Mauritania visa photos and the ANRPTS e-visa portal
Mauritania’s visa photo standard is set by the Agence Nationale du Registre des Populations et des Titres Sécurisés (ANRPTS), which operates the country’s mandatory e-visa portal at anrpts.gov.mr. Since 5 January 2025, all visa-required foreign nationals must apply through this portal before travel; visa-on-arrival has been discontinued for ordinary travellers, and embassies redirect applicants to the same online channel.
The portal accepts a single digital photo, uploaded directly with the application. There is no VFS or BLS intake partner, no live capture step, and no mail-in option. The same photo specification covers tourist, business, transit, and long-stay categories. A separate biometric capture (face and fingerprints) is performed by border authorities on arrival at Nouakchott, and does not replace the uploaded photo.
ANRPTS enforces its photo rules strictly. A photo that fails the portal’s checks, uses filters or retouching, or shows prohibited eyewear or headwear will cause the application to be rejected or held, and the visa fee (paid in cash at the border) cannot be collected until a compliant application clears the system. A small number of legacy embassy print formats still exist for diplomatic categories, but ordinary applicants submit through ANRPTS only.
What ANRPTS requires in a Mauritania visa photo
The Agence Nationale du Registre des Populations et des Titres Sécurisés (ANRPTS) enforces a single subject standard across every e-visa category. The rules below cover what the applicant must look like in the frame.
Expression & pose
- Neutral expressionThe face must show a neutral expression. No smiling, frowning, raised eyebrows, or visible teeth. The mouth must be closed.
- Eyes open and forwardBoth eyes must be open, clearly visible, and looking straight at the camera. Squinting is not accepted.
- Head straight to cameraThe head must face the camera directly, centred in the frame, with no tilt or turn. Full face view only.
Eyewear & lenses
- EyeglassesGlasses are prohibited on Mauritania visa photos. The only exception is a documented medical reason, in which case the frames must not cover the eyes and there must be no glare on the lenses.
- Tinted and sunglassesTinted lenses and sunglasses are prohibited in all cases, including for medical exemptions.
Hair & facial hair
- Hair off the faceHair must not fall across the eyes or cover the eyebrows. Bangs that obscure the forehead or eye line cause rejection.
- EarsEars are preferably visible but not strictly mandated by ANRPTS.
Headwear
- General ruleHeadwear is prohibited. Hats, caps, scarves, and bandanas worn for fashion are not accepted.
- Religious or medical exceptionHead coverings worn daily for religious or medical reasons are permitted, but the face must be fully visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead with no shadows cast across the features.
Jewelry & cosmetics
- JewelryJewelry is not explicitly regulated but must not obstruct any part of the face or cause reflections that interfere with facial features.
- Cosmetics and filtersHeavy cosmetics that alter the natural appearance of the face are not accepted. Beauty filters of any kind, including those applied automatically by smartphone cameras, are banned.
Clothing
- Everyday clothingEveryday clothing is required. Uniforms are not accepted, with the exception of daily religious attire.
- Avoid pure white topsPure white garments should be avoided because they blend into the required white background and weaken the outline of the shoulders.
Hearing & medical devices
- Hearing aidsHearing aids and similar medical devices that are normally worn day to day are permitted in the photo.
Photo quality
- No red-eyeRed-eye is a rejection trigger. The pupils must appear naturally dark.
- RecencyThe photograph 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.
Mauritania accepts more than one size — we generate them all.
Mauritania 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.
Mauritania Visa 35×45 mm
Primary · Print + DigitalMauritania's official format — the same file works for both printed in-person submissions and the online portal upload.
Mauritania Visa 480×640 px
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
Other things to know.
A few things about Mauritania’s visa process sit outside the standard photo checklist and are worth knowing before you apply.
ANRPTS e-visa is mandatory
Since 5 January 2025, every visa-required traveller must apply through the ANRPTS portal at anrpts.gov.mr before boarding. Visa-on-arrival has been discontinued for ordinary travellers, and embassies redirect standard applicants to the online channel.
Cash payment at the border
The ANRPTS approval is a pre-authorisation. The actual visa fee is collected in cash at Nouakchott on arrival, in euros or US dollars, exact change only. Travellers should print the e-visa confirmation page to present at the counter.
Biometric capture on arrival
Even with an approved e-visa, the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) captures the traveller’s face and fingerprints at Nouakchott-Oumtounsy Airport. This is separate from the photo uploaded to ANRPTS and is performed by border staff.
Legacy embassy print formats
Some Mauritanian embassies (notably Washington D.C. and Paris) still publish older print specifications, 2x2 inches in North America and 35x45 mm in Europe. These now apply only to diplomatic and official visas processed outside ANRPTS. Confirm in writing with the specific embassy before relying on a printed submission.
Take your Mauritania 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.