International passport (South Africa): 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo, head 29–34 mm from chin to crown.
| Document | Photo size | Head, chin to crown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| International passport | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 29–34 mm | dirco.gov.za |
| ID card | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 29–34 mm | dirco.gov.za |
| Driving licence | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | — | westerncape.gov.za |
| Visa | 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 31.5–36 mm | embajadasudafrica.mx |
In South Africa, Home Affairs takes your photo itself at offices with live capture and at Smart ID card offices. A printed photo is still needed in these cases:
- Passport (offices without live capture, missions abroad)
- ID: the green barcoded ID book
- Learner's and driving licence
- Visa for South Africa
Photo for a South African passport
45 mm
35 mm
- Source: Home Affairs, Passport & ID Photograph Specifications
- Who takes the photo: Home Affairs offices with live capture and Smart ID card offices capture the image digitally, so you bring no photo. Everywhere else the application needs two identical colour photos.
- Rules for the photo: 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, not more than one month old, head and top of the shoulders with the head between 29 and 34 mm, a light grey or plain cream-coloured background, even lighting with no shadows, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, no tinted glasses and no head covering except for religious reasons.
- Abroad: Missions set their own count: the High Commission in Wellington asks for four professionally taken colour photos of 35 x 45 mm, which its officials certify at the appointment.
- Home Affairs asks for photos printed on high-quality photo paper and warns that home prints are unlikely to be accepted: print the file at a photo lab.
Photo for a South African ID
45 mm
35 mm
- Source: Home Affairs, identity documents
- Smart ID card: Home Affairs lists no photo among the Smart ID card requirements: the image is captured at the office.
- Green barcoded ID book: A first-time applicant submits two identical colour photographs at a Home Affairs office or at a South African mission or consulate abroad.
- Size and colour: The same specifications as the passport: 35 x 45 mm, head 29–34 mm, light grey or cream background. For IDs they allow colour or black and white photos.
Photo for a learner's or driving licence
45 mm
35 mm
- Source: Western Cape Government, learner's licence
- Learner's licence: Two ID-sized black and white or colour photographs, 35 x 45 mm, handed in at the driving licence testing centre (DLTC) with the application.
- Driving licence: gov.za lists four identical black-and-white photographs and advises confirming with the DLTC how many it requires before you have photos taken.
- Background and head: Neither source names a background colour or a head size; a plain light background and the passport framing are a safe choice.
Photo for a South African visa
45 mm
35 mm
- Source: Embassy of South Africa in Mexico, visitor's visa
- Who needs it: Citizens of countries without a visa exemption apply for a visitor's visa at a South African mission or its visa centre.
- Photo: The embassy in Mexico asks for two identical colour photographs, passport size 3.5 x 4.5 cm, on a white background, with the face taking up 70–80% of the frame, not attached to the application.
- Missions word their lists differently, so check the page of the one you apply to.
Make your South Africa document photo now
Upload a photo and get a compliant 3.5 × 4.5 cm result in seconds. Free, and the photo never leaves your device.
Make a photo: International passportMake a photo: ID cardMake a photo: Driving licenceMake a photo: Visa
Everything happens in your browser — the photo is never uploaded to a server.