Cambodia visa photos for MFAIC e-Visa and embassy submissions
Cambodia’s visa photo is governed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC), which operates the e-Visa portal at evisa.gov.kh, and the General Department of Immigration (GDI), which runs the mandatory e-Arrival Card at arrival.gov.kh. The same head-and-shoulders photo standard applies across every visa category, from Tourist (Type-T) and Business (Type-E) to Khmer (Type-K), Courtesy, Diplomatic, and Official.
There is no third-party visa application centre for Cambodia. Applicants either upload through the government portals or submit prints directly to a Cambodian embassy or consulate. Print size follows the host country’s convention: 2×2 in at US-region missions, 35×45 mm in the UK and EU, 40×50 mm in Thailand, and a 40×60 mm fallback for visa-on-arrival paper forms at land borders. Air arrivals must also complete the e-Arrival Card within seven days of travel, and its photo validator is stricter than the e-Visa portal.
A photo that does not meet the published rules causes the e-Visa application to be rejected without refund, and a non-compliant e-Arrival upload will block boarding documents from clearing in time. The safest approach is to submit a photo that satisfies the tighter e-Arrival standard, which will also pass the e-Visa portal and any embassy counter.
What the Cambodia visa photo must show
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the General Department of Immigration apply these subject rules to every Cambodia visa photo, whether you upload to e-Visa, file at an embassy, or complete the e-Arrival Card.
Expression & pose
- Neutral expressionHold a neutral expression with the mouth closed. Smiling and visible teeth are not accepted.
- Eyes open and visibleBoth eyes must be open and looking straight at the camera, with the irises clearly visible. Red-eye is not accepted.
- Frontal head positionFace the camera squarely with the head upright and not tilted. Shoulders should be level and the chin neither raised nor lowered.
- Recent likenessThe photo must have been taken within the last six months and must reflect the applicant’s current appearance.
Eyewear & lenses
- EyeglassesEyeglasses are not permitted. The Royal Embassy of Cambodia instructions and the e-Arrival validator both reject photos with prescription or fashion frames.
- Tinted and coloured lensesSunglasses, tinted lenses, and coloured contact lenses are not permitted. The eyes and natural iris colour must be clearly visible.
Headwear
- Hats and capsHats, caps, and other non-religious head coverings are not permitted.
- Religious or medical head coveringsHead coverings worn for religious or medical reasons are allowed, provided the full face from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead remains visible and unshadowed.
Hair & facial hair
- Hair off the faceHair must not cover the eyes, eyebrows, or the outline of the face. Both edges of the face should be visible.
- Beards and moustachesBeards and moustaches are accepted as part of the applicant’s everyday appearance. The photo should match how the applicant currently looks at the border.
Jewelry & accessories
- Face-obscuring itemsJewelry, piercings, or accessories that obscure any part of the face are not permitted.
- Earphones and visible strapsEarphones, headphones, and visible device cables or straps must be removed before the photo is taken.
Cosmetics
- Natural appearanceHeavy or theatrical makeup is not accepted. Cosmetics should not alter the applicant’s natural features or skin tone.
Clothing
- Everyday clothingWear ordinary day clothing. Light-coloured tops that blend into the white background should be avoided.
- No uniformsMilitary, police, and other occupational uniforms are not accepted, except for applicants whose visa category specifically requires them.
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 34 mm and 38 mm (roughly 57–63% of the photo height).
- Eyes must sit between 31 mm and 37 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.
Cambodia accepts more than one size — we generate them all.
Cambodia 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.
Cambodia Visa 40×60 mm
Primary · Print + DigitalCambodia's official format — the same file works for both printed in-person submissions and the online portal upload.
Cambodia Visa 35×45 mm
Print + DigitalAlternate accepted size — works as both an in-person print and an online-portal upload.
Cambodia Visa 2×2 in — from US consulate
Print + DigitalPrint size accepted by US-based consular missions for applicants in the United States.
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
Other things to know.
A few things about Cambodia’s visa photo process catch applicants off guard.
Separate e-Arrival photo
The e-Arrival Card at arrival.gov.kh is a mandatory entry document for all air arrivals and is separate from the e-Visa. It requires its own photo upload within the seven days before arrival, and its automated checks are stricter than the e-Visa portal’s. A photo that satisfies e-Arrival will also clear e-Visa.
No visa application centre
Cambodia does not use VFS Global, BLS, or any other third-party visa application centre. Applications go directly through evisa.gov.kh or to a Cambodian embassy or consulate.
Print size depends on the embassy
Cambodia does not enforce a single print size. US-region embassies expect 2x2 in prints, UK and EU embassies expect 35x45 mm, the embassy in Thailand expects 40x50 mm, and land-border visa-on-arrival forms use 40x60 mm. Match the size to the channel where the application will be filed.
Rejection without refund
The e-Visa portal warns that uploading a heavily modified or non-compliant photo results in rejection of the application without a refund of the visa fee.
Take your Cambodia 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.