What size is a Kenya passport photo?

5.5 cm × 5.5 cm (207 × 207 pixels) — a square, on a plain white background, with the face filling 70–80% of the frame and the photo no more than 6 months old. It is not the Schengen-style rectangle used by many other countries.

Can I use a Schengen-style rectangular photo for a Kenyan passport?

No. The Kenyan specification is a square of 5.5 cm × 5.5 cm. A Schengen-style rectangle is a different shape, and stretching it to fit a square distorts the face, which is a common reason for rejection.

Do scans or photocopies work?

No. The official page does not accept scanned copies or colour photocopies — submit an original printed photo.

Can I wear a head covering?

Headwear is not allowed except for religious reasons, and even then your chin, nose, eyes and eyebrows must stay visible. Hair should be tucked behind the ears.

Kenya Passport Photo — 5.5 × 5.5 cm square rules

Kenya is one of the countries that does not use the Schengen-style rectangle format. Its official spec is a 5.5 × 5.5 cm square. If you prepare a rectangular photo, it will not match. Verified against the official eCitizen portal, September 2026.

Official specification

Size	5.5 cm × 5.5 cm (207 × 207 px) — a square
Background	Plain white
Framing	Close-up of the head and the top of the shoulders, so the face takes up 70–80% of the photo
Recency	Recent — not more than 6 months old
Colour	Colour
Other	Looking straight at the camera, sharp and well defined; no headwear (religious headwear is allowed if the chin, nose, eyes and eyebrows stay visible); hair tucked behind the ears; no staple marks; scans and colour photocopies are not accepted

The rectangle-format mistake

Lots of photo sites list Kenya as a “Schengen-size rectangle” — the shape most countries use. The Kenyan portal specifies something different: a square of 5.5 cm × 5.5 cm. Squeezing a rectangular crop into a square frame stretches the face, and stretching is exactly what gets a photo rejected. Build the crop natively at 5.5 × 5.5 cm instead.

There is no official head-height in millimetres

The official page expresses framing as a percentage — the face should fill 70–80% of the photo — rather than a chin-to-crown measurement. So don’t chase a millimetre band copied from another country: fill 70–80% of the square and keep the top of the shoulders in frame.

Getting a compliant shot

Shoot against a plain white wall with even, shadow-free daylight — see the home photo guide.
Crop to the square 5.5 × 5.5 cm with the face at 70–80%; the size chart covers the country presets.
Print at 300 DPI and check it holds up — use the print calibration step and lay it out with the print sheet.
Keep it sharp and unedited; a scan or photocopy will not be accepted.

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