Dominican Republic National ID Card (Cédula) Photo — Exact JCE Standard
Learn the precise photo standard for the Dominican cédula de identidad and how to prepare a perfectly compliant 35x45 mm reference image before your JCE appointment.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Dominican Republic 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 Dominican Republic photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Dominican Republic 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 photo for the Dominican Republic national ID card (cédula de identidad) is governed by the Junta Central Electoral (JCE), the authority responsible for civil registry and identity documents. The biometric portrait must meet a strict technical standard so that facial-recognition systems and JCE officials can verify your identity reliably. Below you will find the exact specification and the most common reasons a portrait fails to meet it.
There is one crucial peculiarity unique to the Dominican cédula. Under the 2026 new cedulation (nueva cédula), the biometric photo is no longer something you bring with you: it is captured live, on-site at a JCE office by appointment. A self-made or downloaded photo is generally not accepted for submission. During capture, JCE staff require a neutral chin position, shoulders upright and square to the camera, the full face clearly visible, and the forehead exposed with hair tucked behind the ears. Eyeglasses are banned to avoid lens reflections, and no earrings, necklaces, piercings, or head coverings are permitted.
The official technical parameters are:
- Size: 35x45 mm (827x1063 px)
- Background: plain white (#FFFFFF)
- Face height: fills 70-80% of the frame
- Expression: neutral, mouth closed
- Glasses: not allowed
- Headwear: forbidden
- Recency: must reflect your current appearance (taken within the last 6 months)
Common reasons photos are rejected in the Dominican Republic:
- Wearing eyeglasses — reflections on the lenses obscure the eyes and are automatically refused at capture.
- Visible jewelry — earrings, necklaces, or piercings must be removed before the portrait is taken.
- Hair over the forehead — strands covering the brow or ears break the full-face visibility rule.
- Tilted head or slouched shoulders — the chin must stay neutral and shoulders upright and level.
Our service automatically crops and formats your own picture to the exact JCE standard — correct 35x45 mm dimensions, pure white background, and proper face proportion. Be aware: because the Dominican cédula now requires the biometric image to be captured digitally on-site at a JCE office, a self-prepared photo cannot be used for the actual application. Instead, use the compliant reference image to see precisely how your portrait must look, to check your hair, expression, and jewelry before the appointment, or for any other personal or official purpose where a standard ID-format photo is needed.
What an accepted National ID card photo looks like
Dominican Republic · 35 × 45 mm. Tap any requirement to see what it means on a real photo.
- Size
- 35 × 45 mm · 827 × 1063 px
- Background
- White plain
- Head in frame
- 70–80%
- Glasses
- Not allowed
- Facial expression
- Neutral, mouth closed
- Headwear
- Not allowed
- File
- JPG · ≤ 2 MB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.
Official requirements source: nuevacedula.jce.gob.do, elcaribe.com.do
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Dominican Republic 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 Dominican Republic National ID card photos
Can I use a self-made photo for the Dominican cédula?
What size must the Dominican ID card photo be?
Are eyeglasses allowed in the cédula photo?
Who sets the photo rules for the Dominican ID card?
Why does my hair need to be behind my ears?
What is this tool useful for if my photo can't be submitted?
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.