Bangladesh visa photos issued under the Department of Immigration and Passports
The Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP), working through the Bangladesh Online MRV Portal at visa.gov.bd, sets a single photo specification that applies across every Machine Readable Visa category, from tourist and business through employment, student, and journalist visas. The official portal describes the photo as 45 × 35 mm using a height × width notation that trips up most applicants. The actual print is a portrait image, 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall, in the standard ICAO 7:9 aspect ratio.
Bangladesh does not contract a global visa application centre operator. Applications run directly through Bangladesh embassies, high commissions, and consulates, with a regional VAC (BVAC) handling intake in India. Most missions require two printed copies glued, never stapled, to the top-left corner of the printed MRV form, while a handful (Florida, Istanbul, London, New York) accept a single copy. Eligible nationalities applying for Visa-on-Arrival upload their photo separately through voa.specialbranch.gov.bd before travel.
DIP and its consular network enforce the spec strictly. A photo on the wrong size paper, on an off-white background, or pulled from a US-style 2 × 2 inch print will be rejected by the MRV backend or returned by the receiving mission, delaying the application and, in walk-in channels, requiring a fresh appointment.
Bangladesh visa photo requirements
The Department of Immigration and Passports enforces a uniform photo standard across every MRV category. The rules below cover what the applicant must look like in the final image.
Expression & pose
- Neutral expressionThe applicant must hold a neutral expression with the mouth closed. Smiling, frowning, or showing teeth are not accepted by the MRV system.
- Eyes open and visibleEyes must be open, looking straight at the camera, and clearly visible. Hair or eyeglass frames must not cross the eye line.
- Straight head positionThe head must face the camera squarely with no tilt or rotation. Both edges of the face must be visible in the frame.
- Shoulders squareShoulders should be square to the camera so the pose reads as a full frontal portrait.
Eyewear & lenses
- EyeglassesEyeglasses are prohibited on Bangladesh visa photos. The only exception is a documented medical reason for which the glasses cannot be removed.
- Tinted or coloured lensesSunglasses, tinted lenses, and coloured contact lenses are not accepted. The natural eye colour must be visible.
Hair & facial hair
- Hair off the faceHair must not cover the eyes, eyebrows, or the outline of the face. Fringe and loose strands should be moved aside so the full face is visible.
- EarsEars should be visible where possible, since both edges of the face must remain in view.
Headwear
- Religious or medical onlyHats and head coverings are not permitted unless worn daily for religious or medical reasons. The face must remain fully visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face uncovered.
- No shadow from headwearAny permitted head covering must not cast a shadow on the face or obscure the hairline against the background.
Jewelry & accessories
- Large or reflective jewelryLarge earrings, dangling pieces, and highly reflective jewelry should be removed. Accessories must not obscure the facial features or catch glare.
- Facial piercingsStuds or rings that sit on the nose, lip, or brow and that hide facial features should be taken out before the photo is captured.
Cosmetics
- Natural appearanceCosmetics, if worn, must not alter the natural appearance of the face. Heavy contouring or filters that change the shape of the features are not accepted.
Clothing
- Everyday clothingEveryday civilian clothing is expected. Uniforms are not specified as accepted by the issuing authority.
- No white tops against white backgroundClothing should contrast with the pure white background so the shoulders and neckline read clearly in the frame.
Photo quality
- No red-eyeRed-eye is grounds for rejection. Avoid direct flash when photographing the subject.
- No shadows on the faceHarsh shadows across the cheeks, under the chin, or around the eyes are not accepted. Even illumination across the face is required.
- Recent likenessThe photo must have been taken within the last six months and must reflect the applicant’s current appearance.
Dimensions, resolution & background.
Head position & camera distance.
- Head height, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, must be between 33 mm and 36 mm (roughly 73–81% of the photo height).
- Eyes must sit between 21 mm and 25 mm from the bottom of the photo.
- The head must be centered horizontally in the frame with a small symmetrical margin on each side.
- Both shoulders must be square to the camera and visible. Three-quarter angles or rotated torsos are not accepted.
- The full face from chin to crown must be inside the frame with proper top margin.
Bangladesh accepts more than one size — we generate them all.
Bangladesh publishes more than one acceptable format depending on where you submit your application — domestic passport offices, the official online portal, and regional consulates abroad can each call for a different print or pixel size. We render every variant below from the same source photo, so the head sits at the same physical position across files, and each one arrives in your order email with a clear filename indicating which submission channel it's for.
Bangladesh Visa 35×45 mm
Primary · Print + DigitalBangladesh's official format — the same file works for both printed in-person submissions and the online portal upload.
Bangladesh Visa 37×37 mm
Print + DigitalAlternate accepted size — works as both an in-person print and an online-portal upload.
How recent the photo must be.
Your visa photo must have been taken within the last six months. A new photo is required sooner whenever your appearance has changed in a way that makes the old photo no longer recognizable.
You need a new photo if you’ve had…
- Facial surgery or a major change to facial structure
- A significant gain or loss of weight that visibly changes your face
- Large facial tattoos or piercings added or removed
- A gender transition that has changed your appearance
You do not need a new photo just because of…
- A new hair color
- Growing or removing a beard or moustache
- Ordinary, minor aging
- A new hairstyle that still leaves the face fully visible
Photos for infants and young children.
The Department of Immigration and Passports does not publish separate measurements for children, but the following relaxations apply in practice to infant applicants.
Infants (under 12 months)
Infants under one year are held to a more forgiving standard on expression and gaze, but the framing and background rules still apply.
- EyesEyes do not need to be open for infants under one year.
- ExpressionA neutral expression is not required. Any natural expression is accepted.
- Alone in frameThe infant must be the only person visible. No supporting hands, arms, toys, pacifiers, or bottles may appear in the photo.
- Posing surfaceLay the infant on a plain white sheet so the background reads as a uniform white field behind the head.
- No flashDo not use direct flash on infants. Red-eye and startled reactions are common rejection triggers at this age.
Other things to know.
A few Bangladesh-specific quirks catch applicants out even when the photo itself is compliant.
Height by width notation
The visa.gov.bd portal lists the size as 45 x 35 mm using Height by Width order, which is the reverse of the usual convention. The photo is portrait, 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall. Submitting a landscape print taken literally from the on-screen text is the single most common rejection cause.
No US 2x2 inch substitutes
The MRV backend crops to a 7:9 portrait ratio. Standard US 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) prints distort when forced into that ratio and are not accepted, even at missions whose pages mention the US size.
Glue, do not staple
For walk-in and mail-in submissions, the printed photo is glued to the top-left corner of the printed MRV form. Stapling through the photo, especially across the face, causes the application to be returned.
Visa-on-Arrival uses a separate portal
Eligible nationalities applying for Visa-on-Arrival upload through voa.specialbranch.gov.bd rather than the main MRV portal. The composition rules are the same, but the upload itself replaces any need to present a physical photo at Hazrat Shahjalal airport.
Take your Bangladesh visa photo at home in three steps.
Free to check. You only pay when you keep it.
Print-quality requirements for in-person submissions.
When you submit a printed photo at a visa application centre, the paper, finish, and ink all matter. The points below cover the standards most consular missions accept.
- Print on photographic-quality paper at 300 DPI minimum.
- Use a matte or semi-gloss finish; high-gloss can produce reflections that confuse biometric scanners.
- Do not retouch, crop, or alter the photo after printing.
- Bring at least two identical prints when the submission channel calls for paper photos.