Albania National ID Card Photo (leternjoftim): Exact ALEAT Standard
Everything you need to know about the photo for an Albanian national ID card (leternjoftim) issued through ALEAT, including the exact size, background and why a self-made photo is not accepted.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Albania does not accept a self-prepared photo. By law it must be captured on site by an authorised service and submitted electronically, so we cannot produce a submittable file for it. The official specification is shown below so you know exactly what to expect at your appointment.
This photo is captured on site — but we can make your Albania photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Albania National ID card photo has strict requirements, and a mistake costs time and money. We’ll show you how to pass on the first try.
It gets rejected
Wrong size, background or cropping — and the system returns the application.
Expensive and slow
A trip to a photo studio means a queue, time and €7–12 for a reshoot.
Confusing requirements
Exact size, head height, light background, facial expression — easy to get wrong.
Redo it all over
Rejected — take another photo, pay and submit again. Round and round.
«Below are the exact requirements from the official source, so you arrive at your appointment prepared.»
Ordinary photo → ready for submission
We remove the background and clutter, set the framing and lighting — keeping your face without «beautifying».
Your face stays yours — we do not change features, only the background, lighting and framing.
Your National ID card photo: what matters
The Albanian national ID card (leternjoftim) uses the same biometric photo standard as the Albanian passport and visa. The card is issued through ALEAT, the concessionaire that operates the country's biometric enrolment on behalf of the Ministry of Interior. Knowing exactly how a compliant image must look saves you a wasted appointment and a return trip to the office.
The key peculiarity of this document is that the photo is captured live at the ALEAT office. During your scheduled appointment, your portrait and fingerprints are enrolled digitally on-site, on the same visit that also covers the biometric passport. Because the image is taken by the office equipment, a downloaded or self-printed photo is generally not accepted for submission. What does help is arriving knowing precisely what the operator's camera will be checking for, so your face, expression and framing are right the first time.
The official ALEAT/biometric specification is:
- Print size: 36x47 mm (425x555 px digital)
- Background: plain pure white (#FFFFFF), evenly lit, no shadows
- Head height: the face fills roughly 68-77% of the frame (head measured 32-36 mm)
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible
- Glasses: not allowed
- Headwear: none, except worn permanently for religious reasons (face fully visible)
- Recency: must reflect your current appearance (taken within the last 6 months)
Common reasons photos are rejected in Albania:
- Wearing glasses, even thin clear ones, causing glare or rim shadow over the eyes
- A grey, cream or textured backdrop instead of the required pure white
- Smiling or an open mouth, which breaks the neutral biometric expression
- Head too small or too large in the frame, falling outside the 32-36 mm range
You can prepare a fully standard-compliant reference image in seconds: upload your own picture and it is automatically cropped and formatted to the exact 36x47 mm ALEAT standard with a clean white background. Because Albania now requires the official photo to be captured on-site at the ALEAT office, we do not promise this image will be accepted for submission - instead, use it to see exactly how a compliant photo must look, to check your framing and outfit before the appointment, or for any other personal use. Knowing the standard in advance is the most reliable way to make your enrolment go smoothly.
What an accepted National ID card photo looks like
Albania · 36 × 47 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 36 × 47 mm · 425 × 555 px
- Background
- White plain
- Head in frame
- 68–77%
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Facial expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Headwear
- Only for religious reasons
- File
- JPG · ≤ 250 KB
Print size is 36 × 47 mm and the digital file is 425 × 555 px.
Official requirements source: ambasadat.gov.al, onlinepassport.photo
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Albania National ID card photo gets rejected — and how to avoid them. Compare good and bad shots.
1Format and freshness
A color photo taken no more than 6 months ago.
2Lighting and background
Even light with no shadows on the face; a plain light background, without glare.
3Head position
Face head-on, head centered, no tilt or turn.
4Facial expression
Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera.
5Glasses and accessories
No glasses (especially sunglasses); eyes fully visible, without glare.
6Headwear
Only for religious reasons and not covering the face — the face fully visible.
7Clothing
Ordinary everyday clothes; no uniforms or face-covering clothing.
Common questions about Albania National ID card photos
What size is required for an Albanian ID card photo?
Can I bring my own photo to the ALEAT office?
What background colour does the Albanian ID card photo need?
Are glasses allowed in the photo?
Is the ID card photo the same as the passport photo?
Can I wear a head covering?
Your photo is protected
A photo is personal data, so we handle it carefully and in line with GDPR. We process it only to prepare the document and delete it within clear deadlines.
- Only with consentWe process the photo only after your explicit consent before upload.
- Auto-deletionWe delete the source photo within a day, the ready file after 7 days.
- No sharing with third partiesYour photos are not sold or used to train any third-party systems.
- Deletion on requestYou can ask to delete your data at any time — with a single request.