If you've ever had a visa photo rejected for being "the wrong size," you're not alone — almost every country specifies its own exact photo dimensions, and getting it wrong means a second trip to reprint. This guide rounds up the requirements for the destinations Sri Lankans travel to most, for both work and travel, so you know what to ask for before you print.
A quick note on why this matters: according to Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) figures for 2025, Kuwait (about 75,200 departures) and the UAE (about 57,037) were the top two destinations for Sri Lankans leaving for foreign employment, with a fast-growing number also heading to South Korea, Israel, Romania, Japan, the UK and Australia. Add in the everyday travel, study and tourist visa destinations — India, the Schengen area, Canada, the US — and the list below covers the vast majority of what Sri Lankans actually need a visa photo for.
Sri Lanka's own documents: 35 x 45mm
Since the Department of Registration of Persons moved to ICAO-standard photos, the Sri Lankan passport, National Identity Card (NIC), and driving licence all use the same 35 x 45mm size — plain light/white background, neutral expression, no glasses glare. One "passport size" print covers all three.
Also 35 x 45mm — the most common visa size internationally
Convenient news: 35 x 45mm (also written 3.5 x 4.5cm) is the same size most other countries ask for too, since it follows the same ICAO/biometric photo standard as the Sri Lankan passport. As of September 2026, this includes:
- United Kingdom — UK visit, work & study visas
- Australia — visitor, student & skilled migration visas
- Schengen Area / European Union — most national visit and short-stay visas, including Italy, France, Germany and other Schengen members
- South Korea — EPS (E-9) work visa and most visit visas
- Singapore — most visa categories
- Israel — most sources quote 35 x 45mm for Israeli visa/caregiver-work applications, though a 55 x 55mm size is also referenced for some ID/passport photo types — confirm which applies to your specific application
- Japan — some Japanese consulates accept 35 x 45mm, though the more commonly quoted official size is 45 x 45mm (see below) — always confirm with the specific consulate processing your application
Countries with their own size
A handful of major destinations for Sri Lankans use a size that's genuinely different from the 35 x 45mm standard:
- United Arab Emirates (UAE) — 43 x 55mm
- Qatar — 38 x 48mm
- Malaysia — 35 x 50mm, usually on a white background
- Oman — 40 x 60mm (4 x 6cm)
- Japan — 45 x 45mm is the size most commonly quoted for Japanese visas (a square format, different from the 35 x 45mm rectangle used elsewhere)
- Canada — 50 x 70mm, one of the larger visa photo sizes
- United States — 2" x 2" (51 x 51mm), for both visa and passport photos
- Sri Lankan visa applications to India — the e-Visa photo upload is typically a 2" x 2" (51 x 51mm) square image
- Romania — sources vary by application channel: 30 x 40mm is quoted for some paper visa applications, while the e-Visa photo upload tool uses 35 x 45mm — check which applies to your application type
- Saudi Arabia — requirements vary by application type: many paper/agency visa applications ask for 4 x 6cm (40 x 60mm), while some e-visa and Enjazit portal uploads use a 2" x 2" (51 x 51mm) digital photo — check the specific instructions from your agency or the portal you're applying through
- Kuwait — also varies by source and application type (figures of both 35 x 45mm and 4 x 6cm/40 x 60mm are quoted); confirm the exact size with your recruitment agency or the Kuwaiti authority processing your visa
Requirements change — always double-check
Visa and passport photo rules are set by each country's own immigration authority (or, for Sri Lanka, the Department of Immigration & Emigration and Department of Registration of Persons) and do genuinely change over time — Sri Lanka's own NIC size was updated as recently as 2017 to match ICAO standards. The sizes above are accurate as of September 2026 based on published requirements, but for anything visa-related, always confirm the current exact size on your specific application form, embassy website, or with your recruitment/visa agency before your appointment — a printed photo of the wrong size is one of the most common reasons for a rejected application.
Getting the right size printed
PrintNow.lk's Photo Printing service prints passport size (35 x 45mm — covers the Sri Lankan passport, NIC, driving licence, UK, Australia, Schengen, South Korea, Singapore and Israel), the larger visa size (51 x 51mm, e.g. US visa), stamp size, or any other exact size you tell us on WhatsApp — including the UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Oman, Canada, Japan and Saudi/Kuwait sizes covered above. Send us your photo and the size you need; we print a set of 6 for LKR 149, ready for self-pickup or free delivery across Colombo & Suburbs.