Somalia Passport Photo: Official Size & Requirements for ICA Acceptance

A Somalia passport photo that clears the ICA (Immigration and Citizenship Agency) counter on first submission must meet the international ICAO standard as applied by Somali authorities: 35×45 mm, plain white background, neutral expression, and a face that fills 70–80% of the frame height. Getting these details exactly right is the single biggest factor in avoiding a returned application.

Somalia's ordinary passport is issued by the ICA, which applies ICAO-compliant rules strictly. The photo must have been taken within the last six months — a common but overlooked requirement — and you must supply two identical printed copies alongside any digital file. The minimum print resolution is 600 dpi, which means a low-quality phone crop will not produce acceptable output even if the composition looks correct on screen. The background must be plain white (#FFFFFF), with no gradients, shadows, or off-white tones; even a cream or ivory background is grounds for immediate rejection.

• Size: 35×45 mm (digital equivalent: 827×1063 px at 300 dpi print; 600 dpi required for submission copies)
• Background: plain white (#FFFFFF) — no shadows, patterns, or tinted backgrounds
• Face coverage: head must fill 70–80% of the frame height, centered
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open and clearly visible
• Glasses: not permitted, regardless of prescription or medical need
• Headwear: only permitted for daily religious observance (e.g. hijab); must not obscure the face or cast shadows
• Recency: photo must have been taken within the last 6 months
• Copies: two identical copies required for physical submission

• Common reasons photos are rejected by ICA:
• Background is off-white, cream, or has a visible shadow behind the head — ICA requires pure white with no tonal variation
• Head size falls outside the 70–80% range — too small a face is the most frequently cited technical failure
• Glasses worn in the photo, including frameless or tinted lenses; there are no medical exemptions at the ICA counter
• Photo older than six months or visibly inconsistent with the applicant's current appearance (beard grown, significant change in hairstyle)

To get a correctly prepared photo, upload a clear, well-lit selfie or portrait taken against any plain background. The photo is automatically cropped and resized to the exact 35×45 mm ICA specification, the background is made pure white, and the result is checked against face-coverage rules before you see anything. You receive a free watermarked preview first — you pay only when you are satisfied with the result. If the printed or digital file is ever rejected by the ICA, we redo the photo at no charge or issue a full refund. No risk, no guesswork — just a photo built to the exact standard the ICA requires.