Ethiopian passport photos are 3x4cm — a different size from the 35x45mm Ethiopia e-visa photo. Do not use one for the other.
the appointment day is the only day fingerprints and your photograph are taken, so there is nothing to prepare beforehand
3x4cm for the passport — not the 35x45mm the Ethiopian e-visa asks for.
The e-visa is 35x45mm; the passport is 3x4cm.
Plain white background, no texture.
Chin to crown, centred.
Mouth closed, both eyes open.
Ethiopia is one of the few countries with two different sizes.
The Ethiopian passport photo is 3x4cm (30x40mm). The Ethiopian e-visa photo, which foreign visitors upload, is 35x45mm. These are genuinely different frames.
Most countries reuse one geometry across both documents, which is why this catches people out. If you are an Ethiopian citizen renewing your passport, 3x4cm is the size you need.
30mm wide by 40mm high.
3x4cm is the smallest common print format, shared with Qatar, Azerbaijan and Colombia. Because the frame is small, your face needs to fill 70-80% of the height for the features to stay usable.
A photo taken from too far away leaves the face too small to verify — have someone photograph you from about a metre and a half rather than at arm's length.
Plain white, evenly lit, no shadows.
Use a plain white wall with nothing behind you. Stand about a metre away so your body does not cast a shadow onto it.
Light your face evenly from the front. Overhead lighting drops shadows into the eye sockets, which matters more at small print sizes.
Neutral face; religious and cultural headwear permitted.
Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open and clearly visible, looking straight at the camera.
Headwear worn for religious or cultural reasons is accepted provided the face stays clearly visible. The photo must be recent — within the last six months.
Printed at 30 x 40mm, 720 x 961px, JPG/PNG, under 2MB. Computed from this photo's own specification, not typed by hand.
Requirements verified · Source: ics.gov.et
Watch out — Photo taken at the appointment — the appointment day is the only day fingerprints and your photograph are taken, so there is nothing to prepare beforehand
Create the 30x40mm photo an Ethiopian passport needs — not the 35x45mm e-visa size. Free and 100% private.
Choose a clear, recent photo from your phone or computer.
We crop to 30x40mm with your face at 70-80% of the frame.
Save the file and print it at 3x4cm.
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