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Zimbabwe visa photo requirements

The photo rules set by Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe for the Zimbabwe visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 12 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What are the Zimbabwe visa photo requirements?

Zimbabwe publishes no size or background colour for visa photos. The official eVisa portal asks for a recent face picture, uploaded as a JPEG, PNG or PDF file under 1 MB along with a scan of your passport bio data page. Embassy pages list two passport-size photographs for visas obtained at a port of entry and for diplomatic visas. Apply only on the Department of Immigration's own eVisa portal, not on third-party visa websites.

Visas for Zimbabwe are issued by the Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Its visa regime has three categories. Category A nationals need no visa. Category B nationals need a visa but may buy it at the port of entry, or apply online before travelling. Category C nationals must apply online, pay and obtain the visa before they travel, and embassies remind them they can only travel once the visa is approved.

The official online channel is the Department's eVisa portal. It offers single entry (valid one month), double entry (three months), multiple entry (six months) and the KAZA UNIVISA (one month), which covers several countries in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. Approved eVisas arrive by email. You print yours to board the plane, and an officer stamps your passport on arrival. Visas paid on arrival come in the same kinds, though the multiple-entry visa on arrival is only for UK, US and Canadian nationals.

Zimbabwean embassies now issue few visas themselves. London says it does not issue visas, Berlin has stopped until further notice, and Paris issues them only for diplomatic, official and service passports. The Department of Immigration has also warned the public against third-party visa application platforms.

Zimbabwe visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe:[1]

Print sizeNo dimensions published: the eVisa asks for a recent face picture; embassy lists say passport-size
Digital sizeNo pixel size published; eVisa uploads are JPEG, PNG or PDF files under 1 MB
BackgroundNo colour published for visa photos
ColourBerlin embassy list: colour photographs; the eVisa does not say
Photo ageeVisa: a recent face picture; Berlin embassy list: taken within the last six months
File sizeeVisa: under 1 MB per uploaded file
File formateVisa: JPEG, PNG or PDF
Print qualityPaper and port-of-entry visas: two passport-size photographs

Key requirements

  • Use the official eVisa portal

    The eVisa platform is run by the Department of Immigration, and the Department's own website sends visa applicants there. The embassy in Ottawa passes on the Department's warning against third-party visa application platforms.

  • A recent face picture

    The documents step of the eVisa application asks for a recent face picture and a scan of your passport bio data page. It gives no size, head position or background colour, so the face simply needs to be current and clear.

  • JPEG, PNG or PDF under 1 MB

    The portal says uploaded documents must be in JPEG, PNG or PDF format and under 1 MB. That limit applies to each file, including the face picture, so compress a large phone photo before you upload it.

  • Check your visa category first

    Your nationality decides whether you need a visa at all, can buy one at the border, or must have it approved before travelling. The Department lists the countries in Categories A, B and C, and the eVisa FAQ repeats them.

  • Two prints for visas at the border

    The embassies in Washington and Paris list the requirements for a visa at the port of entry as a passport valid for at least six months and two passport-size photos. The paper visa application form also says two passport-size photographs should accompany it.

  • KAZA UNIVISA

    The KAZA UNIVISA can be bought in advance on the eVisa portal or on arrival. The UK government says it is available at Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls airports and at the Victoria Falls and Kazungula land borders, and covers travel between Zimbabwe and Zambia plus day trips into Botswana.

  • Diplomatic and official passports

    Holders of diplomatic, official and service passports still apply through an embassy. Washington and Paris ask for the visa application form with a Note Verbale and two passport photos, and Paris also wants a copy of the passport.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check whether your nationality is in Category A, B or C.
  • Apply only through the Department of Immigration's eVisa portal.
  • Upload a recent, clear picture of your face.
  • Keep each upload under 1 MB in JPEG, PNG or PDF format.
  • Print the approved eVisa to show when boarding.
  • Carry two passport-size photos if you will get your visa at the border.

Don't

  • Do not apply through third-party visa websites.
  • Do not upload a file of 1 MB or more.
  • Do not travel before approval if your nationality is in Category C.
  • Do not expect a Zimbabwean embassy to issue a tourist visa.
  • Do not let your eVisa details differ from your passport.

