Armenia return certificate photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia for the Armenia return certificate, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Armenia return certificate photo?
A certificate of return to Armenia needs two photos of 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm), for adults and for children alike. The foreign ministry and the national services gateway both give that size, and the application form has a box marked for a 35 x 45 mm photo. No colour, background, head size or digital file is specified. The certificate is a one-way travel document valid for one month.
The certificate of return, often called a return certificate, is a temporary one-way travel document that Armenian embassies and consulates issue so that a person can travel back to Armenia. The foreign ministry's page for its mission covering Oman says it is meant for citizens who lost their passport and must travel urgently, citizens with no time to replace an unusable passport (including former Soviet passports and the child insert), refugees in Armenia and stateless persons residing there. The ministry's main page adds stateless persons holding an Armenian residence permit.
An adult applies to an Armenian diplomatic mission or consular office with the application form, the invalid Armenian passport or ID card (only a copy, if available, when the passport was lost), a police report and explanation if it was stolen, the fee and two photos of 35x45mm. The ministry says the certificate is issued within a maximum of 15 working days and has one month validity, although certificates issued under readmission agreements may differ. Hartak, the national services gateway, cites Government Decision No. 297-N of 24 March 2011 as the legal basis.
The document has become more important since 5 October 2026, when Armenian missions suspended passport issuance and renewal, including by video identification, during the move to biometric documents. The head of the Migration and Citizenship Service urged citizens abroad whose passports were about to expire to renew them in time, so that they would not have to come back on a return certificate.
Armenia return certificate photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm), two photos |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: two printed photos go with the paper application |
| Background | Not specified by the foreign ministry, its missions or the national services gateway |
| Print quality | Two prints; the application form has a photo box marked 35 x 45 mm |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Two photos of 35 x 45 mm
The foreign ministry lists "Two photos (35x45mm)" for adults and again for children who never had a passport. Hartak repeats it as two 35x45 mm photos, alongside the application form and the receipt for the state fee.
- The form has its own photo box
The two-page Armenian application form has a box in its top right corner labelled for a 35 x 45 mm photo. On the second page you sign to certify that the data and the photo you submitted are authentic.
- Who can get one
Citizens of Armenia, persons recognised as refugees in Armenia and stateless persons with an Armenian residence permit, according to the ministry. Hartak words it as citizens of Armenia, foreign citizens and stateless individuals.
- One way, one month
The certificate takes you to Armenia and nowhere else, and the ministry gives it one month of validity. Hartak says it can be used within 30 days of the date it is issued.
- In person, or by video call
Hartak says you apply in person or through an authorised representative, by appointment. If you cannot reach a mission, you can email the form to the embassy or to the ministry's consular department and be identified on a video call; staff reply within two days with a time and technical details.
- A relative can apply in Yerevan
Where reaching a mission is difficult or impossible, a close relative or an authorised representative can obtain the certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A parent, sibling, spouse or child brings their own passport or ID with proof of the family link.
- Delivery by post
The application form has a box asking for the certificate to be sent at your own expense by a postal service you name, to the address you write on the form.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Bring two photos of 35 x 45 mm to the appointment
- Use the box on the form that is marked for a 35 x 45 mm photo
- Bring a copy of the lost passport and a police report if you have them
- Book through your embassy's website, choosing the return certificate service
- Travel to Armenia within the month the certificate is valid
Don't
- Do not bring photos of another size: the form is laid out for 35 x 45 mm
- Do not expect a new passport from a mission while that service is suspended
- Do not plan onward travel on the certificate: it is one-way to Armenia
- Do not forget the birth certificate for a child who has never had a passport
- Do not leave the form unsigned: you vouch for the photo's authenticity
Sample photos
How a Armenia return certificate 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
For a child who has never held an Armenian passport, the ministry asks for the application form, a birth certificate issued by Armenian authorities or by the host state (certified as international treaties require), copies of the parents' passports and two photos of 35x45mm. The photo rule is the same as for adults.
