head 70–80 %
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14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourcePresident of the Republic of Belarus — Decree No. 209 of 17 November 1994 (Regulation on the procedure for considering citizenship matters)
Verified
Quick answer: A Belarus citizenship application photo must be 30 × 40 mm. Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 30 × 40 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing, shoulders visible, without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 30 × 40 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3 × 4 cm |
| Inches | 1.18 × 1.57″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 354 × 472 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 709 × 945 px |
For an application for admission to Belarusian citizenship the Regulation on citizenship matters (Presidential Decree No. 209) lists «four colour photographs of the applicant, appropriate to the applicant's age, 30 × 40 mm» among the documents attached to the application, together with the questionnaire (Appendix 1 or 1¹, which has a box «Place for a photograph»), the autobiography, copies of the travel document, the residence permit and the civil-status certificates, and proof of a lawful income. The same line stands in point 22 for an application filed at the internal-affairs department at the place of permanent residence and in point 41 for one filed through the diplomatic service abroad. The same four 30 × 40 mm colour photographs are listed for renunciation of citizenship, registration as a citizen, restoration of citizenship, registration of the loss of citizenship by a personal application and verification of belonging to citizenship; three photographs for a child or a ward (registration, loss of citizenship by a child); two for the certificate on the termination of citizenship or on belonging to citizenship issued on a person's own application. The application is written in free form and filed in person, in writing, by a person of 18 or older (a child's or ward's by the legal representative); the Regulation gives no background, head or glasses rules for these photographs.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Belarus citizenship application applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules President of the Republic of Belarus — Decree No. 209 of 17 November 1994 (Regulation on the procedure for considering citizenship matters) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Fewer than four photographs with an application for admission to citizenship (three for a child or ward, two for a certificate) | Four photographs (three for a child or ward, two for a certificate). |
| A black-and-white photograph | A colour photograph. |
| A print that is not 30 × 40 mm | A 30 × 40 mm print. |
| A photograph that does not correspond to the applicant's age | A photograph that corresponds to the applicant's age. |
How to take it
Background: plain light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 30 × 40 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 10 (5 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 49 (7 × 7) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
An application for Belarusian citizenship is filed in person at the internal-affairs department at the place of permanent residence (in Belarus) or through the diplomatic service (abroad), with the questionnaire, four 30 × 40 mm colour photographs and the documents.
The department of the city or district executive committee; abroad — the diplomatic service
Four colour photographs 30 × 40 mm, appropriate to the applicant's age.
Authority pageQuestions
30 × 40 mm, in colour, appropriate to the applicant's age — four photographs for an application for admission to citizenship, under points 22 and 41 of the Regulation (Decree No. 209).
Three colour 30 × 40 mm photographs for the registration of a child or ward as a citizen; four for a child whose belonging to citizenship is determined or who renounces citizenship.
No — point 41 lists the same four colour 30 × 40 mm photographs for an application filed through the diplomatic service.
No — it names only the number, the colour, the size and «appropriate to the age»; the department or embassy that takes the application has the last word.
The Belarus citizenship application photo must be 30 × 40 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height. Naturalisation and citizenship certificate photos use the same biometric standard as Belarus passports.
Most citizenship authorities require photos taken within the last three to six months. Because citizenship documents are issued once and used for decades, submit a photo that genuinely reflects your current appearance, not a stylised portrait.
Plain light background without textures or noticeable gradients. The photo will be printed on official documents and digitally archived — even minor background issues become permanent in the record. Use a flat, evenly lit wall with no objects or shadows.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. Citizenship documents are checked at immigration, banking and government offices over the document's lifetime. Removing glasses for the photo prevents future verification problems.
It does not need to be identical, but must show the same person clearly. Significant differences in hair, facial hair or weight may prompt the citizenship authority to request a new photo or in-person verification.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Belarus citizenship authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
30 × 40 mm = 3 × 4 cm = 1.18 × 1.57 inches. At 300 dpi that is 354 × 472 pixels; at 600 dpi, 709 × 945 pixels.
4 identical photographs, 30 × 40 mm each.
Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.