head 70–80 %no glasses
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Interior of Saudi Arabia — Civil Status Agency (Executive Regulation of the Civil Status Law)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Saudi Arabia ID card photo size is 40 × 60 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, glasses prohibited. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 40 × 60 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Saudi Arabia ID card → |
| Pose | Strictly full face, head without rotation or tilt, shoulders level. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses not permitted. 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 | 40 × 60 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 4 × 6 cm |
| Inches | 1.57 × 2.36″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 472 × 709 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 945 × 1417 px |
For the Saudi national ID the executive regulation of the Civil Status Law (Article 17, as amended in June 2022) says that the personal photograph, and the photograph captured in the automated systems, must be «recent, coloured, clear, showing all the features of the face, with a white background, in a front-facing position, without glasses or non-medical lenses, free of any adornment» — and «may not be in professional clothing or for any particular category». The Civil Status Agency sets special rules for certain age groups, people with special needs and other cases. Article 146 lists what the national ID, printed or digital, contains — the personal photograph, the full name of at least four names in Arabic and English, the place of birth, the date of birth in the Hijri and Gregorian calendars, the civil registry number, the expiry date in both calendars, the copy number, the official emblems and security features —, and Article 157 says the Civil Status issues the ID and that bodies verifying it record its data without taking a copy. The text is in Arabic (my translation) and gives no size in millimetres, head size or expression rule.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Saudi Arabia ID card applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia — Civil Status Agency (Executive Regulation of the Civil Status Law) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not recent, not in colour or not clear | A recent, clear colour photo. |
| A background that is not white or a face that is not front-facing | A white background and a front-facing position showing all facial features. |
| Glasses, non-medical contact lenses or any adornment | No glasses (or non-medical lenses) and no adornment. |
| Professional clothing or clothing of a particular category | Ordinary clothing. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
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 40 × 60 mm.
Glasses prohibited
Take them off before the shot.
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 glassesTake your glasses off — this document's rules require it.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 4 (2 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 21 (3 × 7) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Saudi national ID is issued by the Civil Status Agency of the Ministry of Interior; the photograph, taken or captured in the automated systems, must follow Article 17 of the executive regulation.
uqn.gov.sa — executive regulation of the Civil Status Law
A recent, clear colour photo on a white background, front-facing, without glasses, non-medical lenses or adornment.
Authority pageQuestions
Recent, coloured, clear, showing all the features of the face, with a white background, front-facing, without glasses or non-medical lenses, free of any adornment and not in professional clothing.
No — Article 17 asks for no glasses and no non-medical lenses; the Civil Status Agency sets special rules for certain age groups and people with special needs.
The personal photograph, the full name of at least four names in Arabic and English, the place and date of birth (Hijri and Gregorian), the civil registry number, the expiry date, the copy number and the official emblems and security features.
The recommended size for the Saudi Arabia ID card photo is 40 × 60 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height. The photo must reflect your current everyday appearance.
Plain white background. Identity cards are used frequently in daily life — for banking, age verification and domestic travel — so the photo is scrutinised many times and minor background issues become more visible at print scale.
Yes. Stand against a flat light-coloured wall, face a window for even natural light, and use a phone with a timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and ICAO alignment check automatically.
Identity card photos generally need to reflect your current appearance. Most authorities accept photos taken within the last six months, but significant changes to hair, beard or facial features since the photo was taken may require a new one.
Glasses not permitted. Removing glasses for the shoot is the safest option, especially given the long validity period of most identity cards. Glare that passes today may fail re-verification at a future biometric checkpoint.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Saudi Arabia authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
40 × 60 mm = 4 × 6 cm = 1.57 × 2.36 inches. At 300 dpi that is 472 × 709 pixels; at 600 dpi, 945 × 1417 pixels.
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.
Yes. The same 40 × 60 mm format and head size apply to: passport.