Somalia Work Permit Photo — Official 35×45 mm Requirements & Fast Compliance

A Somalia work permit photo must meet the standard passport-style specification administered by the Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA) in coordination with the Ministry of Labour. Because the work permit functions as an official identity record for foreign nationals authorised to work in-country, the photo is treated with the same rigour as a passport image — and an incorrect photo is one of the most common reasons applications stall before they even reach substantive review.

Somalia administers work permits for foreign nationals through a centralised process involving both the ICA and the Ministry of Labour. The two-agency structure means your application file passes through more than one point of scrutiny, and the photo must satisfy the same white-background, neutral-expression passport standard at each stage. Unlike some countries that accept a range of background shades, Somalia's standard is unambiguous: pure white (#FFFFFF) only. Even a faintly off-white background — common when printing at home and scanning — is sufficient grounds for rejection. It is worth preparing a digitally verified white background rather than relying on a physical backdrop that may photograph as cream or grey.

• Photo dimensions: 35×45 mm (827×1063 px at standard 96 dpi print resolution)
• Background: pure white (#FFFFFF) — no gradients, shadows, or patterns behind the subject
• Face height: must fill 70–80% of the total frame height
• Expression: neutral and relaxed, mouth closed, both eyes open and looking directly at the camera
• Glasses: not permitted under any circumstances
• Headwear: only permitted for documented religious reasons; the full face — forehead to chin, ear to ear — must remain unobstructed
• Recency: the photo must have been taken within the last 6 months
• Retouching: no alterations that change or conceal natural facial features

• Common reasons photos are rejected in Somalia:
• Off-white or grey backgrounds — even a slight tint from home printing or a textured wall shows clearly in a digital scan and triggers refusal
• Glasses present in the photo, including thin prescription frames; the rule applies without exception
• Shadows across the face or falling onto the background from overhead or side lighting — even mild shadows can fail the check
• Face proportion outside the 70–80% range — a head that appears too small or is cropped too tightly at the top are both grounds for rejection

Upload a clear, recent photo and it is automatically prepared to the exact Somalia work permit standard — resized to 35×45 mm, background set to verified white, and face framing checked against the 70–80% requirement. You receive a free watermarked preview before any payment so you can confirm the result looks right. You pay only for the final download-ready file. If the photo is ever rejected by the issuing authority, we redo it at no extra cost or refund your payment in full — whichever you prefer.