Liberia Passport Photo Requirements & Guidelines

Liberia issues an ECOWAS biometric e-passport, and it uses the standard regional photo: 35 × 45 mm on a plain white background, ICAO-compliant. If you've prepared a photo for most West African or European countries, the size and background will feel familiar.

What's less familiar are two Liberia-specific rules the consulate spells out — about your hair colour and your clothing — that don't appear in most countries' guidance. Miss them and an otherwise-perfect photo gets bounced. This guide covers the standard spec first, then those two catches.

The specification, at a glance

First, don't use the wrong size

A quick clarification, because it causes confusion: the official Liberian/ICAO format is 35 × 45 mm. Some US-based processing services list a 2 × 2 inch photo for Liberian consular submissions, borrowing the American size. For the standard ECOWAS biometric passport, work to 35 × 45 mm — that's what the tool below produces, and what matches the in-country application.

The head should measure about 34.5 mm chin to crown — roughly 76% of the frame — with a small margin above the hair. You can create your Liberia passport photo sized to that spec without measuring by hand.

The two Liberia-specific catches

Natural hair colour only

This is the unusual one. The Liberian consulate states that hair should appear in its natural colour — natural black or dark brown — rather than dyed a bright or artificial shade. It's a rule most countries don't make explicit, and it catches people who've recently coloured their hair. If yours is currently a non-natural colour, this is worth checking before you commit to the photo.

No sleeveless clothing

Liberia also expects everyday, modest attire — specifically no sleeveless tops, and no uniforms or official-looking dress. Wear normal clothing with sleeves. Combined with the standard "nothing on the face" rules, the message is a plain, ordinary appearance.

The standard rules, quickly

• Glasses: not permitted (medical exception only, no glare).
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight at the camera, head untilted.
• Head covering: not permitted except for religious or medical reasons with a signed statement; the face must stay visible from chin to forehead.

Print and digital

The printed photo

A 35 × 45 mm colour print on white, taken within the last six months. One photo is affixed per application form; you may be asked for an extra print if none was uploaded during an e-application. Because it's a biometric passport, your photo is also captured or verified at the appointment.

Digital submission

Liberia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs doesn't publish a formal public pixel/DPI/file-size table for uploads. Where a digital file is requested, aim for a sharp, correctly proportioned 35 × 45 image on white; treat third-party figures (600 DPI, under ~300 KB) as guidance rather than an official standard.

How Liberia compares

Liberia's 35 × 45 mm ECOWAS format is shared across the West African bloc, so a photo that works for Liberia will often be the right *size* for neighbours too. But the hair-colour and clothing rules are Liberia's own additions — the kind of national detail that doesn't carry across the border. Our passport photo tool for 150+ countries applies each country's own rules to the same source image.

The short version

Liberia's ECOWAS biometric passport wants a straightforward 35 × 45 mm photo on white with a ~34.5 mm head, glasses off — plus two things you won't see elsewhere: natural hair colour and no sleeveless tops. Get the standard photo right and honour those two rules, and it passes.