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Bahrain ID card photo requirements

The 40 × 60 mm photo rules set by Information & eGovernment Authority for the Bahrain ID card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Bahrain ID card photo?

A Bahrain ID card photo is a colour photo on a white background, taken within the last 6 months. At an iGA service centre you hand in a print with a 4 x 6 cm frame; online you upload a JPEG of 32.5 x 43 mm (3:4), at least 933 x 1244 pixels and no larger than 2 MB. The face must fill 70% to 80% of the photo, and the photo must not be edited.

The Bahraini identity card, still widely called the CPR card after the personal number it carries, is issued by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA). It is a smart card issued to Bahraini citizens and to residents, and it is valid for 5 years for people under 70 and for 10 years for people over 70. A renewal can be requested in the month before the card expires; earlier than that, the request is treated as a replacement.

You supply the photo yourself in every channel open to citizens. At an iGA service centre or its fast-track office you hand in a printed photo, and on the national portal you upload a digital one. Both must follow iGA's ID Card Photo Requirements: white background, colour, taken within 6 months, face 70% to 80% of the photo, and no editing. What you do have to register in person, from the age of 10, is your biometric data: fingerprints and signature.

Bahrain ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Information & eGovernment Authority:[1]

Print size40 x 60 mm (4 x 6 cm frame) for printed photos; 32.5 x 43 mm (3:4) for the digital image
Digital sizeAt least 933 x 1244 pixels, 3:4 aspect ratio
Head heightFace 70% to 80% of the photo's length; on the digital image 30 to 34 mm, with 3 to 4 mm above the head
BackgroundWhite, in colour (plain white for children)
ColourColour
Photo ageTaken no more than 6 months before you apply
File sizeUp to 2 MB (iGA photo requirements PDF); iGA's web page says up to 3 MB
File formatJPEG or JPG (PDF); iGA's web page also lists GIF and PNG
Print qualityNo creases or tears, unmarked on both sides, not shiny
Pixels when printed472 × 709 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1417 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm60 mm30–34 mm
40 × 60 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 30–34 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: white.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

The photo must not be altered in any way (using any photo editing programs).

ID Card Photo Requirements (English)[2]

Key requirements

  • White background

    iGA, the national portal and the photo requirements PDF all ask for a coloured photo with a white background. A 2020 iGA announcement for the revamped card described a grey background; the current rules say white.

  • Face fills 70% to 80%

    The photo shows the whole head and the top of the shoulders, with the face centred and taking up 70% to 80% of the photograph. On the 43 mm digital image that is a face of 30 to 34 mm, with 3 to 4 mm of space between the top of the head and the edge.

  • No photo editing programs

    iGA's requirements say the photo must not be altered in any way using photo editing programs, and its eServices ask for a digital photo uploaded without any modifications.

  • Print at the centre, file online

    The photo must be printed if you apply at a service centre and must be a digital copy meeting the specification if you apply through the eServices.

  • Clean, non-glossy prints

    A printed photo has a 4 x 6 cm frame, no creases or tears, no marks on either side, and must not be shiny.

  • Even exposure, no red eye

    The photo must not be over- or under-exposed. Avoid red eye and flash reflections, keep both eyes open and visible, face the camera so both edges of the face show, and keep a neutral expression.

  • A new photo after 6 months

    For ID card issuance services, updating the personal photo is mandatory if more than 6 months have passed since the card was last issued. People aged 70 and above do not need to update their photo.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use a white background and colour photo
  • Ask the photo lab for a non-glossy finish on the 4 x 6 cm print
  • Show your whole head and the top of your shoulders
  • Keep 3 to 4 mm of space above your head on the digital image
  • Upload a JPEG of at least 933 x 1244 pixels online
  • Face the camera so both edges of your face show

Don't

  • Do not run the photo through editing software
  • Do not hand in a creased, torn or marked print
  • Do not wear tinted glasses or coloured contact lenses
  • Do not let flash cause red eye or reflections
  • Do not use a photo taken more than 6 months ago
  • Do not use a grey background

Sample photos

How a Bahrain ID card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 60 mm, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Glasses are allowed if your eyes can be clearly recognised. iGA's requirements say reflections from the glasses are not permitted, that the edge of the glasses or the frames must not cover any part of the eyes, and that thick frames should be avoided if possible.

Tinted glasses, and coloured contact lenses that hide your real eye colour, are not accepted.

Headwear and religious dress

iGA's English requirements say that when the veil and ghutra are worn, the applicant's full face must be visible and the head covering must not cast any shadows on the face. The Arabic version words it as: wearing the hijab and ghutra must not affect the person's general appearance or hide the basic features of the face.

Elsewhere the requirements say the face must be fully visible and not covered, and that the whole head and the top of the shoulders must show.

