Senegal Visa Photo: Exact Requirements & Instant Preparation

A Senegal visa photo must conform precisely to the ICAO standard adopted by Senegalese immigration authorities: 35×45 mm (827×1063 px at 300 dpi), pure white background, and the applicant's face filling between 70% and 80% of the frame height. Submitting a photo that does not meet every one of these criteria is one of the most common — and entirely avoidable — reasons a visa application is delayed or returned.

It is worth understanding where Senegal stands today. The country abolished short-stay tourist visas in 2015 for nationals of a large number of countries, meaning many travellers arrive without any visa at all. However, nationals of countries outside that exemption list — and applicants for longer-stay, work, student, or diplomatic visas — still need a full visa application complete with a compliant photo. Senegal is also developing a biometric e-visa system, and biometric submissions are particularly strict about photo geometry: a face that is even slightly outside the 70–80% height window will be automatically flagged by the processing software.

• Dimensions: 35×45 mm (digital equivalent: 827×1063 px at 300 dpi)
• Background: plain white (#FFFFFF) — no patterns, shadows, or off-white tones
• Face coverage: face height must occupy 70–80% of the total 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, no tinted lenses
• Head coverings: permitted for religious reasons only; the full face must remain unobscured
• Recency: photo must have been taken within the last six months
• Print quality: if submitting a physical print, high-resolution on matte or glossy photo paper with no pixelation

• Common reasons Senegal visa photos are rejected:
• Background not fully white: cream, light grey, or any gradient behind the subject fails the automated check used for biometric processing
• Face outside the 70–80% window: a face too small (too much empty space above the head) or too close (cropped forehead) are both rejected — this is the most frequent error on self-taken smartphone photos
• Shadows on the face or background: uneven lighting creates shadows that biometric systems flag as obscuring facial features
• Glasses with glare or tinted lenses: even lightly tinted prescription glasses are rejected if any part of the iris is obscured

To get your photo right the first time, upload any recent well-lit photo of yourself. It is automatically measured and cropped to the exact 35×45 mm / 827×1063 px specification, the background is set to pure white, and face framing is verified against the 70–80% rule. You see a free watermarked preview before making any payment — so you can confirm everything looks correct at no cost. If you do pay and the photo is later rejected by the visa authority, it will be redone free of charge or fully refunded. You pay only for a file you are confident in.