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Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone National ID Card Photo: Exact NCRA Requirements

Get a perfectly sized 35×45 mm reference photo that meets every National Civil Registration Authority standard — free watermarked preview before you pay.

Important — please read first

This photo must be taken by an accredited service

For this document, Sierra Leone does not accept a self-prepared photo. By law it must be captured on site by an authorised service and submitted electronically, so we cannot produce a submittable file for it. The official specification is shown below so you know exactly what to expect at your appointment.

This photo is captured on site — but we can make your Sierra Leone photos online:

Passport photo Visa photo Work permit photo
35×45mm
827×1063px · JPG
70–80%head
Sierra Leone National ID Card Photo: Exact NCRA Requirements
Official requirements 2026
Exact size for your document
Requirements from the official source
GDPR · data is deleted
Sound familiar?

A document photo is a headache of its own

A Sierra Leone National ID card photo has strict requirements, and a mistake costs time and money. We’ll show you how to pass on the first try.

It gets rejected

Wrong size, background or cropping — and the system returns the application.

Expensive and slow

A trip to a photo studio means a queue, time and €7–12 for a reshoot.

Confusing requirements

Exact size, head height, light background, facial expression — easy to get wrong.

Redo it all over

Rejected — take another photo, pay and submit again. Round and round.

«Below are the exact requirements from the official source, so you arrive at your appointment prepared.»

Before → After

Ordinary photo → ready for submission

We remove the background and clutter, set the framing and lighting — keeping your face without «beautifying».

Source
Ordinary photo at home — background, shadows, non-standard framing
Ready for submission Ready for submission
Exact size, light background, correct cropping

Your face stays yours — we do not change features, only the background, lighting and framing.

In detail

Your National ID card photo: what matters

P Reviewed by Priya Anand · Document photo compliance

A Sierra Leone National ID card photo that meets the precise requirements of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) ensures your enrolment appointment runs smoothly. The NCRA issues the National ID card to Sierra Leonean citizens and eligible residents and enforces a clear biometric photo standard: 35×45 mm, plain white background, and a face that fills 70 to 80 percent of the frame height. Getting every detail right means no delays and a clean, usable record in the national biometric register.

Sierra Leone's NCRA operates one of West Africa's most advanced biometric enrolment systems. When you attend your appointment at a registration centre, a trained officer captures your photograph and fingerprints digitally on certified government equipment — the photo is recorded live on-site, not submitted as a print by the applicant. This makes it especially valuable to understand the visual standard in advance: arriving glasses-free and wearing only religiously required headwear means the officer can capture a compliant image immediately, saving you time and avoiding a rescheduled appointment.

  • Dimensions: 35×45 mm (827×1063 px at 600 dpi)
  • Background: plain white (#FFFFFF) — no shadows, gradients, patterns, or coloured walls behind the subject
  • Face coverage: 70–80% of the total frame height, centred in the image
  • Expression: neutral and relaxed, mouth fully closed, eyes open and directed straight at the lens
  • Glasses: not permitted — remove all eyewear including prescription glasses and sunglasses
  • Headwear: only for genuine religious reasons; must not cover the forehead, cast shadows on the face, or obscure any facial features
  • Recency: the image must be a true and current likeness, taken within the past 6 months

Common reasons photos are rejected in Sierra Leone:

  • Incorrect face-to-frame ratio — a face that is too small or too large relative to the 35×45 mm frame fails the 70–80% coverage rule enforced by NCRA scanners
  • Non-white background — grey, beige, cream, or any surface with cast shadow fails the strict plain-white (#FFFFFF) requirement; many home walls that look white under room lighting photograph as off-white
  • Glasses in the photo — NCRA biometric standards prohibit all eyewear; even thin prescription frames or lightly tinted lenses are not accepted
  • Non-religious headwear or obscured hairline — caps, fashion hats, and decorative headbands are rejected; even permitted religious coverings must leave the entire face and hairline fully visible

Upload your photo and it will be automatically sized and cropped to the exact 35×45 mm NCRA standard — correct white background, proper face framing, and pixel-perfect dimensions. A free watermarked preview is available before any payment, so you can verify the result yourself. The compliant reference image is ideal for Sierra Leone visa applications, residency permits, and any other official purpose that accepts a submitted photograph, giving you a ready-to-use, standard-compliant photo whenever you need one.

