Vanuatu visa photos for the Department of Immigration and Passport Services
Vanuatu visa photos are reviewed by the Department of Immigration and Passport Services, which sits under the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Port Vila. The same photo standard applies across every visa category the department issues, including the Visitor Visa, Extended Visitor Visa, Residence Visa, Student Visa, Business Visa, and Special Category Visa. The application forms ask for two recent passport-size photographs of good quality colour, showing a full-face view of the head and shoulders.
Applications reach the department through three channels: the official eVisa portal at evisa.gov.vu, email submission to the immigration visas mailbox, and physical lodgement at a Vanuatu High Commission or by mail to the Principal Immigration Officer in Port Vila. There is no third-party visa application centre operating on behalf of Vanuatu, and there is no on-site biometric capture for visa applicants, so the photo you supply is the photo the officer reviews.
Vanuatu Immigration processes applications manually rather than through automated facial-recognition screening, and officers reject submissions that fail the published rules on glasses, headgear, recency, or print quality. A non-compliant photo results in the application being returned or delayed, and photocopies are not accepted in place of original prints.
What Vanuatu Immigration requires in your visa photo
The Vanuatu Department of Immigration and Passport Services publishes a short list of subject rules on its application forms. Each one applies to every visa category.
Expression & pose
- Full-face viewApplication forms require a full-face view of the head and shoulders, with the face squared to the camera and the head upright.
- Recent likenessThe photograph must have been taken within the last six months and must represent the applicant’s current appearance.
Eyewear & lenses
- No glassesVanuatu Immigration application forms explicitly prohibit eyeglasses in the photograph. Remove all prescription, reading, and tinted lenses before the photo is taken.
Headwear
- No hats or head coveringsHeadgear of any kind is prohibited on the application form. Religious and medical exceptions are not addressed in published guidance, and applicants who require a head covering should contact Vanuatu Immigration directly before submitting.
Print quality
- Good quality colourThe forms call for a good quality colour photograph. Faded, low-contrast, or visibly degraded prints will not be accepted.
- Original prints onlyPhotocopies of photographs are not accepted. Submitted prints must be original photographic copies.
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 32 mm and 36 mm (roughly 71–80% of the photo height).
- Eyes must sit between 24 mm and 28 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.
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 practical quirks set Vanuatu apart from most visa regimes.
Two printed copies
Mail-in submissions and High Commission walk-ins require two recent printed photographs in the application packet. Both must be original prints, not photocopies.
Manual review in Port Vila
There is no automated facial-recognition screening. Applications are reviewed by hand by immigration officers in Port Vila, so anything visibly off-spec is likely to be flagged during manual check.
Visa-exempt tourists
Roughly ninety nationalities can enter Vanuatu visa-free for stays of up to 30 days and do not need to submit a visa photograph at all. Check exemption status before applying.
US applicants route via Port Moresby
United States citizens who need a Vanuatu visa are typically handled through the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, rather than a dedicated Vanuatu mission.
Take your Vanuatu 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.