Iraq National ID Card Photo — Exact Size & Requirements
Get a perfectly compliant 35×45 mm photo for the Iraqi Unified National ID card, meeting every official standard set by the National Card Directorate.
This photo must be taken by an accredited service
For this document, Iraq 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 Iraq photos online:
A document photo is a headache of its own
A Iraq 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
A compliant photo for the Iraqi Unified National ID card (البطاقة الوطنية الموحدة) must meet the precise standards set by the National Card Directorate of Iraq. The result must be a 35×45 mm image on a pure white background, with your face clearly centered and filling 70–80% of the frame height — the same biometric proportions used across international travel and identity documents.
The Unified National ID is a biometric document: during registration at official offices, both the photograph and fingerprints are typically captured live and digitally on-site by trained staff, rather than from a printed photo you bring with you. When a printed or digital reference photo is required — for pre-registration submissions, certified photographer uploads, or auxiliary identity documents — it must strictly follow the national 35×45 mm white-background standard. Knowing exactly how a compliant photo must look means you walk into your appointment fully prepared, with no surprises.
- Dimensions: 35×45 mm (827×1063 px at 600 dpi)
- Background: pure white (#FFFFFF) — no shadows, no gradients, no off-white tones
- Face coverage: face must fill 70–80% of the total frame height
- Expression: neutral, relaxed, mouth closed
- Eyes: fully open, looking directly at the camera
- Glasses: not permitted under any circumstances
- Head coverings: permitted only for documented religious reasons; face must remain fully visible from chin to forehead and ear to ear
- Photo recency: taken within the last 6 months, accurately reflecting your current appearance
- Lighting: even, no shadows falling on the face or background
Common reasons photos are rejected by Iraqi registration offices:
- Non-white background: off-white, cream, grey, or any colour other than pure #FFFFFF is a frequent cause of rejection — Iraqi authorities apply this rule strictly
- Glasses worn in the photo: corrective lenses and sunglasses are both prohibited, with no exceptions under the biometric standard
- Incorrect face-to-frame ratio: a face that is too small (below 70%) or crops into the hairline (above 80%) fails the biometric proportion check
- Shadows or uneven lighting: shadows cast across the face or on the background are consistently flagged during the digital verification step at registration
Our tool automatically crops your uploaded photo to the exact 35×45 mm official standard, sets the background to pure white, and checks that face coverage falls within the required 70–80% range — producing a reference image that meets every National Card Directorate specification. You can preview a watermarked version completely free before deciding to download the full-resolution file. A correctly prepared reference image is also directly reusable for Iraqi visa applications and other official submissions that do accept printed or digital photos.
What an accepted National ID card photo looks like
Iraq · 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
- Only for religious reasons
- File
- JPG · ≤ 300 KB
Print size is 35 × 45 mm and the digital file is 827 × 1063 px.
Requirements verified: 08.2026
How to take a good photo
The most common reasons a Iraq 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 Iraq National ID card photos
How is the photo taken for the Iraqi Unified National ID card?
What are the exact dimensions of an Iraq National ID card photo?
What background colour is required for the Iraqi ID card photo?
Can I wear glasses in my Iraq National ID card photo?
Are head coverings allowed in an Iraqi ID card photo?
Can I use the same photo for an Iraqi visa or other documents?
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.