Mauritius Work Permit Photo — Exact Size & Requirements

When you apply for a Mauritius Work Permit or Occupation Permit — processed by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training or the Economic Development Board (EDB) — you must submit recent passport-size colour photographs that meet the national passport standard. Getting this right matters: a non-compliant photo is one of the most common reasons an application is delayed or returned before it is even reviewed.

Mauritius adopts the same physical dimensions and composition rules for work and occupation permit photographs as it uses for its national passport. That means a 35×45 mm print (or the digital equivalent: 827×1063 px) with a plain light background. What catches many applicants off guard is that the background requirement is strict: it must be a uniform, very light neutral colour — the reference value is #F5F5F5 (near-white). Coloured, patterned, or grey backgrounds that look fine for other countries will cause an immediate rejection. Because permit applications are increasingly submitted through the EDB's online portal, the digital file must also carry the correct pixel dimensions and a clean, interference-free background before upload.

• Photo size: 35×45 mm / 827×1063 px
• Background: Uniform light neutral (#F5F5F5); no patterns, shadows, or gradients
• Face coverage: Face must fill 50–75% of the frame height
• Expression: Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible
• Glasses: Not permitted
• Head coverings: Only accepted for religious reasons; must not obscure the face
• Recency: Photograph must be recent (taken within the last 6 months)
• Colour: Full colour; black-and-white photos are not accepted

• Common reasons photos are rejected in Mauritius:
• Background is off-white, cream, or grey rather than the required near-white neutral — a very frequent failure on digital submissions to the EDB portal
• Face takes up less than 50% or more than 75% of the frame height, failing the strict composition check
• Glasses worn in the photo, even with anti-reflective lenses or thin frames — no exceptions are made
• Photo is more than six months old or noticeably does not resemble the applicant's current appearance

To get your photo right the first time, upload an ordinary well-lit photo of yourself — facing forward, plain background preferred — and it will be automatically cropped, resized, and colour-balanced to the exact 35×45 mm / 827×1063 px standard required by the Ministry of Labour and EDB. You receive a free watermarked preview before you pay a single cent, so you can confirm the result looks correct. Pay only for the final download. And if your photo is somehow rejected by the issuing authority, we will redo it at no charge or refund you in full — no questions asked.