Cape Verde Work Permit Photo — Exact Biometric Standard

A compliant photo is the first document inspectors check when processing a Cape Verde work permit. The governing standard is the national biometric specification applied by the Delegação de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras / Autoridade para as Autorização de Imigração (DEF/AAI) — the body responsible for all foreign-national authorisations in the archipelago. Your photo must meet this standard exactly; a non-conforming image is returned without processing, delaying your entire application.

One important detail specific to Cape Verde: work authorisation for foreigners is legally tied to the residence-permit process administered by DEF/AAI. In practice this means a single biometric photo set is submitted for both the work-permit and the accompanying residence title in the same procedure. There is no separate photo standard for each document — the same national 35×45 mm white-background biometric photo covers both. Getting one set right therefore unblocks the entire application at once, which makes precision doubly important here.

• Print size: 35 mm wide × 45 mm tall (digital: 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi)
• Background: plain white (#FFFFFF) — no shadows, gradients, or objects behind the subject
• Face coverage: the face must occupy 70–80 % of the frame height
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking directly at the camera
• Glasses: permitted only if the eyes are fully visible with no glare, reflections, or tinted lenses
• Head covering: not permitted except for documented religious reasons; covering must not obscure any facial features
• Recency: photo must have been taken within the last 6 months and must accurately reflect your current appearance

• Off-white or cream background: a common home-print or phone-photo problem — DEF/AAI officers specifically check for a true white field; even a slight warm cast is grounds for rejection
• Face too small or cropped at the crown: because the same image is used for the biometric residence card, the facial-geometry check is strict — too little face area or a clipped hairline fails the automated scan
• Glasses with any glare or tint: even prescription glasses with a slight anti-reflective coating can produce glare under document-office lighting; officers reject on sight if the iris is partially obscured
• Photo older than 6 months or showing a significantly different appearance: inspectors compare the submitted photo against in-person appearance at the DEF/AAI office; a dated or heavily edited image triggers an immediate request for a retake

To get your photo right without a studio visit, upload any recent clear photo of yourself — it is automatically cropped and resized to the exact 35×45 mm DEF/AAI specification, with a verified white background and correct face proportions. Before you pay anything, you receive a free watermarked preview so you can confirm the result looks right. If you proceed and the photo is later rejected by the Cape Verde authorities, we redo it free of charge or issue a full refund — you carry no risk. Upload your photo, check the free preview, and pay only for the final print-ready file.