The ministry's page for Oman also names holders of the child insert to the Armenian passport among those who may need the certificate.
Printed and digital photos
The return certificate uses printed photos only. The ministry and Hartak name a size but no pixel size, file type or upload step, and the form is a paper document with a physical photo box. Hartak does not say how photos are handled on the video-call route, so ask the mission when it replies.
If you take the picture yourself, crop it to 35 x 45 mm and have a 4x6 inch sheet printed at a photo counter; two prints can then be cut from it.
Where to submit the photo
Book through the website of the Armenian embassy or consulate that serves your country: Hartak describes clicking Book Appointment, choosing the return certificate option, then picking a date and time. If you cannot visit, ask for the video-call route by email, or have a close relative apply at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yerevan.
Back in Armenia, a new passport or ID card now goes through the biometric system: the Migration and Citizenship Service opened online pre-registration on 31 October 2026, after which you pay and attend the chosen service office to give your biometric data.
How to get your Armenia return certificate photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Armenia return certificate: 35 × 45 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two photos of 35 x 45 mm; the form has its own photo box; who can get one; one way, one month.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The return certificate uses printed photos only. The ministry and Hartak name a size but no pixel size, file type or upload step, and the form is a paper document with a physical photo box.
- Submit the photo with your application. Book through the website of the Armenian embassy or consulate that serves your country: Hartak describes clicking Book Appointment, choosing the return certificate option, then picking a date and time.
Armenia return certificate photo FAQ
35 x 45 mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm). The foreign ministry, the national services gateway and the box printed on the application form all give that size.
Two, both for adults and for children who never had a passport. One fits the box on the application form.
None is specified. The ministry, the mission pages and the national services gateway give only the size and the number of photos. A plain, light, evenly lit background keeps the face clear.
Hartak says yes if you cannot visit a mission: email the application form to the embassy or the ministry's consular department, and staff reply within two days with a call time. It does not say how the photos are sent on that route.
One month, according to the foreign ministry; Hartak says 30 days from the date of issue. Certificates issued under readmission agreements may have a different validity.
Yes, where reaching a mission is difficult or impossible. A close relative or an authorised representative can obtain the certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bringing proof of the relationship or a power of attorney.
Armenian missions suspended passport issuance and renewal, including by video identification, on 5 October 2026 while the country moves to biometric documents. A return certificate lets you travel home and apply there.
Apply for a new document through the biometric system. Pre-register online on the platform the Migration and Citizenship Service opened on 31 October 2026, pay, and attend the service office you choose.
Related photo specifications
Other Armenia documents
- eVisa photo 2 × 2 in
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
Travel documents nearby
- Brunei emergency certificate photo 35 × 42 mm
- China APEC Business Travel Card photo 30 × 40 mm
- China Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao photo 33 × 48 mm
- China travel Permit to and from Taiwan for mainland residents photo 33 × 48 mm
- Hong Kong APEC Business Travel Card photo 40 × 50 mm
- Japan APEC Business Travel Card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo 35 × 50 mm
- Thailand APEC Business Travel Card photo
- Vietnam APEC Business Travel Card photo 30 × 40 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Aruba passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Armenia photo specifications
- Travel documents: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia. Return certificate to RA mfa.am. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia. Application for a return certificate of the Republic of Armenia (Armenian form, PDF) mfa.am. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Hartak, National Services Gateway of Armenia (service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Receive a Return Certificate to Armenia english.hartak.am. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, mission page for Oman. Return certificate (page for Oman) oman.mfa.am. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Armenia in the United States. Notice on the Law On Identification Documents and the suspension of passport services usa.mfa.am. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Armenpress (state news agency), quoting the head of the Migration and Citizenship Service. Advice to citizens abroad on the biometric transition armenpress.am. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Migration and Citizenship Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia. A new pre-registration system for obtaining biometric documents to launch on 31 October migration.mia.gov.am. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Armenia return certificate photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/armenia/return-certificate-photo