head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic
Verified
Quick answer: A Syria passport photo must be 40 × 40 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 40 × 40 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Syria passport → |
| 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 | 40 × 40 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 4 × 4 cm |
| Inches | 1.57 × 1.57″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 472 × 472 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 945 × 945 px |
For a Syrian passport applied for at a diplomatic mission the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates lists «two recent colored passport-sized photos with a white background, wearing dark clothing, size 4x4», for the first passport and for a replacement of a lost or damaged one alike. It asks separately for an ID card or an individual civil registry extract «bearing a recent personal photograph (not older than six months)», and that photograph «must be certified by the local Mukhtar, identified by a witness from the same area, and duly authenticated by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates». The application is booked through the Ministry's appointment application, the application form is printed in colour, the electronic signature and fingerprint are taken at the passport system at the appointment, and the fees are paid there. The pages publish no head size or other face rules — only the size, the white background, the dark clothing and the recent date.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Syria passport 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 Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph that is not recent, not in colour, or not on a white background | Two recent colour photographs on a white background. |
| Light clothing against the white background (the Ministry asks for dark clothing) | Dark clothing against the white background. |
| A print that is not the 4 × 4 size the Ministry names | A square 4 × 4 print. |
| A personal photograph on the ID card or civil registry extract older than six months or not certified by the Mukhtar and authenticated by the Ministry | A photograph of the last six months, certified by the Mukhtar and authenticated by the Ministry. |
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 × 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″ | 6 (3 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 35 (5 × 7) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Syrian passport is applied for at a Syrian diplomatic mission after booking an appointment through the Ministry's appointment application, with two photographs and the documents.
mofaex.gov.sy — diplomatic missions; the appointment is booked in the Ministry's application
Two recent colour photos, size 4 × 4, white background, dark clothing.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic |
|---|---|
| Source | Issuance of Passport for the First Time — required documents |
| Verified |
Questions
The Ministry lists two recent colour passport-sized photos «size 4x4» on a white background with dark clothing.
Dark clothing — the Ministry asks for photos with a white background and the applicant in dark clothing.
The ID card or civil registry extract you present must carry a personal photograph not older than six months, certified by the local Mukhtar and authenticated by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates; the two passport photos are separate.
At a Syrian diplomatic mission, after booking an appointment through the Ministry's appointment application; the fingerprints and electronic signature are taken there.
The Syria passport photo must be 40 × 40 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain white background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat white wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the Syria biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the Syria authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Clear glasses only, no reflections; sunglasses prohibited. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
40 × 40 mm = 4 × 4 cm = 1.57 × 1.57 inches. At 300 dpi that is 472 × 472 pixels; at 600 dpi, 945 × 945 pixels.
2 identical photographs, 40 × 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.