Department of Immigration names no background colour for e-Visa uploads.

Nearby countries

Other countries in Eastern Africa:

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Official sources

  1. Government of the Republic of Zambia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs (published by the Embassy in Stockholm). Guidelines and Procedures for the Acquisition of National Documents by Zambians in the Diaspora (2021) zambiaembassy.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. National Assembly of Zambia. The Passport Act No. 28 of 2016 parliament.gov.zm. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Department of Immigration, Zambia. Visa Requirements by Purpose of Visit zambiaimmigration.gov.zm. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Department of Immigration, Zambia. Arriving & Departing Zambia zambiaimmigration.gov.zm. Checked 2 November 2026.
Cite this page

"Zambia photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/zambia

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