Prepare a South Africa passport photo from a picture you already have — 35 × 45 mm. South Africa is also reported to require an unusually recent photo (under 30 days old). Sources differ on the exact head-height figure, so no specific number is given here — the Department of Home Affairs is the responsible authority.
Official requirements
Official requirements
Compiled from the source below. Vekyo could not directly confirm these figures against that source, so check the official site before submitting your photo.
Digital photo requirements
No official digital pixel specification was found for this document — see printed requirements below.
Printed photo requirements
Photo size
35 × 45 mm
Paper / printing
Head-height figures found for this document conflict internally across the source aggregation used (34.5mm cited in one place, a separate 29-34mm range cited elsewhere in the same source) — no head-height figure is asserted here as a result; confirm directly with the Department of Home Affairs.
Other requirements
Head / face position
Full face, centered, looking directly at the camera
Background
Not specified in the sources found — use a plain, evenly lit background as a safe default.
Expression
Neutral expression, eyes open and clearly visible.
Maximum photo age
1 month
Source: Department of Home Affairs (DHA), South Africa.
Common mistakes
✕Photo older than 30 days — South Africa is reported to require an unusually recent photo
✕Relying on a single head-height figure — sources conflict internally on this specific value, confirm directly
How to take a good photo
✓Take the photo as close to your application date as possible — reportedly must be less than 30 days old
✓Face the camera directly with a neutral expression
How Vekyo works for a South Africa passport
Upload a recent photo, and Vekyo detects your face, then checks it against the South Africa passport specification above — including its not specified in the sources found — use a plain, evenly lit background as a safe default. background requirement — before letting you crop and position it to match. Face detection, quality checks, cropping, and resizing run in your browser by default. Vekyo never changes your facial features, skin tone, or facial structure, and never generates or beautifies a face. If your background doesn't look plain and evenly lit enough for this document, you'll see a warning rather than a silent pass, and you can choose the optional background tool to replace it with a plain color — nothing is replaced unless you ask. The optional high-quality background removal option sends the cropped photo to our server for that one step.
Frequently asked questions
Vekyo prepares your South Africa passport photo at 35×45mm, based on the published specification linked on this page — you don't need to measure or crop it yourself.
Not specified in the sources found — use a plain, evenly lit background as a safe default. Vekyo's compliance check flags a background that looks patterned, shadowed, or uneven before you pay, so you can retake the photo if needed.
Yes. A recent phone photo works well as long as it is a clear, front-facing shot in good, even lighting against a plain background. Vekyo crops and resizes it to the required dimensions in your browser.
Yes. Vekyo lets you prepare a photo that matches the South Africa passport photo specification from an existing picture, without visiting a photo studio. You still need to check your final photo, and print it, according to your application's instructions.
No. Vekyo crops, resizes, and repositions your existing photo to match the required dimensions, and can optionally replace the background or adjust lighting when you choose. It never alters your facial features, skin tone, or facial structure, and never generates or beautifies a face.
Not by default. Face detection, cropping, resizing, and file generation happen locally in your browser. If you choose the optional high-quality background removal service, the cropped image is securely sent to our server for that processing step only; the standard option stays entirely on your device. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
No. You get a free preview of your finished photo — including its compliance score and checklist — before paying anything. Payment only unlocks the full-resolution, watermark-free download and the printable sheet.
Your compliance checklist shows exactly which checks passed, which need attention, and which failed, with a plain-language explanation for each. From there you can use Auto-Fix to automatically correct issues like cropping, brightness, or sharpness, adjust the crop yourself, or upload or retake a different photo — you can keep adjusting until it looks right, all before you pay. A mistake we see often for a South Africa passport: photo older than 30 days — south africa is reported to require an unusually recent photo.
Yes. Vekyo generates a printable PDF sized for a South Africa passport — 35×45mm — with multiple copies laid out on a 4x6 inch or A4 sheet, so you can print it at home or at a photo lab without distortion.
Vekyo prepares your photo according to the published South Africa passport photo specification linked on this page. You are responsible for confirming your final photo meets your specific application's requirements before submitting it.
We cannot guarantee acceptance. Vekyo prepares your photo according to the published photo specifications, but final acceptance is always decided by the receiving government authority. Always verify the latest requirements on the official source before submitting your application.
Prepared according to the published requirements — not a guarantee of acceptance and not government approved. Always verify the latest requirements with the official authority before submitting your photo.