Babies and children

No visa page publishes separate photo rules for children. The paper visa application form, made under section 9(a) of the regulations, has a section for children under 18 who will accompany the parent or guardian, so they are listed on that adult's form. A spouse who is travelling must complete a separate application.

The eVisa application has an option to add dependants to an application. The portal does not say whether each dependant needs their own face picture, so have a recent, clear photo of each child ready before you start.

The eVisa is digital. You upload a recent face picture with the application, and the approved eVisa reaches you by email. The Department asks you to print it to board the plane, and the officer at the port of entry stamps your passport. A digital photo can be cropped and resized, then saved as a JPEG under 1 MB before upload.

Printed photos are still asked for on paper. The visa application form says two passport-size photographs should accompany it, Washington and Paris list two passport-size photos for a visa at the port of entry, and Berlin's list asks for two colour photographs taken within the last six months.

No visa page defines passport size. For comparison, Zimbabwe's missions specify 3.5 x 4.5 cm on a strictly white background for Zimbabwean passport applications.

Where to submit the photo

Online, start the visa process on the eVisa portal, where you can also track an application and fill in the entry declaration in advance. Notices about your application are sent by email. Companies and organisations that expect foreign visitors who need a visa in advance can also go to the Visa Section at Immigration Headquarters in Harare.

Category B nationals can instead pay for a visa at any port of entry, and the KAZA UNIVISA is also sold on arrival at the airports and land borders that issue it. Bring the photos and passport validity the embassies list for this route.

Embassies handle diplomatic, official and service passports. London does not issue Zimbabwean visas and directs travellers to the eVisa portal or the border, and since 1 November 2019 Ottawa has left tourist visas for Canadian passport holders to the port of entry.

How to get your Zimbabwe visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Zimbabwe visa. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: use the official eVisa portal; a recent face picture; jPEG, PNG or PDF under 1 MB; check your visa category first.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The eVisa is digital. You upload a recent face picture with the application, and the approved eVisa reaches you by email. The Department asks you to print it to board the plane, and the officer at the port of entry stamps your passport.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Online, start the visa process on the eVisa portal, where you can also track an application and fill in the entry declaration in advance. Notices about your application are sent by email.

Make this photo online

Zimbabwe visa photo FAQ

A recent face picture, uploaded in the documents step of the online application together with a scan of your passport bio data page. The portal sets no size, pose or background rule, so use a current, clear photo of your face.

None is published. The eVisa portal and the embassy visa pages give no dimensions or background colour. For Zimbabwean passports, the same missions use 3.5 x 4.5 cm on a strictly white background, which is a safe format for prints.

JPEG, PNG or PDF, and each file must be under 1 MB. No pixel dimensions are given, so if your photo is larger than 1 MB, compress it or reduce its resolution before uploading.

Bring two. The embassies in Washington and Paris list a passport valid for at least six months and two passport-size photos as the requirements for a visa at the port of entry, in addition to the visa fee.

No separate photo rule is published for it. When you buy it in advance, you apply on the same eVisa portal, which asks for a recent face picture. It can also be bought on arrival at the airports and land borders that issue it.

Usually not for tourism. London does not issue visas and Berlin has stopped until further notice. Paris issues them only for diplomatic, official and service passports, and Ottawa only for Canadian diplomatic and official passports. Ordinary travellers apply on the eVisa portal or at the port of entry.

Apply only on the eVisa portal that the Department of Immigration links to from its own website. The Department has warned against third-party visa application platforms, and the eVisa FAQ says payment is for processing and does not guarantee approval.

On the paper form, children under 18 travelling with a parent or guardian are listed on that adult's application, while a travelling spouse completes a separate one. The eVisa application lets you add dependants.

Related photo specifications

Other Zimbabwe documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

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Official sources

  1. Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe eVisa FAQs evisa.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe eVisa application evisa.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe. Department of Immigration Zimbabwe zimimmigration.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe. Category B zimimmigration.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Department of Immigration, Zimbabwe. Category C Countries zimimmigration.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, London. Visa Information zimlondon.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Berlin. Visas zimembassyberlin.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Berlin. Passports zimembassyberlin.gov.zw. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Washington DC. Visa Information zimembassydc.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Ottawa. Visas zimembassyottawa.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  11. Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Paris. Consular Services zimembassyparis.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  12. UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Zimbabwe travel advice: entry requirements gov.uk. Checked 2 November 2026.

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

Cite this page

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

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