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

Country guide · 🇳🇬 Nigeria · Last verified: May 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
• Head height: 31–36 mm from chin to crown
• Face coverage: 70–80% of the photo area
• Shoulders visible in the lower portion of the frame

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: prescription glasses are technically allowed if frames do not cover eyes and there is no glare. However, NIS recommends removing glasses to avoid any risk of rejection. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are always 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
• Dimensions: minimum 600×800 pixels (NIS portal rejects smaller uploads; 35×45 mm proportions at print)
• Background: plain white
• Same face and expression requirements apply

The NIS digital portal has an automated photo compliance check. Photos that don't meet the pixel dimensions or face positioning requirements are rejected during upload.

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. Minimum 600×800 px JPEG. 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 minimum) 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 causing glare or covering eyes — remove glasses to be safe
• Non-neutral expression — smiling or open mouth
• Head size outside 31–36 mm range
• White or light clothing blending into background
• Digital portal: image too small — NIS requires at least 600×800 px (not 350×450 or phone thumbnails)
• Excessive makeup changing facial appearance
• Photo older than 6 months
• Missing guarantor endorsement on new applications

Frequently asked questions

See also