Afghanistan passport photo requirements
The 40 × 50 mm photo rules set by General Directorate of Passports, Ministry of Interior for the Afghanistan passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Afghanistan passport photo?
For an Afghan passport applied for in Afghanistan, the General Directorate of Passports asks for a colour photo of 4 x 5 cm (40 x 50 mm) on a white background, taken within the last 6 months. Face the camera straight on with both ears visible, wear no glasses or contact lenses, and do not use Photoshop or filters. The online form takes it as a file under 240 KB, at least 400 x 500 pixels. Missions abroad set their own sizes.
Ordinary Afghan passports are issued by the General Directorate of Passports of the Ministry of Interior in Kabul. In Afghanistan you start on the directorate's online passport portal: you upload your photo, fill in the form in Dari and English, and choose the province where your documents will be processed and your passport collected. You then pay the fee at a designated bank and attend the central passport office in Kabul or the provincial passport directorate for biometrics, bringing your Tazkira, the completed form and four printed photos. Passports are issued for five or ten years, at the applicant's choice.
Outside Afghanistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says ordinary passports are issued and extended through Afghan embassies and consulates. Since 2021 those missions have not all operated in the same way, and the ones that publish photo rules do not agree on the size. The Consulate General in Bonn asks for 35 x 45 mm. The Consulate General in Dubai asks for one 4 by 4.5 cm print when you apply in person, and a 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) file when you apply online through its E-Afghans portal. The application form on the Embassy in Berlin's website prints the size as 4 x 5 cm.
Some missions have stopped part of their passport work. The Embassy in Stockholm says the issuance of new passports is suspended and it handles extensions only, and the Embassy in Berlin suspended extensions from 1 August 2026 while still taking new applications by appointment. Use the size of the office that will take your application, and read its page first.
Afghanistan passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by General Directorate of Passports, Ministry of Interior:[1]
| Print size | In Afghanistan: 40 x 50 mm (4 x 5 cm, 1.57 x 1.97 in); abroad, each mission sets its own size |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Online form: 400 x 500 to 4000 x 5000 pixels |
| Background | White |
| Colour | In colour, without a frame |
| Photo age | No more than 6 months since the photo was taken |
| File size | Online form: under 240 KB |
| File format | JPG, JPEG, PNG or WEBP (online form) |
| Print quality | Four prints for the passport office; high quality (HD), natural, no Photoshop or filters |
| Pixels when printed | 472 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
The photo must be of excellent quality (HD) and natural, without the use of Photoshop or filters, and without glasses and lenses. (translated from Dari)
Key requirements
- 4 x 5 cm on white
The passport department's guideline asks for four 4 x 5 photos with a white background, and the same size for the photo attached to the online form. The guideline writes the size without a unit; the Afghanistan Passport Application Form published by the Embassy in Berlin prints it as 4 X 5 cm, white background.
- Both ears visible
Take the photo straight on so that both of your ears can be seen. The upload instructions say the ears must show so that the photo presents the applicant's real face.
- No glasses or lenses
The guideline asks for a photo without glasses and without lenses, and the upload instructions repeat it. Take off your glasses and remove contact lenses before the photo is taken.
- Natural, unedited, high quality
The photo must be of excellent (HD) quality and natural, made without Photoshop or filters. The upload instructions add that the photo must not be photoshopped and must be in colour with no frame.
- Recent and like you now
No more than 6 months may have passed since the photo was taken, and it must match how you look today. An old photo that no longer resembles you can hold up the application.
- Upload under 240 KB
The online form refuses files over 240 KB and images smaller than 400 x 500 pixels or larger than 4000 x 5000 pixels. You set the photo in the form's frame, using its zoom and rotate buttons, and save it before filling in the rest.
- Biometrics in person
After registering online and paying at the bank, you must attend the central passport office in Kabul or the provincial directorate you chose, for biometrics and to present your original documents.
- Tazkira photo must match
If the photo on your Tazkira cannot be recognised or no longer matches your face, the guideline says you must have a new photo fitted to it. Children aged 7 and over need a photo on their e-Tazkira or paper Tazkira.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a colour photo with a white background and no frame.
- Face the camera straight on with both ears visible.
