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Bahrain passport photo requirements

The 40 × 60 mm photo rules set by Bahrain National Portal (NPRA service) for the Bahrain passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 10 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Bahrain passport photo?

A Bahraini passport photo is printed at 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm) on a white background when you apply in person, and attached as a JPG or JPEG file when you apply on bahrain.bh. NPRA's photo terms ask for a colour photo taken within 6 months, the face centred and filling 70% to 80% of the photo's length, 3 to 4 mm of space above the head, and no editing of any kind.

Bahraini passports are issued by the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), part of the Ministry of Interior. Since 20 March 2023 the ordinary passport has been issued as an electronic passport, so a first passport, a renewal or a replacement for a lost or damaged one is now an e-passport, and the same photo terms cover all of them. The national portal's passport photo requirements page links straight to NPRA's Terms of E-Passport Photo.

How you hand over the photo depends on where you apply. For applications made in person at the NPRA service centres in Isa Town and at the Muharraq Security Complex, the service pages ask for a printed passport photo with a white background, size 6x4 cm, meaning 4 cm wide and 6 cm high. On the national portal, bahrain.bh, you log in with your eKey and attach the photo separately as a JPG or JPEG file. Citizens living abroad can replace an expired passport online or through a Bahraini embassy or consulate.

Bahrain passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Bahrain National Portal (NPRA service):[1]

Print size40 x 60 mm (4 x 6 cm) print for in-person applications; the service pages write it as 6x4 cm
Digital sizeOnline: a JPG or JPEG file; NPRA's e-passport photo terms set at least 933 x 1244 pixels (3:4)
Head heightFace 70% to 80% of the photo's length, centred, with 3 to 4 mm of clear space above the head
BackgroundWhite; NPRA's photo terms say "pure white"
ColourColour
Photo ageTaken no more than 6 months before you apply
File formatJPG or JPEG for applications made on bahrain.bh
Pixels when printed472 × 709 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1417 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm60 mm
40 × 60 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: white.

In the official words

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

In addition, the image must not be altered in any way and must be coloured with pure white background.

NPRA announces new conditions for the e-passport photo[8]

Key requirements

  • White background, in colour

    Every NPRA service page for passports asks for a photo with a white background. NPRA's photo terms add that the photo must be in colour and the background pure white.

  • Face centred, 70% to 80% of the length

    The face sits in the middle of the frame and takes up 70% to 80% of the photo's length. A little of the shoulders must show, and the gap between the top of the head and the top edge of the photo is at least 3 mm and at most 4 mm.

  • No editing of any kind

    When NPRA announced the e-passport photo conditions in March 2023 it said the image must not be altered in any way. The Arabic edition of the terms gives Photoshop as the example of what is not allowed.

  • A natural, evenly lit face

    The photo must look natural, free of make-up, shading, shine and light reflections, with natural skin tones. Lighting has to be uniform, with no shadows, glare or flash reflections, and the expression neutral.

  • No frame or border

    NPRA's terms say the photo must be without a frame or outline, so do not print it with a border drawn around the image.

  • Under 6 months old

    The photo must not have been taken more than 6 months before the date you submit the application.

  • A print for the counter, a file for the portal

    At a service centre you hand in the 4 x 6 cm print with the application form and your old passport. Online you attach a JPG or JPEG of the photo and a copy of the passport.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Print the photo at 4 x 6 cm (40 x 60 mm) for a service centre application
  • Use a plain white background and even, shadow-free light
  • Keep your face centred, filling 70% to 80% of the photo's length
  • Leave 3 to 4 mm between the top of your head and the top edge
  • Attach the photo as a separate JPG or JPEG when you apply on bahrain.bh
  • Use a photo taken within the last 6 months

Don't

  • Do not edit the photo, replace the background or apply filters
  • Do not wear make-up for the photo
  • Do not add a frame or border around the image
  • Do not cover your face or eyes
  • Do not wear glasses that hide your eyes or reflect the light
  • Do not reuse a photo older than 6 months

Sample photos

How a Bahrain passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 60 mm 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 accepted only if your eyes stay clearly visible. The Arabic edition of NPRA's photo terms says a photo with prescription glasses is not accepted unless the eyes can be seen clearly. The English edition puts it the other way round: the photo will not be accepted if your eyes do not appear clearly, and the eyes and face must not be covered.

The same terms require lighting with no glare or light reflections, so lenses that reflect the flash are a problem. If you cannot avoid reflections, take the glasses off for the photo.

Headwear and religious dress

The part of NPRA's photo terms that could be read does not list head coverings one by one. What it does say is that a photo with the face or the eyes covered is not accepted, and that the face must fill 70% to 80% of the photo's length.

The sample photo on the national portal's passport photo page, and the model in NPRA's terms, is a man wearing a white ghutra and a black agal, with his forehead, eyes, cheeks and chin uncovered. If you wear a hijab or another head covering, keep your whole face in view and ask NPRA beforehand if you are unsure.

