Independent reference to official photo rules

Not affiliated with any government. Always confirm with the issuing authority before you apply.

WorldPhotoSpecsOfficial photo rules for every country

Driving licences

Belarus driving licence photo requirements

The 40 × 50 mm photo rules set by National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus for the Belarus driving licence, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 4 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

Rate this page

Quick answer

What size is the Belarus driving licence photo?

For a national Belarusian driving licence, the official list of documents contains no photograph: you bring your passport or ID card, the application with exam marks, the training certificate and a medical certificate to a GAI examination unit. Only the international driving permit asks for a print: one colour photo of 40 x 50 mm (1.57 x 1.97 in) that matches your age. No background or head-size rule is published for it.

Driving licences in Belarus are issued by the examination and registration-examination units of the State Automobile Inspectorate (GAI), often called MREO. They belong to the Minsk city internal affairs directorate, the regional internal affairs directorates and the city and district internal affairs departments. The procedure is set by the Council of Ministers Regulation approved by Resolution No. 441 of 4 April 2011, and the documents by Presidential Decree No. 200 on administrative procedures, points 15.1 to 15.8.

A first licence follows the qualification exams: theory and practice for categories A, B and C and subcategory A1, practice only for D, BE, CE and DE, and theory only for AM, F and I. You apply to the unit that serves your place of registration or the organisation that issued your training certificate. Exchanges, replacements and the international driving permit can be handled by any authorised unit, regardless of where you are registered.

On photos the two GAI documents differ. The national licence lists for a first issue, an exchange or a replacement contain no photograph. The international driving permit is the one GAI document for which you bring a print: one colour photo of 40 x 50 mm.

Belarus driving licence photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus:[1]

Print sizeInternational driving permit: one 40 x 50 mm colour photo; national licence: no photo in the document list
Digital sizeNo photo file is requested for either document
BackgroundNot published for the international driving permit photo
ColourColour (international driving permit)
Photo ageMust match your current age (international driving permit)
Pixels when printed472 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm50 mm
40 × 50 mm photo drawn to scale.

In the official words

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

одна цветная фотография заявителя, соответствующая его возрасту, размером 40 х 50 мм

Presidential Decree No. 200 of 26.04.2010: list of administrative procedures, chapter 15 (in Russian)[1]

Key requirements

  • No photo listed for the national licence

    Decree No. 200 lists the documents for a first licence: the application with the exam marks, a passport or other identity document, the training certificate, a medical certificate, a military commissariat certificate for male citizens aged 18 to 27, and proof of payment. Foreigners living in Belarus temporarily add their temporary residence permit. A photograph is not among them, and none is listed for an exchange or a replacement after loss either.

  • One photo for the international permit

    For the international driving permit the list adds one colour photo of the applicant, 40 x 50 mm and matching his or her age, together with your passport, a medical certificate and your national licence. The permit is valid until the national licence expires or for 3 years, whichever comes first.

  • No published photo specification

    The GAI publishes no background colour, head size or retouching rule for the permit photo; size, colour and age match are the only conditions in the decree. The MVD standard for passport photos (face 32 to 35 mm on a 40 x 50 mm template, even light background, no headwear) is the closest official reference, but it is not written for this permit.

  • Exams come first

    Before you apply for a first licence you pass the qualification exam at the authorised unit, and the unit marks the result on your application. In some cases, such as category AM or subcategory A1, no prior training course is required.

  • Exchanging a foreign licence

    A licence issued abroad can be exchanged for a Belarusian one under point 15.2 of the decree, after a practical exam unless legislation or a treaty provides otherwise; the regulation waives that exam for Belarusian or Russian citizens holding a Russian licence. A licence not in the 1968 Vienna Convention format is accepted with a legalised or apostilled copy, and a foreign-language licence needs a notarised translation into Belarusian or Russian.

