🇰🇪 Kenya → 🇨🇦 Canada visa · Last verified: May 2026
Canada Visa Photo Requirements for Kenyan Applicants — IRCC & VFS Nairobi (2026)
Quick answer: IRCC requires 35×45 mm, white or light background, head 31–36 mm (chin to crown), two identical prints when VFS asks, plus biometrics at VFS Canada Nairobi. Digital IRCC upload is required for Express Entry and most online applications.
Official sources: VFS Canada/Kenya · IRCC
Use this page if…
- Kenyan passport holder applying for Canada visitor, study, work, or Express Entry from Kenya.
Do not use this page for: Kenya passport photo guide renewal, applicants outside this origin country, or generic sizing without VFS context — see general Canada visa photo guide or Kenya passport photo guide.
If you already paid for a Kenya passport print in Kenya, the usual trap is assuming IRCC accepts the same crop at 35×45 mm. VFS measures head height 31–36 mm — a passport-studio photo on the right paper size still fails if the face sits too small or too large.
VFS Canada — Nairobi
Kenyan applicants submit through VFS Global Canada in Nairobi for biometrics and document collection.
| Centre | Address / area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VFS Canada — Nairobi | Parkfield Building, 5th Floor, Muthangari Drive, Off Waiyaki Way, Westlands | Biometrics & visa document submission |
| Online IRCC | Express Entry / study / work permit portal | Digital photo upload required |
VFS Canada/Kenya · IRCC photo specs
Photo specification
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Print size | 35×45 mm (IRCC) |
| Head height | 31–36 mm (chin to crown) |
| Background | Plain white or light-coloured |
| Glasses | Non-tinted RX OK; no sunglasses |
| Recency | ≤ 6 months |
| Quantity | 2 identical prints (typical) |
| Digital | IRCC portal JPEG when applying online |
| Paper | High-quality photo paper |
Canada IRCC visa photos require head 31–36 mm — different from Kenya eCitizen passport crop even at 35×45 mm print size.
Printed photo or digital upload?
Both print and digital. Online IRCC applications need a digital JPEG; VFS Nairobi biometrics typically requires two printed 35×45 mm copies. Export both from PixID — do not reuse an eCitizen passport upload.
What usually goes wrong in Kenya
- Reusing eCitizen passport photo with wrong IRCC 31–36 mm head height
- Only one print when two are required
- Home-printed photos on plain paper
- Shadows on white background from window lighting
Printing in Nairobi before VFS
Labs in Westlands, CBD, and Karen can print two identical 35×45 mm IRCC copies from PixID. VFS offers paid on-site photography as an alternative.
PixID — $4.99
PixID checks crop, background, and file size for Canada visa rules — without altering your face. $4.99, money-back guarantee.
See also
- Kenya visa photo guide
- Kenya passport photo guide
- Canada visa photo — general
- Canada Visa doc specs
- UK visa — Kenya
- UAE visa — Kenya
Frequently asked questions
What size for Canada visa photo in Kenya?
Where is VFS Nairobi?
Express Entry from Kenya?
How many photos?
Same as Kenya passport photo?
Can VFS take my photo?
Can I wear glasses?
How recent must the photo be?
Canada visa from Kenya — IRCC 35×45 mm at VFS Nairobi
Create Your Photo — $4.99Verified against VFS Canada/Kenya and IRCC photo guidance.