On this page
Specifications
Every measurable requirement, in the same order on every country page. Bracketed numbers point to the official source below.
| Printed photo | ||
|---|---|---|
| Photo size | min 32.0 × 26.0 mm — max 39.0 × 31.0 mm (tamaño pasaporte / passport-size photo) | [1] |
| Head height (chin to crown) | Not specified by the authority | |
| Eye position | Not specified by the authority | |
| Background | White (fondo blanco) | [1] |
| Print resolution | Not specified by the authority | |
| Paper | Not specified by the authority | |
| Copies required | One (1) photograph (quantity only — SRE does not state an original-vs-copy rule) | [1] |
| Digital upload | ||
| Pixel size | Not specified by the authority | |
| File format | Not specified by the authority | |
| File size | Not specified by the authority | |
| Colour | Color (a color) | [1] |
| Validity | ||
| Taken within | No more than 6 months old | [1] |
| Also specified | ||
| Photo size term — Consulado de México en Quetzaltenango (six-month visa for Guatemalan nationals) | "Fotografía tamaño cédula" (cédula-size), not "tamaño pasaporte" — face fully visible, no glasses, color, white background | [3] |
| Attaching the photo to the form — Embajada de México en Alemania | Do not attach the photo to the application form | [2] |
Rules
What is allowed and what is refused. Same ten rows on every page; “Conditional” means allowed only as described.
| Expression | Required | Face fully visible, facing the camera (rostro visible … de frente) [1] |
| Eyes | Not specified | — |
| Glasses | Not allowed | Not allowed (sin anteojos) [1] |
| Head covering | Not specified | — |
| Hair | Not specified | — |
| Ears | Not specified | — |
| Clothing | Not specified | — |
| Retouching / filters | Not specified | — |
| Shadows and objects | Not specified | — |
| Infants and children | Not specified | — |
Notes and common mistakes
The photo size is a range, not one fixed measurement
SRE’s national visa procedure page states the acceptable photo size as a range, with a stated minimum and a stated maximum, rather than a single fixed size the way some other countries’ visa photo rules do [1].
The application form must not have the photo attached to it
At least one Mexican embassy’s visa instructions state explicitly that the photo must not be attached to the application form — it is submitted loose alongside the other required documents [2].
One consulate uses a different term for the photo
Most SRE missions describe the visa photo as a passport-size photo. The consulate in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, instead calls it a cédula-size photo in its own requirements for the six-month tourist visa it issues to Guatemalan nationals [3].
The visa and the online electronic authorization are two different processes
Nationals of a small number of countries can apply online for an electronic authorization (SAE) instead of a visa, provided they enter Mexico by air. That online application collects passport and travel details but has no photo-upload field anywhere in its form [4] — unlike the printed visa application processed at a consulate or embassy, whose checklist includes a photograph among the required documents [1].
Common reasons visa photos get rejected
- Glasses are not allowed [1].
- The face must be fully visible, photographed facing the camera [1].
Countries with the same photo size
26 × 32 mm No other published country page uses this size yet. More pages are being verified.
Questions
Are glasses allowed in a Mexico visa photo?
No — glasses are not allowed [1].
Does Mexico require one exact photo size?
No — SRE's national visa procedure states an acceptable size using a stated minimum and a stated maximum, rather than a single fixed size [1].
Can I staple or glue the photo to the visa application form?
No — at least one Mexican embassy's visa instructions state that the photo must not be attached to the application form [2].
Do all Mexican consulates use the same name for the photo size?
No — most SRE missions describe a passport-size photo, but the consulate in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, uses a different term — a cédula-size photo — for the six-month tourist visa it issues to Guatemalan nationals [3].
Do I need a photo for Mexico's online electronic authorization (SAE)?
No — the SAE's online application form collects passport and travel information but has no photo-upload step anywhere in it, unlike the printed visa route, whose checklist includes a photograph among the required documents [4] [1].
Sources
Every value above is taken from the following official documents. If a source disagrees with this page, the source is right — tell us. Report an error.
- [1] Visa de visitante sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas — trámite SRE232, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (gob.mx)
https://web.archive.org/web/20250305051802/https://www.gob.mx/tramites/ficha/visa-de-visitante-sin-permiso-para-realizar-actividades-remuneradas/SRE232 - [2] Visas for foreigners — Embajada de México en Alemania (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores)
https://web.archive.org/web/20260513002338/https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/alemania/index.php/en/sc/51-alemania/753-visas-for-foreigners - [3] Requisitos para visa de seis meses — Consulado de México en Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores)
https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/quetzaltenango/images/Requisitos-visa-6-meses-actualizacin-Rev-18dic17.pdf - [4] Autorización electrónica (SAE) — formulario de solicitud, Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM)
https://www.inm.gob.mx/sae/publico/solicitud.html