  • Any unit for exchanges and permits

    Exchanges, replacement of a lost or stolen licence, replacement of a Soviet-era licence and the international permit are handled by any authorised unit, whatever your place of registration. A first licence is tied to the unit for your registration or for your training organisation.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Pass the qualification exam before you apply for a first licence.
  • Bring your passport or ID, the marked application, training certificate and medical certificate.
  • Bring one 40 x 50 mm colour photo if you need an international driving permit.
  • Get a notarised translation of a foreign-language licence before exchanging it.
  • Use any authorised GAI unit for an exchange or an international permit.

Don't

  • Do not confuse the national licence with the international permit: only the permit lists a photo.
  • Do not use a photo that no longer matches your age for the international permit.
  • Do not forget the military commissariat certificate if you are a male citizen aged 18 to 27.
  • Do not drive in Belarus as a visitor without a licence of international standard.

Sample photos

How a Belarus driving licence photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 50 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.

Headwear and religious dress

Neither Decree No. 200 nor the Council of Ministers regulation sets a headwear rule for the international permit photo, and the national licence needs no print. If you want a conservative reference, the MVD technical requirements for passport photos, the nearest published Belarusian standard, ask for no headwear, no uniform and no sunglasses.

Neither document involves a photo upload. For the national licence the document list contains no photo; neither the decree nor the regulation describes how the image on the card is produced, so ask the examination unit if you are unsure what to expect on the day.

For the international permit you bring one printed colour photo of 40 x 50 mm. A digital photo can be cropped to that size and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

Apply to a GAI examination or registration-examination unit. A first licence is issued by the unit that serves your place of registration or the organisation that trained you; conscripts, cadets and full-time students may use the unit where their military unit or school is located. Exchanges, replacements after loss or theft, Soviet-era licence replacements and international permits can be handled by any authorised unit.

Foreign residents who want a Belarusian licence on the basis of a foreign one apply under the exchange procedure. Foreign visitors driving in Belarus need a driving licence of international standard, according to the Foreign Ministry's guidance for motorists, together with the vehicle registration certificate and insurance.

How to get your Belarus driving licence photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Belarus driving licence: 40 × 50 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: no photo listed for the national licence; one photo for the international permit; no published photo specification; exams come first.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Neither document involves a photo upload.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply to a GAI examination or registration-examination unit.

Make this photo online

Belarus driving licence photo FAQ

Not according to the official document list. Decree No. 200 asks for the application with exam marks, an identity document, the training certificate, a medical certificate and proof of payment for a first licence, and similar papers for an exchange. No photograph is listed. Ask the GAI examination unit if you are unsure what will happen on the day.

One colour photo of 40 x 50 mm that matches your age. You hand it in with your passport, medical certificate and national licence at a GAI examination unit. No background or head-size rule is published for it.

At any authorised GAI examination unit. The Council of Ministers regulation says exchanges, replacements after loss or theft and international permits are handled regardless of your place of registration. A first licence is issued by the unit for your registration or your driving school.

Yes, under point 15.2 of Decree No. 200. You normally pass a practical exam first. A licence not in the 1968 Convention format is accepted with a legalised (apostilled) copy, and a foreign-language licence needs a notarised translation into Belarusian or Russian.

The Foreign Ministry's guidance says foreign citizens staying or living in Belarus temporarily must carry a driving licence of international standard, the vehicle registration certificate and insurance when they drive. A vehicle registered abroad needs a Green Card or a border insurance policy.

Decree No. 200 gives 20 years for a first licence, an exchange and a replacement. The international driving permit is valid until your national licence expires or for 3 years, whichever comes first.

Related photo specifications

Other Belarus documents

Driving licences nearby

Also 40 × 50 mm

Was this page helpful?

No ratings yet. Be the first to rate this page.

Official sources

  1. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus. Presidential Decree No. 200 of 26.04.2010: list of administrative procedures, chapter 15 (in Russian) pravo.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus. Council of Ministers Resolution No. 441 of 04.04.2011 on the issue of driving licences (in Russian) pravo.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Latvia. Driver's reminder in Belarus: step-by-step instruction latvia.mfa.gov.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (National Legal Internet Portal). MVD Resolution No. 251 of 12.07.2024: technical requirements for passport photos (in Russian) pravo.by. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Belarus driving licence photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/belarus/driving-licence-photo

Categories: