Ethiopia National ID (Fayda) Photo: Official Size & Requirements

A compliant portrait for Ethiopia's Fayda National ID card must meet ICAO-style biometric standards set by the Ethiopian National ID Program (NIDP). Getting the dimensions, background, and pose exactly right ensures the enrollment officer can process your biometric record without delay.

Ethiopia's national identity document is the Fayda — a fully digital biometric ID introduced under the NIDP. Unlike many countries where applicants submit a printed photograph, the Fayda system captures your portrait digitally on-site at a certified enrollment centre, together with your fingerprints and iris scans. The 30×40 mm dimensions you see quoted are the nominal ICAO-equivalent values that define the face geometry and framing the on-site camera operator must achieve. Knowing these standards before your appointment means you can walk in confident about exactly how to pose and what to avoid.

• Photo size: 30 × 40 mm (709 × 945 px at 600 dpi)
• Background: plain white (#FFFFFF) — no shadows, no gradients
• Face coverage: face height must fill 70–80 % of the total frame height
• Expression: neutral, relaxed — mouth closed, no smile
• Eyes: open, clearly visible, looking directly at the camera
• Glasses: not permitted under any circumstances
• Headwear: allowed only for verified religious reasons; the full face — forehead to chin, ear to ear — must remain fully visible
• Recency: the reference image should reflect your current appearance

Common reasons biometric enrollment portraits are rejected in Ethiopia:

• Glasses worn during capture — even thin frames or tinted lenses are rejected; remove them entirely before approaching the camera
• Headwear that obscures facial features — a hijab or head-covering accepted for religious reasons must not shadow the forehead, eyes, or jawline
• Non-white or patterned background — colored walls, fabric, or any visible texture behind the subject will cause a retake
• Face proportion outside the 70–80 % range — standing too far from the camera (face too small) or too close (top of head cropped) are the most frequent framing errors

Our tool automatically crops and adjusts your uploaded photo to the exact 709 × 945 px / 30 × 40 mm Fayda-standard frame, so you arrive at the enrollment centre already knowing what a fully compliant portrait looks like — and you leave with a ready-to-use digital file for any other document or visa application that does accept submitted photos. Try the free watermarked preview before downloading the full-resolution result.