Sierra Leone Passport/Visa Photo Requirements and Size

Do you plan on traveling outside Sierra Leone? Then you are most likely required to obtain a Sierra Leone passport. The process may take a little bit of time, but it’s not complicated. You must fill in a form and submit it to the issuing authority, together with a few documents.

Photo specs

The Sierra Leone passport photo requirements are listed down below.

Required photo size: 4.5 cm in height and 3.5 cm in width
The pictures you submit must be in color
Head position: straight
Must not be older than 6 months
Background: white
Smile: no
Eyes: must not be obscured by anything
Make sure that your passport photos are not blurry
Glasses: acceptable under certain conditions
Headwear: not allowed. Exceptions are made for religious/cultural purposes
Resolution (pixels): at least 600 dpi
Dress code: make sure that your clothes are in contrast with the background. Do not wear white tops
Beard: permitted if it represents your everyday appearance
Number of photos necessary: 3

Sierra Leona Passport Photo Size Requirements Guide

sierra leona passport photo requirement and size

Sierra Leone Passport Photos and Visa Photo Requirements – Rules, Guidelines, and Specifications

Learning to take your own passport photo or visa photo should not take too long. We prepared a list of the guidelines that will help you take an adequate passport photo or visa photo. Make sure to remember them all when you take your picture.

You have to photograph yourself against a white background. That can be a wall or a sheet. As long as it does not have colors, patterns, and shadows on it, you are good to go.
The source of light must be right in front of you. That will eliminate the possibility of appearing with shadows on your face. Also, make sure that the lighting is not too bright or too dark.
When you are taking your picture, your head must be straight and your face forward. You are not allowed to rotate or tilt your head because both sides of your face must be equally visible. You must know that portrait-style pictures are not acceptable.
The only permitted facial expression is neutral. Therefore, you cannot appear smiling, squinting, or raising your brows. Relax your face when you snap the photo.
Make sure that your eyes are clearly visible. If you wear glasses, it is preferable to take them off. You can keep them only if the frames are clear, and there is no flash reflection in the photo. As you can probably imagine, sunglasses and tinted lenses are not permitted in a passport photo or visa photo.
Headwear is generally not allowed in a passport photo or visa photo. However, if you cover your head for religious purposes, nobody is forcing you to take the headwear off. However, your face must be distinguishable from top to bottom, and whatever covers your head must not cast a shadow on your face.
In case you usually have a beard, you are not required to shave it off for your passport photo or visa photo. As long as it represents your everyday appearance, you can keep it.

Rules and Requirements for Babies, Infants, and Newborn Passport and Visa Photos

Taking a passport photo or a visa photo for your child should not be complicated either. Please note that a child’s passport photo and an adult’s passport photo are pretty much the same. The only difference is that a child’s head is smaller. Therefore, it can take less space in the picture. Here are some tips to help you out:

The eyes must be visible for children as well, so please photograph them when they are awake.
For more convenience, you can lay the baby on his/her back and take the picture from above. When doing that, remember to put a white layer underneath so that the background is white.
You can also put the baby in a car seat to take the picture. If you want to proceed as such, please cover the backrest of the chair with a white sheet to ensure a white background.
You are required to remove the baby’s headwear and pacifier before taking the passport photo or visa photo.
Only your baby can appear in the picture. So, if you decide to hold your child during the photo session, you have to conceal every part of you. Even your hands.