Babies and children

A first Bahraini passport is issued only to children of a Bahraini father. On bahrain.bh it is applied for with the father's eKey; at a service centre the father or an authorised person submits it for a newborn, and the father must be present to collect the passport. Both channels ask for a passport photo with a white background, as a 6 x 4 cm print at the counter or a JPG or JPEG online, along with copies of the birth certificate, both parents' passports and the marriage certificate.

NPRA publishes no separate photo rules for babies in the part of its terms that could be read, so the general rules apply: white background, face uncovered and eyes clearly visible. When a passport is renewed, holders aged 14 and above must also give their signature.

In-person applications need a printed photo: 4 cm wide and 6 cm high on a white background. Online applications on bahrain.bh need a digital photo attached separately as a JPG or JPEG. NPRA's photo terms describe that digital image as 32.5 x 43 mm in a 3:4 ratio and at least 933 x 1244 pixels.

If NPRA asks for a different photo after you have applied online, its FAQ says the photo is changed through the portal: check the application status and carry out the actions requested of you.

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

Where to submit the photo

In Bahrain, apply at the NPRA service centres in Isa Town (Southern Governorate) and at the Muharraq Security Complex branch, booking through the Mawaeid app, or online on bahrain.bh with your eKey. Online renewal is open for passports with less than one year of validity left, and passports must be in good condition and not lost. A lost passport is reported through NPRA's website; a damaged one is replaced through bahrain.bh with a white-background photo attached as a JPG or JPEG.

Abroad, a citizen whose passport has expired can apply on bahrain.bh for a replacement sent by delivery company. That service asks for a 6x4 cm photo on white, a copy of the old passport, documents explaining why you live abroad and a delivery address. You can also apply through the nearest Bahraini embassy or consulate, which forwards the request to NPRA. In January 2026 the Ministry of Interior announced an online service for citizens abroad to replace their passports through Bahrain's embassies and consulates.

How to get your Bahrain passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Bahrain passport: 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, in colour; face centred, 70% to 80% of the length; no editing of any kind; a natural, evenly lit face.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. In-person applications need a printed photo: 4 cm wide and 6 cm high on a white background. Online applications on bahrain.bh need a digital photo attached separately as a JPG or JPEG.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Bahrain, apply at the NPRA service centres in Isa Town (Southern Governorate) and at the Muharraq Security Complex branch, booking through the Mawaeid app, or online on bahrain.bh with your eKey.

Make this photo online

Bahrain passport photo FAQ

For applications made in person, 4 cm wide and 6 cm high (40 x 60 mm), on a white background. NPRA's service pages write this as 6x4 cm. For online applications on bahrain.bh you attach a JPG or JPEG instead; NPRA's photo terms describe that image as 32.5 x 43 mm in a 3:4 ratio.

White. All of NPRA's passport service pages ask for a photo with a white background, and its e-passport photo terms specify a colour photo with a pure white background. Avoid shadows on the background, as the terms require uniform lighting.

Only if your eyes remain clearly visible. NPRA's terms say a photo with prescription glasses is not accepted unless the eyes are clearly visible, and that a photo with glare or light reflections is not acceptable either. Removing the glasses avoids both problems.

No. NPRA said when it announced the e-passport photo conditions that the image must not be altered in any way, and the Arabic terms rule out changes made with Photoshop or any other method. Take the photo against a white background in the first place.

A recent passport photo with a white background, attached separately in JPG or JPEG format, together with a clear copy of your passport. Log in to bahrain.bh with your eKey, fill in the form, attach the files and choose how you want to receive the passport.

No more than 6 months. NPRA's photo terms say the photo must not have been taken more than 6 months before you submit the application, and the service pages ask for a recent photo.

Apply on bahrain.bh for the replacement by delivery company, attaching a 6x4 cm photo on white, a copy of the old passport, papers explaining your stay abroad and a delivery address. Or apply at the nearest Bahraini embassy or consulate, which sends the request to NPRA.

NPRA's own sample photo shows a man in a white ghutra and black agal, so traditional dress is clearly expected. What the terms forbid is covering the face or the eyes; the whole face must stay visible and fill 70% to 80% of the photo's length.

Related photo specifications

Other Bahrain documents

Passports nearby

Also 40 × 60 mm

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Official sources

  1. Bahrain National Portal (NPRA service). Passport Replacement (ordinary) bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Bahrain National Portal (NPRA service). Issuance of Passport (ordinary) bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Bahrain National Portal (NPRA service). Lost / damaged Passport bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Bahrain National Portal (NPRA service). Replacement of the passport for citizen abroad through delivery company bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Bahrain National Portal (Ministry of Foreign Affairs service). Passport Replacement (through embassies) bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Bahrain National Portal. Passport Photo Requirements bahrain.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs, Ministry of Interior. Terms of E-Passport Photo (Arabic) npra.gov.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs, Ministry of Interior. NPRA announces new conditions for the e-passport photo npra.gov.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs, Ministry of Interior. FAQ: Passports npra.gov.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs, Ministry of Interior. NPRA launches overseas passport replacement service via eGovernment portal npra.gov.bh. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Bahrain National Portal (NPRA service) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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