Algeria photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 5 documents issued in Algeria, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Algerian passports and national ID cards share one Interior Ministry photo norm: 35 x 45 mm, colour, plain white background, face 32 to 36 mm. Visa photos are set by each consulate; Istanbul asks for 35 x 45 mm and Washington a white background. The foreign resident card needs five recent identical photos and the work permit file six colour photos on white, with no size published for either.
Overview
Three ministries handle Algeria's photo documents. The Ministry of the Interior issues the biometric passport and the biometric national identity card to citizens, through the communes in Algeria and the consulates abroad, and grants the foreign resident card through the wilaya and the police services. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs visas through its embassies and consulates, and the Ministry of Labour issues work permits through the Wilaya Employment Directorates.
Only the passport and identity card have a detailed photo standard: 35 x 45 mm, a white background without a border, a face of 32 to 36 mm, a bare head and a closed mouth. Their files take printed photos, the passport portal also accepts digital uploads, and biometric passport holders can request the ID card online. Visa, residence and work permit files are paper-only, and their photo rules are limited to counts, recency and, for some, a white background.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain white, uniform, with no border and no… |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | White at the Washington embassy |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain white, without a border |
Residence and work permits
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence permit | 35 × 45 mm | — | Not specified for this card |
| Work permit | 35 × 45 mm | — | White: colour identity photos on a white… |
Frequently asked questions
35 x 45 mm for the passport and the national identity card, under the Interior Ministry's photo norm, with the face 32 to 36 mm from chin to skull top. Visa photo sizes depend on the consulate, and no size is published for the foreign resident card or the work permit.
Yes. The Interior Ministry applies one photo standard to both biometric documents: 35 x 45 mm, colour, plain white background without a border. Holders of a biometric passport can also request the ID card online, using the details already on the passport.
Only the passport. The ministry's online pre-application lets you upload a digital photo before your appointment, and a rejected photo can be replaced online with a file from a professional photographer. Visa, resident card and work permit files take printed photos.
Usually two for a visa, attached to the two forms, though consulates vary. The foreign resident card file takes five recent identical photos, a visa extension three, and the work permit's provisional authorisation file six colour photos on white, with two more at each renewal.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Northern Africa:
Official sources
- Ministry of the Interior (Algeria). Les normes des photographies fournies dans le dossier passeport.interieur.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria. Entry visa to Algeria mfa.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior (Algeria). Carte de résident étranger interieur.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (Algeria). Guide de procédures (emploi de la main d'œuvre étrangère) mtess.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Algeria photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/algeria