Tanzanian Passport Photo (online application upload, light blue background): size and requirements
The Tanzanian Passport Photo size is 413 x 531 pixels for online upload. Picha ya Mwombaji ya hivi karibuni yenye kivuli cha rangi ya buluu isiyokoza (Light blue Background); head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height. Last verified 2026-10-09 against Immigration Services Department (United Republic of Tanzania), Tanzania Passport Application portal, 'Maelekezo' (guidelines), with ICAO Doc 9303.
For the recent photo attached to an online Tanzanian passport application on eservices.immigration.go.tz (Ombi Jipya, first application or renewal, by citizens of the United Republic of Tanzania). The portal names only the background colour, so the frame is the ICAO Doc 9303 reference. Not for the e-Visa, a residence permit or the NIDA national ID.
Requirements at a glance
- Size
- 413 x 531 pixels for online upload
- Head height
- Head 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (Picha ya Mwombaji ya hivi karibuni (no size or head rule is published; ICAO Doc 9303 35 x 45 mm and crown-to-chin 70 to 80 per cent applied))
- Background
- Picha ya Mwombaji ya hivi karibuni yenye kivuli cha rangi ya buluu isiyokoza (Light blue Background)
- 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
- We deliver
- 413 x 531 px , plus a 4 x 6 inch print sheet
What trips people up
- CheckLight blue, not white: the only published photo rule is 'Picha ya Mwombaji ya hivi karibuni yenye kivuli cha rangi ya buluu isiyokoza (Light blue Background)' - a recent photo of the applicant on a light blue background. Everything else here is the ICAO reference frame.
- CheckThe passport portal is in Swahili only; the e-Visa portal's English photo list (see tz/e-visa) is a different service and asks for a plain background.
- CheckThe application is filed online with attachments ('Ambatanisha Vielelezo vyote vinavyohitajika'), then paid with a Control Number; the form fee is 'Ada ya Fomu Tsh 20,000'. We did not reach the upload step behind the form, so pixel and file limits are unknown.
- CheckRequirements listed alongside the photo: applicant's birth certificate, parent's birth certificate or affidavit, national ID (Kitambulisho cha Taifa), and proof of travel or occupation.
- CheckThe main site immigration.go.tz loads its FAQ from an API that refused our requests, so we could not confirm whether a second photo is captured at the immigration office.
Good to know before you pay
If you already have a recent light-blue-background photo file, the portal's one published rule is met; the ICAO frame is our addition.
Source and verification
No national rule published; ICAO 9303 standard applies. Last checked 2026-10-09 (archived copy dated 2024-09-12) at Immigration Services Department (United Republic of Tanzania), Tanzania Passport Application portal, 'Maelekezo' (guidelines), with ICAO Doc 9303.
Picha ya Mwombaji ya hivi karibuni yenye kivuli cha rangi ya buluu isiyokoza (Light blue Background)
Ada ya Fomu Tsh 20,000
Ambatanisha Vielelezo vyote vinavyohitajika (kwa kuzingatia maelekezo)
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.
Quotes 1-3 are from the passport portal guidelines at source.url (sources/tz/eservices-passport-guidelines.txt, read via r.jina.ai on 2026-10-09). Translation (ours): a recent photo of the applicant with a light blue background; form fee TZS 20 000; attach all required supporting documents (following the instructions). Quotes 4-5 are ICAO Doc 9303 Part 3 (sources/icao/, Wayback 2024-09-12) and supply the frame and head band; archiveSnapshot is that excerpt's date, source.url was read live. digital 413 x 531 px JPEG is our 300 dpi rendering of the ICAO frame; the portal publishes no pixel, kilobyte or format rule. background 'light-blue' from quote 1. glasses and headCovering are defaults; maxPhotoAgeMonths undefined ('hivi karibuni', recent, only). 'yes' rests on the photo being a listed attachment with no photographer rule.
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
