Algeria residence permit photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of the Interior (Algeria) for the Algeria residence permit, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Algeria residence permit photo?
Foreigners applying for Algeria's carte de résident étranger hand in five recent, identical identity photos with the application form at the competent police services. The Interior Ministry sets no size, background or colour for this card; its photo norm for Algerian passports and ID cards is 35 x 45 mm on plain white. An exceptional visa or stay extension at the wilaya needs three recent photos.
Under Law 08-11 of 25 June 2008 on the entry, stay and movement of foreigners, a foreigner who wants to settle in Algeria needs a foreign resident card, granted by the wilaya of residence and required from age 18. You request it from the competent security services at least 15 days before your visa expires, or within 8 days of turning 18 if you have been living in Algeria as a minor.
The form is available at the police station or the wilaya of residence, or as a download from the Interior Ministry. With it go a birth certificate, five recent and identical identity photos, a tax stamp, a medical certificate from a general practitioner and a chest physician, a passport copy bearing the entry visa where one applies, and a residential lease. You add a document for your situation: a work permit or work authorisation, a school or university enrolment certificate, proof of a commercial or professional activity, or proof of means if you will not work.
The card is valid for two years, or for as long as the document that authorises your presence, such as a work authorisation. After seven years of continuous legal residence you may apply for a 10-year card.
Algeria residence permit photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministry of the Interior (Algeria):[1]
| Print size | Not set for this card; the Interior Ministry's passport and ID card norm is 35 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: the paper file takes five printed photos |
| Background | Not specified for this card; the passport and ID card norm is plain white |
| Photo age | Recent; no maximum age is published |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Five identical photos
The Interior Ministry's list for the foreign resident card asks for five recent identity photos that are identical, so print them all from the same shot. The Arabic version of the page gives the same count.
- No size or colour set
Neither the ministry's page nor the application form states a size, background or colour for this card. The form simply has a box at the top of its first page marked for a recent photograph.
- File at the police services
The law says the card is granted by the wilaya of residence, and the ministry tells applicants to present themselves to the competent security services with the file. The form can be collected at a police station or at the wilaya.
- Three photos for an extension
An exceptional extension of a visa or temporary stay is a separate procedure at the wilaya's regulation and general affairs service. It needs three recent identity photos and must be requested 10 days before your authorised stay ends.
- The 10-year card uses the same file
A 10-year card for seven or more years of continuous legal residence needs the documents of the standard file, photos included, plus a sworn statement, a higher tax stamp, a copy of your current card, a legal ground such as a mixed marriage, and tax and social security certificates.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Bring five recent, identical identity photos
- Apply at least 15 days before your visa expires
- Use the Interior Ministry's current bilingual form
- Add the document that matches your situation, such as a work permit
- Ask the police service if it wants a particular size or background
- Bring three recent photos for a visa or stay extension
Don't
- Do not wait until your visa has expired to apply
- Do not mix photos from different shots
- Do not use an old photo
- Do not file without the medical certificate and lease
- Do not treat a stay extension as routine: it is exceptional
Sample photos
How a Algeria residence permit photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Babies and children
The card is required from age 18, unless a reciprocity agreement says otherwise. A foreigner who has been living in Algeria as a minor must apply within 8 days of turning 18. Children of a foreigner who holds a 10-year card can also receive a 10-year card once they are 18 and live with that parent. No separate photo rule is published for young applicants.
Printed and digital photos
The resident card is a paper procedure: the form and five printed photos go to the police services in person. The Interior Ministry publishes no upload service and no pixel or file size for this card.
Because the card has no published size, the ministry's national identity photo norm of 35 x 45 mm on plain white is the nearest official reference; if the office tells you otherwise, follow it. A digital photo can be cropped and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
Where to submit the photo
Take the file to the competent security services; the ministry names the police station and the wilaya of residence as the places to obtain the form. The card itself is granted by the wilaya of residence.
A visa or stay extension is a different procedure: apply to the wilaya's regulation and general affairs service, 10 days before your legal stay ends, with the form, a passport valid for more than six months, three recent photos, proof of where you live and of your means, and the fee receipt.
How to get your Algeria residence permit photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Algeria residence permit: 35 × 45 mm print, not specified for this card background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: five identical photos; no size or colour set; file at the police services; three photos for an extension.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The resident card is a paper procedure: the form and five printed photos go to the police services in person. The Interior Ministry publishes no upload service and no pixel or file size for this card.
- Submit the photo with your application. Take the file to the competent security services; the ministry names the police station and the wilaya of residence as the places to obtain the form. The card itself is granted by the wilaya of residence.
Algeria residence permit photo FAQ
Five recent, identical identity photos, according to the Interior Ministry's list for the carte de résident étranger. They go into the paper file with the application form, birth certificate, medical certificate, passport copy, lease and the document that justifies your stay.
The ministry does not state a size, background or colour for this card. Its photo norm for Algerian passports and identity cards is 35 x 45 mm on a plain white background, which is the nearest official reference. Ask the police service handling your file if it wants something else.
Present yourself to the competent security (police) services. The form can be picked up at the police station or the wilaya of your place of residence, or downloaded from the Interior Ministry's website. The card is granted by the wilaya of residence.
At least 15 days before your visa expires. A foreigner who has lived in Algeria as a minor must apply within 8 days of turning 18, the age from which the card is required.
Two years as a rule. A student or employee can receive a card that matches the validity of the enrolment or work document. After seven years or more of continuous and legal residence, a 10-year card can be issued, also to the holder's children aged 18 or over who live with them.
Three recent identity photos. An extension of a visa or temporary stay is granted only exceptionally, by the wilaya's regulation and general affairs service, and must be requested 10 days before your authorised stay ends.
Related photo specifications
Other Algeria documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
Residence and work permits nearby
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Morocco residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Botswana residence permit photo 30 × 40 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia return certificate photo 35 × 45 mm
- Aruba passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Australia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Australia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Australia NSW driver licence photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Algeria photo specifications
- Residence and work permits: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Africa
Official sources
- Ministry of the Interior (Algeria). Carte de résident étranger interieur.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior (Algeria). بطاقة المقيم الأجنبي (foreign resident card, Arabic) interieur.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior (Algeria). Formulaire de demande de la carte de résident étranger (PDF) interieur.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior (Algeria). Prolongation de visa ou de séjour sur le territoire national interieur.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement (Journal officiel). Journal officiel n° 36 of 2008: Loi n° 08-11 du 25 juin 2008 (entry, stay and movement of foreigners) joradp.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior (Algeria). Norme relative à l'apposition des photographies d'identité (passport and ID card, PDF) passeport.interieur.gov.dz. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of the Interior (Algeria) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Algeria residence permit photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/algeria/residence-permit-photo