The Vietnam visa photo size for an e-visa is 4x6 cm: a recent color portrait on a white background, looking straight at the camera, without glasses. You also upload a second image, a clear scan of your passport data page. This guide covers both uploads, the mistakes that send applications back and a quick check before you upload.
Both images go into the same online form, and a phone photo is fine for each. When you apply for your Vietnam e-visa online with us, a person checks both images before we submit. The guide is part of our Vietnam e-visa guide.
Vietnam e-visa photo at a glance:
| Requirement | What to upload |
|---|---|
| Size | 4x6 cm portrait (width x height) |
| Background | Plain white |
| Pose | Face straight to the camera, eyes open, mouth closed |
| Glasses | None |
| Second upload | Full passport data page, sharp and uncropped |
Vietnam visa photo size and other photo requirements
The Vietnam e-visa photo requirements come from two places. The Vietnam Immigration Department's instructions ask for a portrait looking straight ahead, without glasses. The 4x6 cm size and white photo background are the format our form and the government portal use.
| Item | Requirement | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Looking straight at the camera, full face visible | Vietnam Immigration Department |
| Glasses | Remove them, including clear prescription glasses | Vietnam Immigration Department |
| Size and shape | 4x6 cm, portrait orientation | Standard e-visa format |
| Background | Plain white, no shadows or patterns | Standard e-visa format |
| Age of photo | Recent, so it matches how you look now | Our advice |
| Hats and headphones | Remove them, keep hairline and ears clear | Our advice |
| File | A JPG from a phone or camera, within the size limit shown at upload | Our advice |
Lighting matters more than the camera. Stand facing a window or a lamp, with a white wall behind you and no shadow behind your head. Ask someone else to take the picture at eye level, about 1.5 meters away, then crop to 4x6. Do not use filters, beauty modes or background-removal apps, because they blur the edges of the face.
Passport scan requirements
The passport data page image must show the whole page with your photo and personal details, including the two lines of letters and numbers at the bottom (the machine-readable zone). All four corners should be inside the frame, and every character should be readable.
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Page | The data page with your photo, not the cover or a visa page |
| Framing | All four edges visible, no fingers over the page |
| Machine-readable lines | Both lines at the bottom fully readable |
| Light | No glare on the laminate, no dark shadows |
| Focus | Sharp text, no motion blur |
| Passport | The same passport you will travel with, valid 6 months from arrival |
Place the passport flat on a dark table, under even light, and take the photo from straight above. A tilted shot cuts off the lower lines. If the laminate is peeling or the page is damaged, renew the passport before you apply, because a damaged passport can be refused at the border even with a valid e-visa.
Common reasons photos and scans are sent back
Most photo problems fall into a few patterns. The Vietnam Immigration Department returns or refuses an application when it cannot match your face or read your passport, and each round of corrections adds working days.
- Glasses or a hat: The face is partly covered.
- Busy or grey background: A patterned wall, a door frame or a dark room behind you.
- Selfie distortion: An arm-length selfie enlarges the nose and cuts off the shoulders.
- Cropped passport page: The bottom lines or one corner are missing.
- Glare: Flash or a lamp reflected on the photo page hides your details.
- The passport photo reused as the portrait: Cropping the small passport picture gives a blurry face.
If you applied yourself and the application is now stuck or refused, our guide to a rejected or stuck e-visa explains each status. An application still pending close to your flight can be sped up: we can expedite a pending e-visa from $50 per person. Our guide shows how long each speed takes for a fresh application.
Check your photo before you upload
A quick check before uploading saves days of corrections. Hold the portrait next to the table at the top of this page and confirm each line. Then zoom into the passport scan and read the bottom two lines out loud. If you can read every character, the Vietnam Immigration Department can too.
When you order through us, our team looks at both images before submitting, and we email you if a photo or scan needs replacing. VietnamVisa.com is a private visa agency, not a government website, and you can apply yourself at evisa.gov.vn for US$25 (single entry) or US$50 (multiple entry). If you would like a second pair of eyes on your photo, start your Vietnam e-visa application and upload both images from your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A phone photo works well if someone else takes it at eye level, in front of a plain white wall, with soft light facing you. Crop the result to 4x6 cm in portrait orientation. Avoid selfies, filters and portrait mode, which distort the face or blur its edges.
No. The photo size for Indian passport holders is the same 4x6 cm as for every other nationality, with a white background and no glasses. A standard Indian passport photo is a different size, so crop it again or take a new picture instead of reusing it.
Vietnam's e-visa instructions do not mention head coverings. If you wear one for religious reasons, keep your whole face clearly visible, from the top of the forehead to the chin, with no shadow across it. Other hats and caps should come off.
The Vietnam Immigration Department returns the application for correction or refuses it, and either way you lose working days. On evisa.gov.vn you upload a new photo when asked. With VietnamVisa.com, we check the photo before submitting and email you if it needs replacing.
No. One upload is your portrait and the other is your passport data page, and they are checked against each other. Cropping the passport page to make a portrait gives a small, blurry face. Take a separate 4x6 cm portrait for the first upload.