How Cabo Verde Started Our 2026 Passport World Cup Idea

Like many Australians, I’ll admit that Cabo Verde was not a country I knew much about.

Then the 2026 World Cup came along.

Suddenly, this small island nation was on the same football stage as countries most of us know very well. Argentina. Spain. Brazil. France. England. Australia and of Course USA.

And then there was Cabo Verde.

I found myself asking the same questions a lot of people probably ask when the World Cup introduces them to a country they have not really heard about before.

Where is Cabo Verde?
How big is the country?
What does the flag look like?
And, because of what we do every day at Gold Coast Passport Photography, one more question came naturally.

What are the passport photo requirements for Cabo Verde?

That is how the idea for our 2026 Passport World Cup started.

Not football scores.
Passport photo specs compared - Country Vs Country.

Where is Cabo Verde?

Cabo Verde, also known as Cape Verde, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. The World Bank describes Cabo Verde as a ten-island archipelago located about 500 kilometres off Africa’s west coast, with a population of around 520,500 people living across nine islands.

For a country that many Australians may not know much about, the World Cup suddenly makes it visible.

That is one of the best things about international football. It does not just show us players and teams. It reminds us that the world is full of countries, flags, cultures and travel stories that are easy to miss until they appear on the big screen.

In case your curious here's the google maps link to Cabo Verde

Why passports came to mind

At Gold Coast Passport Photography, we prepare passport photos, visa photos and ID photos every day from our Runaway Bay studio.

So when a country like Cabo Verde appears in the World Cup, I do not only think about the team or the flag. I start wondering about the practical travel details.

What does the passport look like?
What photo size do they need?
Do they accept digital uploads?
Are the requirements easy to find?
Are the rules simple, or are there hidden details that could catch people out?

It might sound like a strange rabbit hole, but this is exactly the kind of thing that matters when someone needs an international passport or visa photo.

Most people assume passport photos are all basically the same. They are not.

Many countries follow similar international principles: a clear front-facing photo, plain background, neutral expression, recent image and correct framing. But the details can still change from country to country.

The size can change.
The file format can change.
The upload requirements can change.
The head size and crop can change.
The visa photo requirements can differ from the passport photo requirements.

That is where people get confused.

Cabo Verde’s passport photo requirements

Cabo Verde’s official consular portal gives a good example of how specific digital requirements can be.

For online passport photos, the portal states that the photo must be less than six months old. It also lists technical requirements including JPG or JPEG format, a file size between 250 KB and 10 MB, and image dimensions within specified pixel ranges. It also says scanned photos are not accepted for the online passport service.

That is a perfect example of why we started thinking about a “Passport World Cup.”

On the football field, Cabo Verde might be the underdog story.

In the passport photo world, it brings something very real to the match: specific digital photo rules that someone could easily miss if they were trying to work it out on their own.

Visa requirements are another layer

Passport photo requirements are one thing. Visa requirements are another.

Smartraveller explains that every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders, and visa rules can vary depending on nationality, purpose of travel and the country you are visiting.

That is why we are careful with the way we talk about visa photos.

We can help prepare the photo to the relevant requirements, but we are not an immigration adviser and we do not decide whether a visa or passport application is approved.

The photo is one part of the process. A very important part, but still only one part.

The 2026 Passport World Cup

So, from Cabo Verde, the idea grew.

During the World Cup, we are comparing the passport photo requirements of the countries playing each other.

We are calling it:

2026 Passport World Cup

Passport vs Passport

The idea is simple.

When two countries meet on the pitch, we compare their passport and visa photo requirements across five simple categories.

Size Battle
Which country has the more specific photo size, file size or format requirements?

Spec Sheet
Which country gives clearer or more detailed passport photo instructions?

Rule Book
Which country has stricter rules around background, expression, glasses, shadows and editing?

Clarity Rank
Which country makes the information easier to find and understand?

Position Play
Which country has more specific rules around face position, head size, crop and framing?

Then we call a winner.

It is just for fun, of course.

But there is a real point behind it.

Passport and visa photo requirements really do vary by country, application type and issuing authority. The small details can matter, especially when you are dealing with international applications.

Why this matters on the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is full of travellers.

People are applying for Australian passports, renewing passports, booking overseas trips, visiting family, applying for visas, organising ID photos, preparing children’s passport applications and sorting out last-minute travel documents.

Some people only need a standard Australian passport photo.

Others need something more specific, like a US visa photo, Canadian passport photo, UK passport photo, New Zealand passport photo, European visa photo or another country-specific requirement.

That is where a professional passport photo studio can help.

At Gold Coast Passport Photography, we provide Australian and international passport, visa and ID photos from our Runaway Bay studio. Photos can be prepared as print, digital or both, depending on what the application requires.

Passport photos that actually look good

Cabo Verde gave us the curiosity.

The World Cup gave us the fun idea.

But the real message is simple.

Passport photos are not all the same, and they do not have to be rushed, confusing or unflattering.

Need a real passport or visa photo?

Book your session at our Runaway Bay studio and we’ll prepare it to the relevant requirements.

Gold Coast Passport Photography

Passport photos that actually look good.

See our socials for the Passport Photo World Cup.