DR Congo Passport Photo (biometric capture at a DERMALOG office; ICAO 35 x 45 mm reference): size and requirements
The DR Congo Passport Photo size is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches). Not published; white is our rendering choice for the reference frame; head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-10 against Ministère des Affaires étrangères, République démocratique du Congo - passport pre-registration portal ('8 Steps to your passport'), with the ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 reference frame.
For a Congolese biometric passport (passeport biométrique) pre-registered on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal passeport.gouv.cd, as a reference only: the portal's eight-step guide ends with an enrolment appointment at a DERMALOG office 'so that your biometric data can be captured' and names no photograph to bring, so we read that the office takes the picture; the frame, head band and background here are the ICAO Doc 9303 defaults. Not for a DRC e-visa, whose portal publishes no readable photo rule.
The portal's eight steps name no photo and the enrolment office captures your biometric data in person; our 35 x 45 mm ICAO frame is only a reference if a mission asks for a print. See all DR Congo documents.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 inches)
- Head height
- Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (no photo rule published (biometric data are captured at the enrolment office); ICAO Doc 9303 crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent of the 45 mm height applied as a reference)
- Background
- not published; white is our rendering choice for the reference frame
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Allowed without glare or tint
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 413 x 531 px (300 DPI), plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckThe office captures you: step 5 'Enrollment' reads '(After obtaining an appointment), go to one of the DERMALOG offices with your application form containing your personal QR code and the required documents so that your biometric data can be captured.' No step names a photograph, so do not pay for prints before your appointment - the capture at the counter is our reading of 'biometric data'.
- CheckEight steps: enter your demographic data and NIF online (or visit a branch for an appointment); confirm your e-mail and receive the pre-registration PDF with the payment slip (note de perception); pay online or at the partner bank ('Payment at Equity Bank Congo'); present yourself at the ANR with your identity documents ('ANR Approval'); enrolment at DERMALOG; printing; notification; then 'Go to your biometric registration location to finalize the withdrawal.'
- Check'The biometric passport is your secure travel document for accurate identity verification and is available to Congolese citizens.' - one application per family member, and 'Passport applications for children of all ages must be submitted by parents or legal guardians.'
- CheckThe portal 'Welcome to the official online portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Congolese passport applications.' blocks plain fetches and renders only its welcome heading without JavaScript; these steps were read from its code strings (Version 1.1.9), so re-check the live page in a browser.
- CheckICAO reference frame: 'Submitted portraits should be 45.0 mm x 35.0 mm (1.77 in x 1.38 in) in dimension.' with the head 70 to 80 per cent of the height and a plain light background - only for a DRC mission that still asks for a print.
Source and verification
No national rule published; ICAO 9303 standard applies. Last checked 2026-10-10 (archived copy dated 2025-11-05) at Ministère des Affaires étrangères, République démocratique du Congo - passport pre-registration portal ('8 Steps to your passport'), with the ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 reference frame.
(After obtaining an appointment), go to one of the DERMALOG offices with your application form containing your personal QR code and the required documents so that your biometric data can be captured.
The biometric passport is your secure travel document for accurate identity verification and is available to Congolese citizens.
Welcome to the official online portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Congolese passport applications.
Passport applications for children of all ages must be submitted by parents or legal guardians.
Go to your biometric registration location to finalize the withdrawal.
Submitted portraits should be 45.0 mm x 35.0 mm (1.77 in x 1.38 in) in dimension.
The crown-to-chin portion of the facial image shall be 70 to 80 per cent of the longest dimension defined for Zone V, maintaining the aspect ratio between the crown-to-chin and ear-to-ear details of the face of the holder.
A submitted portrait shall have been captured within the last six months before application, as outlined in [ISO/IEC 39794-5]. Portraits with a capture time dating back more than three months should not be accepted.
Quotes 1-5 are the English i18n strings of source.url's application bundle index-D1sKZo20.js as captured by the Wayback Machine on 2025-11-05 (sources/cd/passeport-gouv-bundle-howto-strings.txt; the live host answers 403 to curl and the proxy renders only the welcome heading, sources/cd/passeport-gouv-home.txt). Quotes 6-8 are ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/icao-9303-part3-portrait-excerpt.txt, Wayback capture 2024-09-12). eligibility 'no' is inferred from quote 1 and the absence of any photograph in the eight steps - the portal does not say who takes the picture; physical 35 x 45 mm, head 0.7-0.8, maxPhotoAgeMonths 6 from quotes 6-8; background 'white', dpi 300, glasses and headCovering are ICAO-style defaults.
We are an independent service, not a government website. Applying for a passport or visa is done with your government; we only prepare the photo.
Frequently asked questions
