Nepal's passport photo rules specify two acceptable sizes — 35 × 45 mm or 50 × 50 mm — and require a borderless, colour image with the face covering 70–80% of the photo. Unusually, babies' eyes may be closed. This guide explains the official requirements and how PicToPassport helps you create a compliant photo for free, entirely in your browser.
Why Nepal passport photos get rejected so often
Nepalese applications are checked for borderless, colour images with the correct face coverage. A photo that is cropped too tightly (below 70% face area) or has a white border can be rejected. Because either 35 × 45 mm or 50 × 50 mm is accepted, picking the wrong crop wastes a print. Getting the white background, neutral expression, and ear visibility right the first time avoids delays at the Department of Passports.
Official Photo Size
Nepal accepts a passport photo of 35 mm × 45 mm or 50 mm × 50 mm. You need 4 photos for a passport application. The face should cover 70–80% of the photo area. Visa photos are 35 × 45 mm and require just 1 photo. The image must be borderless. PicToPassport crops precisely to either size you choose. Always verify with the official Department of Passports before submitting.
If you are moving between two sizes, resize rather than crop and hope: Photo Resizer
Background and Lighting
The background must be plain white, with no shadows on the face or the background. Lighting should be even and bright, from the front, so the face is evenly lit. Because the photo must be borderless, avoid any white border or frame around the printed image. A plain wall or backdrop in soft daylight works well.
Expression and Pose
Nepal requires a neutral expression with the eyes open and both ears clearly visible, so the hair is pulled back before the shutter rather than tidied afterwards. The face sits square to the camera with no shadow falling on it or on the backdrop behind. Nothing in the published rules licenses a smile or a head tilt, so treat the Nepali photo as a plain biometric record: front-on, evenly lit, ears uncovered.
Glasses and Accessories
Nepal's rules don't specifically mention glasses, so clear everyday glasses are generally acceptable as long as your eyes are fully visible and there are no lens reflections. To avoid any risk, many applicants remove them. Head coverings are only permitted for religious reasons, and the full face — including both ears — must remain visible. Keep accessories minimal so nothing obscures the features.
Face Visibility
The Nepali measure is coverage rather than millimetres: the face must fill 70–80% of the photo, whether you print 35 mm × 45 mm or the alternative 50 mm × 50 mm square. Too little coverage leaves the face lost in white space; too much crops the crown. Both ears should sit inside that coverage, and the colour image must be borderless with no shadow on the white background behind the head.
Photo Recency
For visa use the Nepali photo must have been taken within the last three months, while the passport rules publish no fixed window. The practical answer is the same for both: do not recycle an older print merely because it is the right size. Take a fresh borderless colour picture when you register the application and keep the digital file, so a reprint never becomes the reason a submission stalls.
How Many Copies You Get
You need 4 photos for a Nepal passport and 1 photo for a visa. With PicToPassport, you receive a digital file cropped exactly to your chosen size (35 × 45 mm or 50 × 50 mm), ready for upload, plus a print-friendly sheet with multiple copies on one page so you can produce a sharp, borderless set at home or at a photo shop.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Common reasons for rejection are a white border around the photo, a black-and-white image, a face that covers too little or too much of the frame, shadows on the face or background, or ears hidden by hair. Smiling or a non-neutral expression can also cause issues. Always check the Nepal passport photo requirements before submitting.
If the application wants a format your phone did not save, convert it before you upload: Convert Image Format
Baby Passport Photos
Nepal is unusually forgiving: a baby’s eyes may be closed, one of the few countries that allows it. Everything else stays standard — white background, no shadows, both ears visible where the pose allows, and the face covering 70–80% of either the 35 mm × 45 mm or the 50 mm × 50 mm frame. Lay the sleeping baby on a plain white sheet, shoot from above, and keep hands and toys out of the picture.
Framing an infant is where most adults go wrong, and this one measures the head for you: Baby Passport Photo Maker
Using PicToPassport
Nepali passport photos come in 35 mm × 45 mm or 50 mm × 50 mm, and PicToPassport lets you make either one in the browser at no cost. The background is plain white with no shadow on the face or behind the head, the face covers 70–80% of the photo, and both ears stay visible. You get a borderless colour print, ready for the 4 photos a passport needs or the 1 a visa needs. No upload occurs; the file stays on your device.
Get Started in Minutes
The Department of Passports, Nepal adds NPR 7,000 for fast track on a 34-page passport or NPR 10,000 on a 66-page passport; regular service takes 10–30 days from registration, while fast track issues in about 2 working days in Kathmandu. Prepare your photo in the meantime: PicToPassport is free, runs in your browser, and keeps everything private on your device.
