Vietnam Visa Photo Size for Indians: 2026 Specs on a Budget

Vietnam Visa Photo Size for Indians: Exact Dimensions, Background & Upload Rules

✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-18

Indians applying for a Vietnam e-visa need a photo that matches the exact spec: 4x6 cm on a white background, taken within the last 6 months, uploaded as a JPEG or PNG under 2 MB. Get any one of these wrong and the application gets bounced back without a refund. This article gives you the exact pixel and mm measurements the portal accepts, the file format rules, and the specific mistakes Indian applicants keep making. For related planning, see our guide on Sea Backpacking Hub.

Quick Answers

What	Answer	Price (INR)
Photo dimensions	4 x 6 cm (approximately 413 x 531 pixels at 300 DPI)	,
Photo background	Solid white, no shadows or patterns	,
File format	JPEG or PNG	,
File size limit	Under 2 MB	,
Photo age	Taken within the last 6 months	,
Glasses allowed?	No. Remove spectacles for the photo.	,
Head covering?	Allowed only for religious reasons; face must be fully visible	,

Print shops near Indian passport offices in Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai know the “Vietnam 4x6” spec. Ask specifically for a 4x6 cm passport photo on white background, JPEG file on a pen drive or WhatsApp. You may also find Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh useful for this trip.

Why This Spec Sheet Matters

The Vietnam Immigration e-visa portal rejects photos at upload if they do not match its technical checks. The rejection happens at the file-upload stage, before any human reviews your application, so you never get a chance to explain a “close enough” photo. See also: Savannakhet to Hue.

The official portal states the photo requirements in the application form’s photo-upload section. Cross-checked against traveller reports from June 2026, the most common rejection triggers for Indian applicants are: backgrounds that are off-white instead of pure white, shadows from overhead lighting, and old photos (older than 6 months) reused from a previous passport renewal.

The rest of this article breaks down each spec, the file format rules, and the mistakes that delay approval. For the broader eligibility and e-visa process, see our Vietnam visa guide for Indian passport holders.

Exact Dimensions (mm, cm, and pixels)

The Vietnam Immigration portal accepts photos at these dimensions:

• 4 cm wide x 6 cm tall (the standard size)
• This equals roughly 413 x 531 pixels at 300 DPI
• The face must occupy 70 to 80 percent of the photo height (chin to crown of head)

A photo that is 3.5 x 4.5 cm (the old Indian passport size for some renewals) will not work. A photo that is 2 x 2 inches (US passport style) will not work either. It has to be 4x6 cm. For pixel-by-pixel guidance on the upload form itself, see our Vietnam e-visa step-by-step application guide.

Pro tip: most photo studios in India default to the 35x45 mm Indian passport size. Tell them explicitly “Vietnam visa, 4x6 cm, white background” and show them this page on your phone.

Background Color and Lighting

The portal requires a solid white or off-white background, with no shadows falling on the face or behind the head. Here is what Indian applicants get wrong:

• Cream or beige walls do not count as white. The portal’s automated check flags anything that is not close to #FFFFFF hex.
• Shadows from overhead tube lights or fans show up as gray patches. Stand against a plain wall with light coming from the front, not from above.
• Patterned backgrounds (textured wallpaper, curtains, doors) trigger rejection even if the rest of the photo is correct.

Travellers from South India report that studio shots with a marble or granite background are the most commonly rejected. Request a plain white wall or a dedicated white photo backdrop. The colour requirement matters because the portal’s verification script reads the background pixels separately from the face pixels. For full eligibility, fee, and 90-day rules, see our Vietnam 90-day e-visa guide for Indian travelers.

File Format, Size, and Compression

The upload field on the portal accepts:

• File types: JPEG (jpg) or PNG
• Maximum file size: 2 MB
• Minimum resolution: 600 x 400 pixels (the safe zone for any 4x6 photo at 300 DPI)

Do not upload HEIC files from iPhones without converting first. The portal rejects HEIC outright, even though iOS uses it as the default camera format. Convert to JPEG before upload.

Image compression matters more than most guides mention. A photo taken on a 12 MP phone camera and saved without compression is 4 to 8 MB, which exceeds the 2 MB limit. Resize the image so the long edge is around 600 pixels and the file size lands between 200 and 500 KB. That window reads cleanly and uploads fast on Vietnam’s airport Wi-Fi.

Face Framing, Expression, and Glasses Rules

The rules are stricter than Indian passport specs in two ways:

1. No glasses. Even prescription spectacles are not allowed. This differs from Indian passport rules, which allow glasses as long as the eyes are visible. Take the photo without spectacles.
2. Neutral expression. No smiling with teeth, no frowning, no raised eyebrows. Mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.

Head covering is allowed only for religious reasons, and the full face from chin to forehead must be visible. A turban that covers the chin or jaw will fail. A hijab that casts a shadow over the face will fail.

The head should be centred, not tilted. Ears do not need to show (Indian passport rules differ here), but the entire face from forehead to chin must be inside the frame with a small margin on all sides.

Step-by-Step: How to Get the Right Photo

1. Visit any professional photo studio. Most Indian photo shops have a 4x6 cm template, or can print digital files at that size. Cost: ₹80 (~$0.83) to ₹150 (~$1.55).

