Passport Photo Details for Tanzania Visa

As for every other country's visas, there is a specific requirement regarding the passport photo which you are going to submit to apply for a Tanzanian Visa. Whether it is a sticker visa or an eVisa, you will need to submit your photograph along with your application form, via the embassy or the internet. The detailed specification for a Tanzania Visa passport picture is given below.

Your ears and both of your eyes should be visible in the picture. In the shot, the shoulders must be well discernible. Do not wear any accessories, such as caps, spectacles, or other adornments. And maybe most significantly, you can't use an outdated photo of yourself. You need to have taken the picture within the last six months, and it should be current. It should depict how you now seem. If not, you can run into immigration issues.

You are to keep in mind the following aspects in order to prepare a passport photo for the visa:

  • Size

    The appropriate dimension of your image should be 2” x 2”. The height and the width are inclusive of the borders around your original picture. A detailed measurement will have approximately 35 mm covering your face (top of your head to your chin), and about a 3 to 5 mm space gap in the original picture.

  • Resolution

    The resolution of the image should not be more than 600 dpi. It will allow a high resolution picture. It will be about 24 mp if uncompressed. Higher or lower resolution than mentioned will not be uploaded to the server.

  • Color

    Make sure that the photo is a colored copy. Black and white pictures will not be applicable and will be denied while processing the visa. Notice that the photo taken does not appear dark or in shadows. Also, be careful that the light on your face is not too much or too less.

  • Background

    The background of your image should be plain white with no texture whatsoever. It is to make your image look vivid and clear so your face is more visible. The background can be slightly light blue in color too, but keeping it white is the best option. The background can in no way be of darker color as that your suck in the light and the photo will not come out well.

  • Facial Expression

    You are to keep a neutral expression while capturing the photo. A little smile is acceptable, but it should not be wide to an extent that wrinkles or dimples fall on both sides of your lips. Your lips should not be pressed hard and are to be relaxed a bit. Make sure your face is relaxed and neutral in every way. Your head angle should be facing straight forward and not tilted. It is better to make your ears visible in the photo, but it is not mandatory for all (e.g. ears covered for religious/personal valid purposes). Your face should be in the exact center of the frame. Your eyes should be adequately open. But you are to be aware of red eyes due to the camera’s flash.

  • Gap/Borders

    There may or may not be a border of 2 mm around the original picture. This border or gap is optional. However, it looks neat with the gap/border.

  • Accessories

    You cannot have additional accessories around your face, like face rings, sunglasses, earrings, or any headgear. These are prohibited to be in the picture. Simply stating, anything other than your clothes and your face is not supposed to be in the photo. Only your reading glasses are allowed, but not sunglasses. But still, it is better to put off your glasses just for the image capture.

  • Quality

    The quality of the image should be maintained. It is better to capture the picture with a professional camera or a high resolution camera so the image does not come out blurry. You have to make sure that the image is vivid and does not have any unnecessary marks. If you are wearing your reading glasses, make sure that there is no reflection of light due to the camera’s flash on the lens of your glasses. Otherwise, the picture quality might fall.

  • Quantity

    In case you are applying for a sticker visa, you will be needed to submit hard copies of your passport size image. Therefore, you will need to print out 2 to 6 photos. And for an e-visa, you will not need to print out any physical copy of the photo, rather you will need a soft copy of the photo. However, to be careful, you should travel with at least one of your passport size photos with you.

  • Validity

    Your photo should be taken in recent times. It can be at most 6 months old, from the time you are applying for the visa. If the validity time is up, you will be required to take a new photo and use the most recent photo for the visa application. If any major change has come to your face or expression which will deem you unrecognizable from your previous self, you will need to take the passport photo again.

  • Dressup

    Do not wear any dress that will cover your face. Make sure the color of your dress is not white or pale yellow or any other light color. As the background will be completely white, the subject for the photo must also be something that compliments the backdrop. Otherwise, the photo will not come out as expected.

  • Head & Eyes- Position and Background

    You shouldn't tilt, slant, or lean your head forward or sideways. Rather, it should be easy to see your face's edges. Make sure your face is in the front and not obscured by your hair.