- Upload a file under 240 KB, at least 400 x 500 pixels.
- Bring four 4 x 5 cm prints to the passport office.
- Use a photo taken within the last 6 months.
- Check the size your mission asks for before printing abroad.
Don't
- Do not wear glasses or contact lenses.
- Do not retouch the photo or apply filters.
- Do not staple the photo to a Dubai consulate form: glue it.
- Do not reuse an old photo that no longer looks like you.
- Do not apply through E-Afghans if you live in Germany or the Czech Republic.
Sample photos
How a Afghanistan passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 50 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Glasses are not allowed in an Afghan passport photo. The passport department's guideline asks for a photo without glasses and lenses, and its upload instructions repeat that the applicant must appear without lenses or eyeglasses, so take out contact lenses as well. Where missions publish a rule they say the same: the Consulate General in Bonn lists glasses as not permitted, and the Dubai consulate's online photo requirements say no glasses.
Headwear and religious dress
The passport department publishes no separate rule on caps, turbans or headscarves. What it does require is a straight-on photo in which both ears are visible, to show the applicant's real face, so anything that hides the ears does not meet its guideline.
Abroad, the Dubai consulate's online requirements say hair must not cover the face and the entire head must be visible, and the photo check on its E-Afghans portal works best with hats, masks, glasses and other accessories removed. Bonn asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed and the eyes open and clearly visible. If you cover your hair, ask the office that will take your application before you have the photo made.
Babies and children
Applicants under 18 receive a passport only on the written request of a parent, guardian or legal custodian, or with a court's permission. If the mother makes the request, she has to prove the relationship with the child's birth card or the marriage certificate (nikah khat). Children aged 7 and over must have a photo on their e-Tazkira or paper Tazkira, so check the child's ID card before applying.
Abroad, the Dubai consulate requires under-18s who apply in person to come with their parents. Online, one parent completes the identity check for the child, and a child can apply without already holding a passport. Bonn asks for a Tazkira from age 10, even for children born outside Afghanistan, and below that age a German birth certificate naming both parents.
Printed and digital photos
In Afghanistan you need both kinds of photo. The online form takes a digital file under 240 KB, between 400 x 500 and 4000 x 5000 pixels, in JPG, JPEG, PNG or WEBP, which you position in the form's frame before saving. At the passport office you then hand in four 4 x 5 cm prints on white. A digital photo can be cropped to the 4 x 5 shape and resized before upload, and the same picture printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
If you apply online through E-Afghans, the portal run for the Consulate General in Dubai, the photo is square: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), with the head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to top, at least 600 x 600 pixels, in JPG or PNG. You cannot continue the application until the photo passes the portal's check, and its photo tool may offer to correct background shading or cropping. The portal's FAQ asks for a plain light background and the consulate's page for white, so white satisfies both. For applications made in person at a mission, bring prints in that mission's size: 35 x 45 mm in Bonn, 4 by 4.5 cm in Dubai.
Where to submit the photo
In Afghanistan, register on the General Directorate of Passports' online portal, pay at a designated bank in Kabul or the provinces, and attend the central passport office in Kabul or the passport directorate of the province you selected. Some provinces offer home delivery of the finished passport or collection at a chosen post office.
Abroad, apply to the Afghan mission that covers where you live, and check its current status first. The Consulate General in Bonn takes applications in person, by appointment, from residents of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland; the passport is produced in Afghanistan and posted to you. The Embassy in Berlin takes new applications by appointment only. The Consulate General in Dubai takes applications in person and online through E-Afghans, but tells residents of Germany and the Czech Republic to apply at the mission in their own country. The Embassy in Stockholm is not issuing new passports. The pages read for this guide do not say whether passports or extensions from a particular mission are recognised in Afghanistan, so ask the mission if that matters to you.
How to get your Afghanistan passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Afghanistan passport: 40 × 50 mm print, 4000 × 5000 px digital file, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: 4 x 5 cm on white; both ears visible; no glasses or lenses; natural, unedited, high quality.
