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Zimbabwe passport photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, London for the Zimbabwe passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 10 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Zimbabwe passport photo?

Zimbabwe's embassies ask for two colour passport photos measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm) on a strictly white background. Wear a dark top, take off glasses and jewellery, tie long hair back so both ears show, and face the camera. No head size or pixel size is published. Inside Zimbabwe, the Civil Registry Department's passport portal books an enrolment appointment instead and does not publish photo rules.

Zimbabwean passports are issued by the Civil Registry Department, part of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, through the Registrar General's passport offices. According to a notice from the embassy in Ottawa, the department began issuing the electronic passport (e-passport) on 18 January 2022. Embassies abroad accept applications but do not print passports: every application is processed, and every passport issued, in Zimbabwe.

How you supply the photo depends on where you apply. Inside Zimbabwe, the department's online passport portal lets you fill in the application, choose an enrolment centre and book an enrolment appointment. The portal does not publish a photo size or file rules. Abroad, you apply on the paper P1 form at an embassy, and the embassy pages agree on the photo: two colour prints of 3.5 x 4.5 cm on a strictly white background, with a plain, front-facing pose.

No Zimbabwean source read for this page mentions a 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) passport photo. Every mission that gives a size uses 3.5 x 4.5 cm, and London describes it as 4.5 cm long by 3.5 cm wide, so the print is upright.

Zimbabwe passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, London:[1]

Print sizeEmbassy applications: 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm, 1.38 x 1.77 in), width x height
Digital sizeNot published; embassies take two printed photos with the paper P1 form
BackgroundWhite; Washington, Berlin and Luanda say strictly white
ColourColour photographs
Print qualityTwo prints per application; London asks for studio photos and lists them as stamped in the file sent to Zimbabwe
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.

In the official words

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

4.5 cm long by 3.5 cm wide

Passports[3]

page. The Civil Registry Department's live passport portal is civilregistry.gov.zw (

Zimbabwe Passports Office online application[5]

Key requirements

  • Two prints of 3.5 x 4.5 cm

    London, Washington, Ottawa, Berlin, Paris and Luanda all list two colour passport photos measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm. London words it as 4.5 cm long by 3.5 cm wide, which fixes the orientation as portrait.

  • Strictly white background

    Washington, Berlin and Luanda ask for a strictly white background. London, Ottawa, Paris and Stockholm simply say white. None of them mention any other colour.

  • Dark clothing

    Berlin says to wear dark colours only. Ottawa lists a black, dark grey or navy blue shirt, top or dress with no spaghetti straps. London asks for dark upper clothes and no polo necks. Washington and Luanda allow dark or bright colours but say cream and white are not acceptable.

  • No glasses or jewellery

    London, Ottawa and Paris rule out glasses, and Berlin bans spectacles and sunglasses. Jewellery is out everywhere: London names earrings, and Washington asks applicants to wear no jewellery of any kind. London also asks for minimal make-up.

  • Ears visible, hair tied back

    Ottawa and Paris ask for hair tied back and the face to the front with both ears visible. London says that long hair, braids or a weave must be tied up so that your ears and neck show.

  • Fingerprints in person abroad

    Washington, Berlin and Ottawa require a personal visit for fingerprinting and authentication of documents. The forms are issued at the embassy: Washington and Berlin say neither the embassy nor the Registrar General's Office accepts a downloaded P1 form.

  • Photos travel with the forms

    London lists stamped passport-size photos as part of a complete application, together with the stamped P1 form, certified copies and the embassy receipt. The whole package is then sent to Zimbabwe for processing.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Have two colour prints made at 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
  • Use a strictly white background.
  • Wear a dark top, such as black, dark grey or navy blue.
  • Tie long hair, braids or a weave back so both ears show.
  • Face the camera straight on.
  • Attend the embassy in person for fingerprinting if you apply abroad.
  • Book an enrolment appointment on the portal if you apply in Zimbabwe.

Don't

  • Do not wear glasses or sunglasses.
  • Do not wear earrings or any other jewellery.
  • Do not wear white or cream clothing.
  • Do not use a 2 x 2 inch photo; the missions ask for 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
  • Do not print a P1 form from the internet; embassies issue it in person.
  • Do not wear spaghetti straps or a polo neck.

Sample photos

How a Zimbabwe passport 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 not allowed. Ottawa and Paris list no eyeglasses among the photo rules, London says no glasses, and Berlin adds that spectacles and sunglasses are not allowed either. None of the embassy pages mention an exception for medical reasons, so take your glasses off for the photo.

The same pages treat jewellery the same way. London rules out earrings, Washington asks applicants to wear no jewellery of any kind, and Berlin, Ottawa and Paris also say no jewellery.

