Nigerian Passport Photo Requirements & Size — 35×45 mm NIS Guide (2026)

Country guide · 🇳🇬 Nigeria · Last verified: July 2026

Nigerian passport and visa photos use the standard 35×45 mm format with a plain white background. The NIS (Nigerian Immigration Service) has biometric passport requirements aligned with ICAO standards. This guide covers printed photo specs, the NIS digital portal requirements, and what Nigerians in the diaspora need to know.

Quick facts

Photo specifications

Size and dimensions

• Photo size: 35 mm wide × 45 mm tall
• Print size: 35×45 mm; shoulders visible in the lower frame
• NIS portal head height: 50–69% of the image (top of head including hair to bottom of chin) — not the older ICAO print 70–80% crop
• NIS portal eye line: 56–69% of image height measured from the bottom

Background

Plain white. Uniform, no shadows, no patterns or textures. The background must be clearly white — not off-white or light grey. Good contrast between face and background — avoid white clothing.

Expression and appearance

• Expression: neutral, mouth closed. No smiling or showing teeth.
• Eyes: both open, looking directly at camera. No red-eye.
• Head position: straight, facing camera directly. No tilting or turning.
• Glasses: not allowed for NIS passport photos. The portal text states eyeglasses are no longer permitted. Remove them before you shoot. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are also prohibited.
• Head coverings: not permitted except for religious or medical reasons with supporting documentation. Full face must be visible.
• Clothing: everyday attire. No uniforms. Avoid white clothing — it blends into the white background. Dark solid colours recommended.
• Makeup: allowed but must be natural. Excessive makeup changing skin tone or facial contours will cause rejection.

Quality

• Full colour only — no black and white
• Sharp, in focus, no blur or pixelation
• Even lighting, no shadows on face or background
• Professional photo paper recommended
• No digital retouching or alterations

NIS digital portal requirements

For online Nigerian passport applications at passport.immigration.gov.ng:

• Format: JPEG (portal also lists PNG; JPEG is the safe choice)
• Dimensions: 600×800 pixels (exact portal requirement)
• File size: under 2 MB
• Head height: 50–69% of image height (crown including hair → chin)
• Eye line: 56–69% from the bottom of the image
• Background: plain light-coloured, no distracting shadows
• Glasses: not allowed

Test your file first at passport.immigration.gov.ng/image-compliance. The automated checker rejects oversized heads (the usual diaspora booth crop) even when the pixel count is correct.

New passport vs renewal — photo requirements differ

New passport (first-time or lost passport):

• 2 printed photos required
• Guarantor form signed by Nigerian citizen with valid passport
• One photo signed/endorsed by guarantor on the back

Passport renewal:

• 1 printed photo (some offices may request 2 — confirm with your processing office)
• Digital upload also required for biometric capture

For Nigerians in the diaspora

You are usually applying at a Nigerian High Commission or Consulate — not at a local passport office. The same 35×45 mm white specifications apply everywhere. The trap is using a default US 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) pharmacy photo or a UK HMPO booth without checking output size.

Australia: High Commission in Canberra; Consulate General in Sydney (also serves Melbourne applicants — confirm jurisdiction on immigration.gov.ng). Australian passport booths and Post Office counters default to 35×45 mm like the UK — closer to NIS size than US 2×2 — but background colour and head crop still fail NIS checks if you use a generic booth without verification. Book early: processing abroad often runs 6–12 weeks.

Canada: High Commission in Ottawa; Consulate General in Toronto. Canadian passport photos are 50×70 mm — do not use a local passport-studio package for NIS. Export 35×45 mm from PixID and print as a standard photo sheet at Walmart, Costco, or Shoppers PhotoLab.

United States: Embassy Washington DC; Consulates General in New York, Atlanta, and Houston. Specify 35×45 mm at the lab — CVS and Walgreens default to 2×2 unless you ask otherwise. See US passport photo prices — the in-store 2×2 package is the wrong format for NIS.

United Kingdom: High Commission London; Consulates in Manchester and Edinburgh (confirm current locations on immigration.gov.ng). UK passport booths often output 35×45 mm but cropping and background may not match NIS — verify before you submit.

Digital NIS portal: Upload at passport.immigration.gov.ng before or alongside your mission appointment. Need 600×800 px JPEG under 2 MB with head 50–69% of the frame. PixID checks crop, head size, and file size for NIS export — it does not alter your face.

Nigerian missions in the US (reference):

• Embassy in Washington DC
• Consulate General in New York (serves: Northeast US)
• Consulate General in Atlanta (serves: Southeast US, Midwest)
• Consulate General in Houston (serves: South and Southwest US)

Passport processing times at Nigerian missions abroad are typically 6–12 weeks. Apply well in advance of travel. Some offices use third-party appointment and processing services.

Important for US-based Nigerians: Since Nigerian consulate photos use 35×45 mm (not the US 2×2 inch / 51×51 mm format), you cannot simply use a standard US pharmacy passport photo. Specify 35×45 mm at the photo lab, or use PixID ($4.99) to generate the correctly sized file and print at any lab.

How to print 35×45 mm abroad (cheaper than a wrong-size booth)

The usual diaspora mistake is paying for a local passport photo package (US 2×2, Canada 50×70) and discovering at the mission that NIS wants 35×45 mm white. Safer workflow:

1. Take or upload a plain-background photo at home.
2. Export NIS-sized JPEG (600×800 px, head 50–69%) with PixID — checks crop and head height, does not alter your face.
3. Print the included 4×6 sheet at a retail lab: US Walmart/CVS kiosk (~$0.35), UK Boots/Tesco Photo (~65p), Australia Officeworks/Kmart, Canada Walmart — cut to 35×45 mm or ask the counter for ICAO-size prints.

Total cost is often under $6 with both a portal-ready digital file and paper copies — less than a US CVS 2×2 session that still fails NIS size rules.

Nigeria visa and NIN — same 35×45 mm format

Nigerian visa applications and many NIN enrolments use the same 35×45 mm white photo rules as the passport. Spec tables: Nigeria Visa · Nigeria National ID (NIN) · Nigeria Passport doc specs. In PixID, select the exact document type before export.

Child and baby passport photos

Same 35×45 mm size applies to all ages.

• Child must be the only person in the photo — no hands, toys, or other people visible
• Infants: place on a plain white sheet and photograph from above
• NIS requires babies' eyes must be open — however, very young infants have some flexibility. Ensure as much of the face as possible is clearly visible.
• Same white background and quality requirements apply

NIN (National Identity Number) photo

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) NIN card uses the same 35×45 mm format with white background. Photos are taken digitally at NIMC enrolment centres in Nigeria. For Nigerians abroad, NIMC has begun limited enrolment at some missions.

Common rejection reasons

• Background not plain white — shadows or off-white tint
• Glasses still on — NIS portal no longer allows eyeglasses
• Non-neutral expression — smiling or open mouth
• Head too large in the frame — portal wants 50–69%; ICAO-style 70–80% booth crops fail
• White or light clothing blending into background
• Wrong pixels or oversized file — need 600×800 px JPEG under 2 MB
• Excessive makeup changing facial appearance
• Photo older than 6 months
• Missing guarantor endorsement on new applications

Frequently asked questions

See also