- Prepare a print or digital file. In Afghanistan you need both kinds of photo. The online form takes a digital file under 240 KB, between 400 x 500 and 4000 x 5000 pixels, in JPG, JPEG, PNG or WEBP, which you position in the form's frame before saving.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Afghanistan, register on the General Directorate of Passports' online portal, pay at a designated bank in Kabul or the provinces, and attend the central passport office in Kabul or the passport directorate of the province you selected.
Afghanistan passport photo FAQ
In Afghanistan the passport department asks for 4 x 5 cm (40 x 50 mm), both for the four prints and for the photo uploaded to the online form. Abroad it depends on the mission: 35 x 45 mm at the Consulate General in Bonn, 4 by 4.5 cm for in-person applications in Dubai, and 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) for online applications through E-Afghans.
No. The passport department asks for a photo without glasses or lenses, and missions that publish photo rules, such as the Consulate General in Bonn, also say glasses are not permitted. Remove your glasses, and take out contact lenses too.
Yes, for applications in Afghanistan. The passport department's guideline says the photo must be taken straight on so that both of the applicant's ears are visible, and its upload instructions explain that the ears must show so the photo presents the real face.
The passport department's online form accepts a photo under 240 KB, between 400 x 500 and 4000 x 5000 pixels, in JPG, JPEG, PNG or WEBP format. It should be a colour photo on white with no frame, not edited in Photoshop, and taken within the last 6 months.
In Afghanistan, four 4 x 5 cm prints on a white background as well as the uploaded photo. Abroad, the Embassy in Berlin asks for two recent photos on white, and the Dubai consulate for one print glued, not stapled, to the form. Bonn lists a passport-size photo without giving a number.
The Consulate General in Dubai accepts online applications through its E-Afghans portal from adults who already hold an Afghan passport in electronic form, even an expired one, and for children. Adults applying for their first passport must attend a consulate for biometrics. Residents of Germany and the Czech Republic are told not to use E-Afghans and to apply at their local mission.
None of the official pages read for this guide asks for 5 x 5 cm. The nearest current requirement is the 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) photo for online applications through E-Afghans. In Afghanistan the size is 4 x 5 cm, and Bonn and Dubai use 35 x 45 mm and 4 by 4.5 cm prints.
You must attend the central office in Kabul or a provincial directorate for biometrics, but the passport department still asks you to upload a photo and to bring four prints. Its guidelines do not say whether a further photo is taken at the counter, so prepare the prints regardless.
Related photo specifications
Other Afghanistan documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo
Passports nearby
- Bangladesh passport photo 89 × 127 mm
- Bhutan passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- India passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Iran passport photo 30 × 40 mm
- Maldives passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Nepal passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Pakistan passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Sri Lanka passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 40 × 50 mm
- Albania passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Belarus passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Belarus driving licence photo 40 × 50 mm
- Belarus residence permit photo 40 × 50 mm
- Colombia ID card photo 40 × 50 mm
- Colombia nationality photo 40 × 50 mm
- Cyprus passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Dominican Republic visa photo 40 × 50 mm
- Estonia passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Estonia ID card photo 40 × 50 mm
- All Afghanistan photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 40 × 50 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- General Directorate of Passports, Ministry of Interior. Guideline for passport applicants (Dari) passport.moi.gov.af. Checked 2 November 2026.
- General Directorate of Passports, Ministry of Interior. Passport registration guide (Dari) passport.moi.gov.af. Checked 2 November 2026.
- General Directorate of Passports, Ministry of Interior. Online passport application form (Dari) passport.moi.gov.af. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Passport mfa.gov.af. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Afghanistan, Bonn. New Passport afghanmissionbonn.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Afghanistan, Berlin. New Passport Application afghanembassy.berlin. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Afghanistan, Berlin. Afghanistan Passport Application Form (PDF) afghanembassy.berlin. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Afghanistan, Berlin. Passport Extension afghanembassy.berlin. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Afghanistan, Dubai. Applying for an Ordinary Passport afghanconsulate.ae. Checked 2 November 2026.
- E-Afghans portal, authorised by the Consulate General of Afghanistan, Dubai. Citizen Services: Ordinary Passport eafghans.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Afghanistan, Stockholm. Passport (Extension Only) afghanembassy.se. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with General Directorate of Passports, Ministry of Interior before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Afghanistan passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/afghanistan/passport-photo