Samoa Work Permit Photo — Exact Official Standard

A Samoa work permit application submitted to the Immigration Division (mpmc.gov.ws Permit Services) must include passport-style photographs that meet the national standard exactly. The correct size is 35×45 mm (827×1063 px at print resolution) against a gray background (#D9D9D9), and applicants are typically required to supply two copies. A photo that deviates from these specifications — even slightly — can trigger an immediate request to resubmit, adding days or weeks to the permit timeline.

What sets Samoa's foreign employment photo requirement apart is the explicit use of the national passport-photo specification for work permit applications, administered directly through the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Permit Services unit. Unlike some countries that accept a white background for employment documents, Samoa mandates a specific medium gray (#D9D9D9) — a colour that many photo booths and generic online tools simply do not replicate accurately. This single detail is the most common reason overseas applicants have their photos returned. Because employment permits are processed centrally in Apia, there is no regional office to absorb or overlook non-conforming photographs: the standard is applied uniformly.

• Size: 35×45 mm (827×1063 px)
• Background: flat, uniform gray — hex #D9D9D9 — no shadows, gradients, or patterns
• Face coverage: the face must fill 60–80% of the frame height
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible
• Glasses: not permitted under any circumstances
• Headwear: permitted only for documented religious reasons; must not obscure the face
• Recency: photograph must have been taken within the last six months
• Print quality: sharp focus, even lighting, no pixelation or colour cast

• Common reasons photos are rejected in Samoa:
• Wrong background colour: white or off-white backgrounds — standard for many other countries — do not meet the Samoan gray (#D9D9D9) requirement and are rejected outright
• Glasses left on: eyeglasses are not allowed regardless of whether they are clear or tinted; this rule is strictly enforced at the Immigration Division counter
• Face too small in the frame: casual selfies or portrait shots where the face occupies less than 60% of the frame height fail the size check immediately
• Photo older than six months: the Immigration Division treats an outdated photograph as a documentation error, the same as a missing supporting document

To get your photo right the first time, upload any clear, front-facing picture taken in the past six months. The service automatically crops and resizes it to the exact 35×45 mm / 827×1063 px dimensions, applies the precise #D9D9D9 gray background, and checks face coverage — all to the Immigration Division standard. You see a free watermarked preview before any payment is taken. If you pay for the final file and the photo is still rejected by the authority, we will redo it at no charge or issue a full refund. You pay only for a photo you are confident will be accepted.