2. Wear a dark-colored shirt or top. A dark shirt against a white background gives the clearest contrast.

3. Remove glasses, watches, and any hair that covers the forehead. Tie back long hair.

4. Ask for the file on a pen drive or via WhatsApp, in JPEG format, between 200 KB and 1 MB.

5. Open the file on your phone and check: face fills 70 to 80 percent of the frame, background is pure white, no shadows, eyes open, mouth closed.

6. If the file is over 2 MB, resize using a free tool (Phone’s built-in editor or any photo resizer app) until the longest edge is around 600 pixels.

Safety alert: do not use a 2-year-old photo from your last passport. The portal explicitly requires a photo taken within the last 6 months. If your appearance has changed (new beard, shaved head, significant weight change), the photo will be flagged at the border even if it passes the upload check.

Common Mistakes & Rejection Reasons

Here are the specific rejections that show up in traveller reports and on the Vietnam Immigration Department’s public FAQ:

• Wrong photo size (35x45 mm instead of 4x6 cm): the most common error. Indian photo studios default to 35x45 mm unless told otherwise.
• Coloured background (blue, red, beige): the portal rejects anything that is not white or near-white.
• Glasses on: taken from an old passport photo where the applicant wears spectacles. Strip them out or retake.
• File too large (over 2 MB): iPhone photos default to 3 to 8 MB. Resize before upload.
• HEIC file format: iPhone default. Convert to JPEG first.
• Photo older than 6 months: reused from a previous visa application. Retake.

One rejection specific to Indian passports: name mismatch between the photo file name and the passport. For real refusal statistics and how Indian applicants avoid them, see our Vietnam visa rejection rate guide. The portal does not read the file name, but it does read the data on your passport. If your passport shows a slightly different spelling or transliteration than what’s on your application, that triggers a secondary review. Match the spelling exactly to what is in your passport’s MRZ (machine-readable zone).

At the Upload Stage: What the Portal Checks

When you upload the photo on the e-visa application form at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, the portal runs three automated checks:

1. File format check: JPEG or PNG only. HEIC, BMP, TIFF, or PDF files are rejected with an error message.
2. File size check: anything over 2 MB is rejected. Resize and re-upload.
3. Basic image check: minimum dimensions (600 x 400 pixels) and a white-background detection heuristic.

If all three pass, the photo moves to the queue for human review. If human review approves, the e-visa PDF you receive will include your photo. If human review rejects, you get an email with a generic “photo does not meet requirements” message and your application is cancelled without a refund of the ₹2,410 (~25 USD) fee.

The 3-day processing window starts only after the photo passes all three checks. A rejected photo means you have to submit a new application and pay again.

Extensions & Re-submission

If your photo gets rejected and you want to re-apply:

• The ₹2,410 (~25 USD) fee is non-refundable. You pay again for a new application.
• There is no “fix the photo” option. You must submit a fully new application with a corrected photo.
• Processing time is still 3 business days from the moment a valid photo is accepted.

If your application is already approved and you notice the photo on the e-visa PDF is wrong, there is no in-system way to fix it. You would need to contact the Vietnam Immigration Department directly, which is slow and rarely resolves the issue. Get the photo right the first time.

Getting Connected: SIM and eSIM After Approval

Once your e-visa is approved and you land in Vietnam, you need data on your phone within minutes. The cheapest tourist SIM at the airport is Viettel or Mobifone, around ₹479 (~130,000 VND or ~$4.97) for a 14-day pack with 6 GB of data. Buy it at the official kiosk past customs, not from the touts in the arrivals hall. For travellers who want data before they even board the flight, Get Nomad eSIM covers Vietnam on most plans and activates the moment you land.

FAQ

What is the exact photo size for a Vietnam visa for Indians?

4 cm x 6 cm. Photos at 3.5 x 4.5 cm (the Indian passport size) are the most common rejection trigger. Travellers weighing the e-visa against the new 2024 visa-free entry rules for Indians can compare both options in our Vietnam visa-free entry policy explainer.

What background color does the Vietnam e-visa photo need?

White or near-white. Beige, cream, blue, or patterned backgrounds are rejected automatically. The portal checks the background pixels separately from the face.

Can I wear glasses in my Vietnam e-visa photo?

No. The Vietnam Immigration portal does not allow glasses of any kind, even prescription spectacles with clear lenses. This is stricter than Indian passport rules.

What file format does the Vietnam e-visa portal accept?

JPEG or PNG, under 2 MB. HEIC files from iPhones are rejected. Convert to JPEG before upload.

How recent does the photo need to be?

Taken within 6 months of the application date. Photos older than 6 months are rejected, even if they match every other spec.

Can I reuse my passport photo for the Vietnam e-visa?

Only if your passport photo was taken within the last 6 months, is 4x6 cm, has a pure white background, and you have no glasses on. Most Indian passport photos do not meet all four criteria.

What happens if my Vietnam e-visa photo is rejected?

The application is cancelled. You need to submit a fully new application with a corrected photo and pay the ₹2,410 (~25 USD) fee again.

Subodh’s Take

The photo spec looks simple on paper, but the rejection rate on first attempts is high enough that I’d budget two photo studio visits per applicant. Pay for the digital file, not just the print. Most of the rejections I see in traveller reports come from photo studios that hand over six tiny prints and forget to send the JPEG. Get the JPEG on your phone before you leave the shop, open it, and check the file size and format yourself.