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SourceMinistry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD of Russia)
Verified
Quick answer: A Russia international driving permit photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Even plain light background. Neutral expression, with your everyday glasses. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Background | Even plain light background. |
| Pose | Strictly full face, no head covering. |
| Expression | Neutral expression. |
| Glasses | Citizens who permanently wear glasses must be photographed wearing glasses without tinted lenses. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Headwear is allowed only for religious reasons and must not hide the oval of the face. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
Photo rules for the Russian international driving licence (IDP) are set by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Appendix 2 to MVD Order No. 206 of 18.04.2011 says the holder's photograph glued into the «Photographie» field is 35 × 45 mm, on matte photographic paper, black-and-white or colour, with a clear image of the face strictly full-face and without headwear (headwear that does not hide the oval of the face is allowed for religious reasons); people who wear glasses all the time are photographed in glasses with untinted lenses.
The Administrative Regulation approved by MVD Order No. 80 of 20.02.2021 (as amended on 26.05.2025), п. 28.11, lists the same photograph — 35 × 45 mm, colour or black-and-white, matte paper — among the documents submitted when an international licence is issued. The acts publish no background colour, head height or digital-file parameters.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Russia international driving permit applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
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.
Size: 35 × 45 mm
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to the required size.
With your everyday glasses
If you wear glasses every day, keep them on and check that the lenses show no glare.
Neutral expression
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″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
Questions
The Russia international driving permit photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The photo is printed on the licence card and must remain recognisable for the full validity period.
Even plain light background. Even, frontal light without shadow gradients. Driving licence printers tend to compress contrast — starting with even lighting prevents underexposed areas from disappearing in the final print.
Citizens who permanently wear glasses must be photographed wearing glasses without tinted lenses.
Most authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. The licence is typically valid for 5–10 years, so use a recent photo that reflects your everyday appearance — not a one-off styled portrait.
No. Driving licence photos use the same neutral expression standard as biometric passports — closed mouth, eyes open and looking directly at the camera, no raised eyebrows. Smiles distort facial geometry used in modern biometric checks.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Russia licence authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Headwear is allowed only for religious reasons and must not hide the oval of the face. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.