Photo requirements

What an accepted National ID card photo looks like

Sierra Leone · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.

Size
35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
Background
White plain
Head in frame
70–80%
Glasses
Not allowed
Facial expression
Neutral, mouth closed
Headwear
Only for religious reasons
File
JPG · ≤ 300 KB
Example of a compliant National ID card photo — Sierra Leone, 35 × 45 mm

Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.

Requirements verified: 08.2026

Tips

How to take a good photo

The most common reasons a Sierra Leone National ID card photo gets rejected — and how to avoid them. Compare good and bad shots.

Correct Incorrect
Format and freshness

1Format and freshness

A color photo taken no more than 6 months ago.

Lighting and background

2Lighting and background

Even light with no shadows on the face; a plain light background, without glare.

Head position

3Head position

Face head-on, head centered, no tilt or turn.

Facial expression

4Facial expression

Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.

Glasses and accessories

5Glasses and accessories

No glasses (especially sunglasses); eyes fully visible, without glare.

Headwear

6Headwear

Only for religious reasons and not covering the face — the face fully visible.

Clothing

7Clothing

Ordinary everyday clothes; no uniforms or face-covering clothing.

Common questions about Sierra Leone National ID card photos

How is the photo taken for a Sierra Leone National ID card?
The NCRA captures your photograph digitally on-site at the registration centre during your biometric enrolment appointment — fingerprints and photo are recorded together by a trained officer using certified government equipment. You do not bring or submit a printed photograph. Preparing a compliant reference image beforehand helps you understand exactly how you should look and present yourself, so the session goes smoothly the first time.
What are the exact photo dimensions for the Sierra Leone National ID card?
The NCRA standard requires a photo of 35×45 mm, which at 600 dpi corresponds to 827×1063 pixels. These are the same proportions used for many international travel documents, but the exact pixel count matters when producing a digital file for printing or uploading.
What background colour is required, and does it have to be pure white?
Yes — the background must be plain white (#FFFFFF). Off-white, cream, light grey, or any background showing shadows behind the head will not meet the standard. Many household walls that appear white under indoor lighting photograph as noticeably off-white, which is a frequent cause of non-compliance.
Are glasses allowed in a Sierra Leone ID card photo?
No. NCRA biometric requirements prohibit all eyewear in the photograph, including prescription glasses, reading glasses, and sunglasses. You must remove your glasses entirely before the photo is taken.
Can I wear a headscarf or religious head covering in the photo?
Headwear is permitted only for genuine religious reasons. If you wear a religious covering, it must not conceal the forehead, cast shadows across the face, or hide any facial features. The full face from the top of the forehead to the chin — and from ear to ear — must be clearly visible.
How does a reference photo help me if the NCRA takes the photo on-site?
Producing a reference image lets you see exactly how you look against the 35×45 mm standard before your appointment — confirming that your background, lighting, expression, and framing are all correct. It also gives you a ready compliant photo for Sierra Leone visa applications, travel documents, and any other official use that does require a submitted photograph.
Data protection

Your photo is protected

A photo is personal data, so we handle it carefully and in line with GDPR. We process it only to prepare the document and delete it within clear deadlines.

Privacy Policy Data deletion
  • Only with consentWe process the photo only after your explicit consent before upload.
  • Auto-deletionWe delete the source photo within a day, the ready file after 7 days.
  • No sharing with third partiesYour photos are not sold or used to train any third-party systems.
  • Deletion on requestYou can ask to delete your data at any time — with a single request.

Other documents — Sierra Leone

The same document in other countries