  • Eyewears

    If you use glasses, you must take them off before taking the photo. Similar to this, you will need to temporarily remove any other face jewelry you may be wearing in order for others to recognize your face. No accessories, including eyewear, should hide your face.

  • Head coverings

    For a variety of personal reasons, some men and women wear a variety of head coverings and accessories that they often do not or cannot remove. In such situation, whether your head is covered, you need to make sure that the facial characteristics from the top of your head to the bottom of your chin are apparent at least. When taking a passport photo, these face traits must be present at a minimum.

  • Exposure and Lighting

    The quality of the image will decline with excessive picture taking and lightning exposure. In this situation, the image will no longer be useful. According to the assessment of the final image, the lighting should be well-balanced, and any additional light sources must be muted. It has to be made sure that there is not any excessive light or shadow that has been interrupting the session.

By the end of processing the passport photo, you will be left with a result that will have the following characteristics.

  • At least 70–80% of the frame should be covered by the head,
  • The size of the photo should be 6 cm long and 5 cm wide.
  • You shouldn't snap the picture from too near to the subject. From the camera, there must be a certain distance.
  • It must be a colorful image; photographs in black and white are not acceptable.
  • No specific phrase should be included, and the backdrop should be white and simple. You need to project an impartial appearance.
  • Headgear is prohibited, but only for religious reasons may it be excused.
  • You should dress in a way that stands out from the surroundings, either by wearing bright colors or flashy clothing. Because your background will also be white, avoid wearing white at all costs.

Passport Picture for Babies

As babies are hard to manage, it is hard to take a clear and adequate passport picture of a baby following the above conditions. And even if the picture comes out clear, the toddler is unlikely to directly look at the camera. As a result, you cannot get a decent picture that easily, that actually follows the passport picture requirements. In order for you to get a standard passport picture for toddlers, you can try to click the picture on your own at your home. Therefore, below are some suggestions that you can follow while capturing your baby’s passport image:

  • You can lay your baby somewhere with a white background and capture the image from above. This way you can keep the baby’s head in the middle and the frame will be accurate.
  • If the baby is laid, as the background needs to be white, you are to use a white bed sheet or cloth beneath your baby. Make sure there are no stains or unnecessary textures in the cloth you are using. There should not be any foldings of that cloth to appear on the image.
  • As an alternative to laying the baby, you can make it sit in front of a white background too. As long as the baby is surrounded by a white background, the position of the baby is not a big matter.
  • There should not be any additional toys, accessories, hands, or body parts of another person in the image. The hand or other body parts of the baby should not be visible in the photo either. If any photo like that is taken, it should be discarded and not counted as a passport photo.
  • Make sure to click the image in broad daylight. Babies cannot keep their eyes open for long, let alone while using the flash of the camera. Therefore, natural light may do the work and you would get the picture you desired.
  • With the aid of some more cushions or rolled-up towels in the same color as the backdrop, you may arrange your infant appropriately. You must make sure that you can see their ears as well.
  • Shooting during the daytime has additional benefit. It would be simpler to take a decent photo of the infant at that time because the baby is typically still in a good mood. It is best to avoid using a spotlight since the infant can close its eyes too quickly. You may rely on the ambient natural light from outdoors. Instead of utilizing the camera's spotlight, you could alternatively add more lights to the space.
  • Using a quick shutter speed will be quite beneficial in this.as it is expected that the baby should always be moving. Additionally, it will guarantee that the image is not very fuzzy.
  • A smile on the baby’s face is acceptable, however, the baby should not be giggling or crying. A small smile is optional, and not mandatory. If the expression on the baby’s face is too expressive, the photo should be discarded and taken again.
  • Continuous attempts in taking the photo might irritate the baby and after a certain limit, the baby might not even want to take the photo anymore. In such a situation, take some time off and let the baby cool down and schedule the photo shoot at a later time again.

As troublesome as it may sound, it is not exactly that hard to get a passport size image. You may need to spare 2-3 days to click a perfect passport size picture for your visa application. Whether you get the images captured in a studio or at home, is up to you. If you are taking the photo yourself, abide by the rules mentioned in the page and you will be left with a perfect shot. But in the studios, there are professionals who have the exact setup needed for the capture. Hence, it is wiser to get it done from the studio nearest to your home.

 

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