Babies and children

The photo rules on the embassy pages apply to every applicant, and no separate rules are published for babies or children. What changes for minors is the paperwork. For applicants under 18, Washington, Ottawa and Luanda require the father, mother or legal guardian to sign Section 5 of the application form, with the signatory's ID or passport. Ottawa accepts a legal guardian only with documentary proof of guardianship, and Berlin requires a parent or guardian to be present.

A Zimbabwean national ID card is needed from the age of 16, and it is issued only in Zimbabwe. London also offers a Section 5 declaration when a parent or guardian in the UK is applying for a passport for a child who lives in Zimbabwe; each child needs their own set of documents.

Applications made abroad are entirely on paper. You bring two colour prints to the embassy, and they go into the package with the P1 form that is sent to Zimbabwe. Washington warns that an appointment takes longer if you arrive without correct passport photos.

Inside Zimbabwe, the Civil Registry Department's passport portal takes the application online and books an enrolment appointment at the centre you choose. It does not publish a photo size, file format or pixel size, and the official pages read for this guide do not say whether prints are needed at the enrolment centre. Check the list of documents the portal gives you for your appointment.

London's page says the photos should be taken at a studio; the other missions do not say who must take them. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm on a white background and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

In Zimbabwe, start on the Civil Registry Department's passport portal. Its steps are to select an enrolment centre, fill in the application, book a date and time for the enrolment appointment, and then attend it. Embassy pages name passport offices in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, Gwanda, Masvingo, Chitungwiza, Beitbridge, Hwange and Lupane, among others.

Abroad, apply at the embassy for your country of residence. The embassy issues the P1 form, authenticates your documents and takes your fingerprints, then returns everything to you. You send the forms, your current or expired passport and an authorisation letter to a relative or nominee in Zimbabwe, who pays the processing fee and submits them at a passport office. Washington, Ottawa and Berlin warn that the forms expire six months after completion.

If you need to travel urgently, some embassies issue a one-way temporary travel document. London and Stockholm ask for two passport-size photos for it, and Paris applies its 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white-background rules to these photos too.

How to get your Zimbabwe passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Zimbabwe passport: 35 × 45 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two prints of 3.5 x 4.5 cm; strictly white background; dark clothing; no glasses or jewellery.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Applications made abroad are entirely on paper. You bring two colour prints to the embassy, and they go into the package with the P1 form that is sent to Zimbabwe. Washington warns that an appointment takes longer if you arrive without correct passport photos.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Zimbabwe, start on the Civil Registry Department's passport portal. Its steps are to select an enrolment centre, fill in the application, book a date and time for the enrolment appointment, and then attend it.

Make this photo online

Zimbabwe passport photo FAQ

3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm), width x height. London, Washington, Ottawa, Berlin, Paris and Luanda all give this size for passport applications made through an embassy. No head size or pixel size is published.

White. Washington, Berlin and Luanda specify a strictly white background, and London, Ottawa, Paris and Stockholm also ask for white. Wear dark clothing so you do not blend into it; Washington and Luanda say cream and white clothes are not acceptable.

No. Ottawa and Paris list no eyeglasses, London says no glasses, and Berlin says spectacles and sunglasses are not allowed. No medical exception is mentioned on these pages.

A dark top. Berlin asks for dark colours only, and Ottawa lists black, dark grey or navy blue with no spaghetti straps. London adds no polo necks and minimal make-up. Remove all jewellery and tie long hair back so both ears are visible.

No official page says so. Every Zimbabwean mission read for this guide, including Washington in the United States, asks for 3.5 x 4.5 cm prints. Have your photos printed at that size rather than the square US format.

Two colour photos for an application made through an embassy. London lists the stamped photos as part of the complete package that is sent to Zimbabwe with the P1 form, certified copies and the embassy receipt.

The Civil Registry Department's portal does not say. It takes the application online and books an enrolment appointment at the centre you choose, but it publishes no photo rules. Follow the document list the portal gives you for the appointment.

Two passport-size photos. London and Stockholm list two for the one-way temporary travel document, and Paris asks for 3.5 x 4.5 cm prints on a white background, with the same clothing, glasses and jewellery rules as for passports.

Use the same P1 form and the same two-photo rules. A parent or legal guardian must sign Section 5 of the form and show their own ID or passport, and Berlin requires a parent or guardian to be present at the embassy.

Related photo specifications

Other Zimbabwe documents

Passports nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, London. Passport Application zimlondon.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, London. Temporary Travel Document zimlondon.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Berlin. Passports zimembassyberlin.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Luanda. Passport Application zimluanda.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Civil Registry Department, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Passports Office online application civilregistry.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Washington DC. Passport Application Requirements zimembassydc.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Ottawa. Passport Services zimembassyottawa.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Ottawa. E-Passport Announcement zimembassyottawa.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Paris. Consular Services zimembassyparis.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Stockholm. Consular Services zimbabweembassy.se. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, London before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Zimbabwe passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/zimbabwe/passport-photo

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