Afghanistan photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 3 documents issued in Afghanistan, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
An Afghan passport applied for in Afghanistan needs a 4 x 5 cm (40 x 50 mm) photo on white, uploaded under 240 KB and printed four times; missions abroad use 35 x 45 mm, 4 by 4.5 cm or 2 x 2 inches. No photo size is published for the e-Tazkira ID card. The tourist e-visa takes a 45 mm x 35 mm colour photo on white, and missions ask for prints on white.
Overview
Three different authorities set Afghanistan's photo rules. Passports are issued by the General Directorate of Passports of the Ministry of Interior, which takes an uploaded photo and four prints and records biometrics at its offices in Kabul and the provinces. The e-Tazkira, the electronic national ID card, is issued by the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA), which publishes no photo specification that could be read. Visas are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its e-Consulate system and missions, and online through the tourist e-visa portal.
Abroad, Afghan embassies and consulates do not all work the same way since 2021. Several publish their own photo sizes, some have suspended passports or visas, and the US State Department warns that visas from certain missions may be refused on arrival. Each document page below names the mission whose rule it quotes.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 40 ร 50 mm | 4000 ร 5000 px | White |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 ร 45 mm | โ | White |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | โ | โ | Plain white for absentee Tazkira prints |
Frequently asked questions
No. A passport applied for in Afghanistan uses 4 x 5 cm (40 x 50 mm), while the tourist e-visa asks for a 45 mm x 35 mm photo. Both need a white background, and missions abroad set their own sizes for each.
Yes for passports and visas: the passport department, the Foreign Ministry's e-Consulate page, the e-visa portal and every mission that states a background ask for white. For the e-Tazkira no background rule has been published, though the Bonn consulate asks for white for absentee Tazkira photos.
Some missions issue passports and visas, others have suspended them, and their status changes. Bonn takes passports and visas in person, Dubai also offers online services, and Stockholm has suspended new passports and visas. Check the mission's own page first.
Not for passports: the passport department asks for no glasses or lenses, and Bonn and Dubai say the same. No glasses rule is published for visas or for the e-Tazkira.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Southern Asia:
Official sources
- General Directorate of Passports, Ministry of Interior. Guideline for passport applicants (Dari) passport.moi.gov.af. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Embassy & Consulate Services mfa.gov.af. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Visa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Visa application instructions econsulate.mfa.gov.af. Checked 2 November 2026.
- E-Afghans Visa Portal, authorised by the Consulate General of Afghanistan, Dubai. Visa Requirement (e-Visa) eafghans.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Afghanistan photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/afghanistan