Babies and children

iGA lists four rules for a child's ID card photo: the child's eyes must be open, the child must look directly at the camera, the photo must show the child alone with no hands visible, and the background must be plain white. So a parent holding a baby must keep their hands out of the picture.

Cards for children under 10 can be applied for through the ID Card Issuance Services eService. Children aged 10 and above who have no fingerprints and signature registered must attend a service centre by appointment. For children under 21 whose parents are divorced, a custody certificate issued within six months, or a signed custody agreement, confirms the address.

If you apply at a service centre, bring a printed photo: colour, white background, a 4 x 6 cm frame, free of creases, tears and marks, and not shiny. If you apply through the eServices on bahrain.bh, upload a digital copy instead.

iGA's photo requirements PDF sets the digital image at 32.5 x 43 mm (3:4), a resolution of at least 933 x 1244 pixels, no more than 2 MB, in JPEG or JPG format. iGA's own web page for the service allows up to 3 MB and also lists GIF and PNG; a JPEG under 2 MB meets both.

A digital photo can be cropped to 933 x 1244 pixels, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut to 4 x 6 cm.

Where to submit the photo

Citizens can apply online, at iGA front offices by appointment, or at the fast-track office in the Isa Town and Muharraq branches without an appointment. People aged 60 and above and people with special needs do not need to book. To apply online you must be in Bahrain and have an ID number, and from the age of 10 your fingerprints and signature must already be registered.

Citizens abroad can apply through the Renew or Replace ID Cards for Citizens Abroad eService. Alternatively a first-degree relative, or someone holding an e-authorisation or an authorisation issued by the Ministry of Justice, can apply in person with a copy of your passport and a recent photo that meets the requirements. A letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is needed if you have been away for more than a year.

For expatriate workers registered with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, first-time cards and online replacements use the photo already in the system; for a lost or damaged card the photo can also be retaken at the LMRA.

How to get your Bahrain ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Bahrain ID card: 40 × 60 mm print, 933 × 1244 px digital file, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: white background; face fills 70% to 80%; no photo editing programs; print at the centre, file online.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. If you apply at a service centre, bring a printed photo: colour, white background, a 4 x 6 cm frame, free of creases, tears and marks, and not shiny.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Citizens can apply online, at iGA front offices by appointment, or at the fast-track office in the Isa Town and Muharraq branches without an appointment. People aged 60 and above and people with special needs do not need to book.

Make this photo online

Bahrain ID card photo FAQ

A printed photo has a 4 x 6 cm frame (40 x 60 mm). A digital photo uploaded online is 32.5 x 43 mm in a 3:4 ratio, at least 933 x 1244 pixels. Both are in colour on a white background, with the face filling 70% to 80% of the photo.

White. When iGA introduced the revamped card in 2020 it announced a grey background (RGB 168, 168, 168), but the current iGA service page, the national portal and the ID Card Photo Requirements PDF all say the photo must be coloured with a white background.

Usually yes. iGA says updating the personal photo is mandatory if more than 6 months have passed since the last issuance, and the photo itself must be no more than 6 months old. People aged 70 and above do not need to update their photo.

Yes, as long as your full face is visible and the head covering casts no shadow on it. iGA's Arabic wording adds that the hijab or ghutra must not change your general appearance or hide the basic features of your face.

iGA's photo requirements PDF asks for a JPEG or JPG of no more than 2 MB and at least 933 x 1244 pixels. The iGA web page allows up to 3 MB and GIF, PNG, JPEG or JPG. A JPEG under 2 MB satisfies both.

Yes, if your eyes are clearly recognisable. The glasses must not reflect light, the frames must not cover any part of your eyes, and thick frames should be avoided where possible. Tinted glasses and coloured contact lenses that hide your eye colour are not accepted.

Use the Renew or Replace ID Cards for Citizens Abroad eService, or have a first-degree relative or an authorised person apply in person with a copy of your passport and a recent photo that meets iGA's requirements. Over a year abroad, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs letter is also needed.

Related photo specifications

Other Bahrain documents

Identity cards nearby

Also 40 × 60 mm

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Official sources

  1. Information & eGovernment Authority. ID Card and Civil Record Services iga.gov.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Information & eGovernment Authority. ID Card Photo Requirements (English) iga.gov.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Information & eGovernment Authority. ID Card Photo Requirements (Arabic) services.bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Bahrain National Portal (iGA service). ID Card Issuance Services (eService) services.bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Bahrain National Portal (iGA service). ID card issuance for citizens bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Bahrain National Portal (iGA service). ID card issuance for non-Bahrainis registered with LMRA bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Bahrain National Portal. ID card information and conditions bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Information & eGovernment Authority. Revamped identity cards are now issued for all Bahrainis across all service channels iga.gov.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Information & eGovernment Authority before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Bahrain ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/bahrain/id-card-photo

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