Indonesia e-Visa Photo: Passport-Size, Under 200 KB

Indonesia's official immigration site asks for a "foto ukuran paspor" — a passport-size photo — as a JPG, JPEG or PNG file no larger than 200 kb. That is the whole published spec for the online visa: no pixels, no millimetres, no background colour, no head size. And for the e-VOA — the visa on arrival you get online before you fly — the same FAQ's requirement list names no photo at all, just a passport and a return ticket.

Photo

"Foto ukuran paspor" — passport-size photo

Format

JPG, JPEG or PNG

Maximum file size

200 kb

Passport bio page

Same format and 200 kb limit

e-VOA photo

Not listed in the e-VOA requirements

Pixels, dimensions, background

Not stated

Page last updated

19 January 2024 (stated on the FAQ page)

Source: Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi - FAQ, Visa section

We read the eVisa portal home page and the immigration site's visa FAQ and country lists on September 20, 2026, as an ordinary visitor. The FAQ is in Indonesian; the spec above is our translation of its words, and we flag that the page stamps itself last updated 19 January 2024 — the file rules may have moved since. The application itself sits behind a sign-in we did not create.

Two products, two document lists

The distinction that matters is e-VOA versus Visa Online. The FAQ's e-VOA requirements are short: a passport valid for at least six months, and a return ticket or a ticket onward to another country. No photo, no listed file upload — consistent with a product that was built to be quick. The Visa Online list is longer: the full passport bio page (JPG/JPEG/PNG, max 200 kb), the passport-size photo (same limits), an email address, and a valid Mastercard, Visa or JCB card.

In practice the portal shows document requirements per visa type after you choose nationality and purpose, so the list you see inside may be longer than either FAQ entry — check the upload screen you actually get. One more FAQ entry is worth knowing before you upload: if the portal reports that a document was not uploaded, its advice is to make sure the file's format and size comply with the rules. That is the sum of the published troubleshooting.

Digital upload versus printed photo

Everything the Visa Online list asks for is a file: the bio page and the photo are both uploads, and the approved visa arrives as a download link. Nothing on the pages we read asks you to print or carry a paper photo to Indonesia — the print product some photo shops sell is for consular applications, not this portal. The flip side is that the file is all you have: if it is blurry, dark or cropped through the top of your head, there is no clerk to hand a better print to, so get the source image right before you compress it. Our blurry photo guide covers the most common cause — camera shake and downscaled copies — and the shadows guide covers the lighting faults that make a reviewer look twice.

What "foto ukuran paspor" means for your file

The phrase translates as "passport-size photo" — a term of art for the standard biometric portrait, not a dimension. Indonesia publishes no millimetre size for it on the pages we read, so do not buy a file cropped to someone else's guess. A standard head-and-shoulders portrait, face centred, eyes open, plain light background — the shape every ICAO-style photo takes — is the reasonable reading. Our passport photo background and how recent guides cover the unstated conventions.

The binding constraint is the 200 kb ceiling on both files. A phone photo runs to several megabytes; export it as a JPEG a few hundred pixels wide and check the size before uploading. The opposite failure — a screenshot or messaging-app copy degraded below usefulness — is worse than oversize, because it fails the human review even if it fits the limit. The file-size guide explains how to compress cleanly. And keep the two uploads straight: the bio page and the portrait are separate files at the same limit, not interchangeable.

The rest of the process

The portal's home page describes three steps — apply with the requirement documents prepared, pay by SIMPONI or Mastercard/Visa/JCB credit or debit card, then download the visa from a link sent to your email. Two operational details are easy to miss: an e-VOA application can cover up to five people at once, and every traveller must submit an arrival card within three days before arrival — it is a separate declaration, not part of the visa.

The VoA/e-VOA country list runs to 97 entries, including the US, UK, India, China, Australia, most of Europe, the Gulf states and all ASEAN neighbours. If your nationality is on it and your trip is short tourism, the e-VOA is usually the lighter application; longer stays and other purposes go through the full visa-selection wizard.

1. 1

   Pick the right product

   e-VOA for eligible nationalities on short tourist trips; the Visa Online wizard for everything else. The document lists differ — the photo is only named on the second.

2. 2

   Take a standard passport-style photo

   Someone else holds the camera at eye level, you face it square on, plain light wall, eyes open, nothing else in frame.

3. 3

   Export JPG or PNG under 200 kb

   Both the photo and the passport bio page share the same limit. Work from the originals, not chat-app copies.

4. 4

   Upload and watch for file errors

   The FAQ's fix for 'document not uploaded' is format and size compliance — check extension and kilobytes first.

5. 5

   Submit the arrival card separately

   Within three days before arrival, for every traveller. The visa does not cover it.

Checklist before you upload

• Passport-style photo as JPG, JPEG or PNG, under 200 kb
• Passport bio page as a separate JPG/PNG/PDF within the same limit
• Plain background, face centred, eyes open, you alone
• Arrival card submitted within 3 days of arrival
• e-VOA application covering your whole group (up to 5)
• A file over 200 kb straight off the phone
• A screenshot or messaging-app copy of the photo
• Paying a third-party site instead of evisa.imigrasi.go.id

Regional neighbours publish very different specs: Vietnam wants 4 x 6 cm under 2 MB, Thailand publishes only a 3 MB file limit, India's e-Visa demands a square JPEG between 10 KB and 1 MB, and Kenya's eTA accepts a plain selfie. For a document we can size exactly, start here.

Frequently asked questions

What photo does the Indonesia online visa need?

The Directorate General of Immigration's FAQ lists a "foto ukuran paspor" — a passport-size photo — in JPG, JPEG or PNG format, at most 200 kb. No pixel size, dimensions or background colour is published, so any more specific figure you see quoted elsewhere is unverified.

Does the Indonesia e-VOA need a photo upload?

The FAQ's e-VOA requirements list only a passport valid for at least six months and a return or onward ticket — no photo is named. The separate "Visa Online" list does name a passport-size photo. Which set applies depends on the visa type you select on the portal.

What file format and size does Indonesia's eVisa portal accept?

JPG, JPEG or PNG, maximum 200 kb per file, according to the immigration site's FAQ — the same limit applies to the passport bio page and the photo. The FAQ also tells applicants whose uploads are rejected to check that the format and file size comply.

Is 200 kb enough for a clear visa photo?

Yes, with a sensible crop. 200 kb holds a sharp JPEG a few hundred pixels across. The failures happen at the extremes: a full-resolution phone photo is several megabytes, and a chat-app or screenshot copy can be too degraded to read. Export from the original, check the size, keep the framing intact.

How do I pay for the Indonesia e-Visa?

The portal's home page says payment is by SIMPONI or a Mastercard, Visa or JCB credit or debit card, after which the approved visa is sent to your email as a download link. The FAQ adds a valid email address and card to the document list.

Do I need anything besides the visa to enter Indonesia?

Yes. The portal's home page states that all travellers must submit an arrival card within three days before arrival in Indonesia — it is a separate declaration from the visa. e-VOA applications can be made for up to five people at once.

Sources

• Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi - FAQ, Visa section (photo and document rules, last updated 19 Jan 2024)
• Official e-Visa Website for Indonesia - home page (apply, pay, download; arrival card rule)
• Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi - VoA, BVK and Calling Visa country list
• Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi - Indonesian visa index (visa types)