South Africa Passport Photo Requirements — Two Colour Photos, or Digital Capture
South African passports are issued by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The official requirement is two colour photographs that comply with the DHA's Passport and ID Photograph Specifications — but at Smart ID card offices and automated Home Affairs offices your ID image is captured digitally, so you do not bring a photo at all. Verified against the DHA travel documents guidance, September 2026.
The two-track rule: bring photos, or be captured on site
The DHA states the photo requirement as two colour photographs that comply with its Passport and ID Photograph Specifications. The same guidance then notes an important exception: a photo is NOT needed at Smart ID card offices, and not needed at Home Affairs offices where the process is automated, because in those cases the ID image is captured digitally on site. So before you pay for prints, find out whether the office you are using captures your image digitally — if it does, you may not need to supply a photo at all.
What is officially confirmed
| Photo requirement | Two colour photographs complying with the DHA Passport and ID Photograph Specifications |
| Digital-capture exception | No photo needed at Smart ID card offices, or at automated Home Affairs offices where the ID image is captured digitally |
| Ordinary passport | 16+ only; valid 10 years; 32 pages; about 13 working days; R600 |
| Maxi passport | 16+; 10 years; 48 pages; about 13 working days; R1 200 |
| Children (15 and under) | Valid 5 years; about 18 working days; R600; parental consent required |
⚠ Unverified: the DHA points to a separate Passport and ID Photograph Specifications document for the technical photo rules (the millimetre size and head height). Those exact values — sometimes quoted as 35 × 45 mm with a certain face height — are not stated on the DHA travel documents page itself, so treat them as unverified and confirm against the current specifications document.
Validity and blank pages
- A South African passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond your intended date of departure.
- It needs at least two blank facing pages for visa purposes (this excludes the endorsement page at the back).
- The DHA no longer issues temporary passports.
Two rules people get wrong
- Children 15 and under — the passport is valid 5 years and needs parental consent; it is not the 10-year adult document.
- ID first — a person aged 16 or over must obtain an ID (with fingerprints) before a passport can be issued.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos do I need for a South African passport?
Two colour photographs that comply with the DHA Passport and ID Photograph Specifications. At Smart ID card offices, and at automated Home Affairs offices where the ID image is captured digitally, no photo is needed.
Do I need to bring a photo at all?
Not if you use a Smart ID card office or an automated Home Affairs office, because your image is captured digitally there. Otherwise supply two colour photographs.
What size is a South African passport photo?
The technical size (for example the quoted 35 × 45 mm and face height) sits in the DHA's separate Passport and ID Photograph Specifications document, not on the travel documents page. Confirm the current figure there before you print.
How long is a South African passport valid?
Ten years for the ordinary and Maxi passports (applicants aged 16 and over). A child's passport, for 15 and under, is valid for five years.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
About 13 working days for the ordinary passport, which costs R600; the 48-page Maxi passport costs R1 200. A child's passport takes about 18 working days and costs R600.
How many blank pages do I need?
At least two blank facing pages for visa purposes, excluding the endorsement page; and the passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond your intended departure.
Related: the full document checklist for this route is on the checklists hub; check any photo you prepare with the passport photo checker, and browse the region's formats in the size chart. See also the Nigeria specification.