Ghana Passport Photo (online upload 140 x 170 px, white background; photo also taken at the PAC): size and requirements
The Ghana Passport Photo size is 140 x 170 pixels for online upload, file under 250 KB. Background: White; head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Photo taken within the last 6 months. Last verified 2026-10-09 against Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ghana, Ghana Passport Services portal: FAQ 'What are the passport photo requirements?', 'Do I need to attend in person?' and 'How It Works'.
For the passport photo uploaded in Section 1 of the online Ghana passport application on passport.mfa.gov.gh (new, renewal, replacement, 32- or 48-page booklet, applied for in Ghana or at a Ghana mission abroad). The Passport Application Centre also photographs you at the biometric appointment. Not for the Ghana Card, a Ghana visa or a driving licence.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 140 x 170 pixels for online upload, file under 250 KB
- Head height
- Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (Full face visible, facing camera; Forehead Fully visible; Both ears visible (no head-height figure is published; ICAO Doc 9303 crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent applied))
- Background
- Background: White
- Expression
- Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, looking at the camera
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Head covering
- Only for religious or medical reasons; full face visible
- Photo age
- Taken within the last 6 months
- We deliver
- 140 x 170 px , under 250 KB, plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckThe upload is tiny: 'Standard passport size (uploaded: 140px × 170px)'. That is a 14:17 frame, not the 7:9 of a 35 x 45 mm print, so a print-shaped file is cropped by the portal; we render 140 x 170 directly.
- CheckFile size is a band, not one number: 'Max 250KB – 1MB (varies by mission)'. We output under 250 KB so the file passes the strictest mission; the format row says 'JPEG or PDF'.
- CheckYou are photographed again at the PAC: 'A passport photo will also be taken at the PAC during enrolment — do NOT wear white clothing to your appointment.' The How It Works tips add 'Ensure your appearance matches your uploaded passport photo'.
- CheckNo glasses at all unless medical: 'No glasses or sunglasses (except medical)'. Headgear 'None (except for religious reasons)'. 'No large earrings'.
- CheckBoth ears and the whole forehead must show: 'Both ears visible', 'Fully visible'. Expression 'Plain/neutral, mouth closed'; eyes 'Open and clearly visible'.
- CheckEveryone attends in person: 'All applicants, including children and minors, must attend their scheduled appointment in person for document verification and biometric capture (photograph, fingerprints and signature). Proxy applications are not accepted.'
- CheckDelays are blamed on photos: the FAQ lists 'photographs that do not meet ICAO specifications' among the common reasons an application is delayed.
Known quirks of the official upload
- NoteCreate the account at passport.mfa.gov.gh, fill Section 1 (Personal Information) where the passport photo is uploaded, upload documents in Section 3, pay via Ghana.gov, book the PAC slot and print the appointment slip.
Good to know before you pay
If you already have a recent white-background JPEG under 250 KB that you can crop to 140 x 170 px with your head and both ears clear, the portal accepts it; the PAC photographs you anyway.
Source and verification
Read from the official page. Last checked 2026-10-09 (archived copy dated 2024-09-12) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ghana, Ghana Passport Services portal: FAQ 'What are the passport photo requirements?', 'Do I need to attend in person?' and 'How It Works'.
Photos must meet ICAO standards. A passport photo will also be taken at the PAC during enrolment — do NOT wear white clothing to your appointment.
Standard passport size (uploaded: 140px × 170px)
Max 250KB – 1MB (varies by mission)
Taken within 6 months
No glasses or sunglasses (except medical)
None (except for religious reasons)
All applicants, including children and minors, must attend their scheduled appointment in person for document verification and biometric capture (photograph, fingerprints and signature). Proxy applications are not accepted.
Ensure your appearance matches your uploaded passport photo
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.
Quotes 1-7 are from the FAQ page at source.url; the answers are rendered client-side, so they were read from the page's own Next.js chunk (sources/gh/mfa-passport-faqs-answers.txt, fetched 2026-10-09; the text proxy copy mfa-passport-faqs.txt shows the questions only). Quote 1's em dash is the page's own. Quotes 2-6 are cells of the photo-requirements table (rows Size, File Size, Recency, Eyewear, Headgear); background 'White', 'Both ears visible', 'Fully visible', 'Plain/neutral, mouth closed', 'JPEG or PDF' and 'No large earrings' are further cells of the same table. Quote 8 is from How It Works (sources/gh/mfa-passport-how-it-works.txt). Quote 9 is ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/, Wayback 2024-09-12) and supplies only the head band, which the portal does not state; archiveSnapshot is that excerpt's date, source.url was read live. digital 140 x 170 px from quote 2; maxKb 250 is the low end of quote 3's band (we do not know which missions allow 1 MB); format 'jpeg' because PDF is not a photo format we render. maxPhotoAgeMonths 6 from quote 4. glasses 'not-allowed' from quote 5 (medical exception has no code value). 'yes' rests on the upload being a listed requirement with no photographer rule; the PAC capture (quote 1) is why the recommendation warns the final photo may differ. printsRequired and child undefined.
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
