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Belarus passport photo requirements

The 40 × 50 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (National Legal Internet Portal) for the Belarus passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 6 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Belarus passport photo?

For the non-biometric Belarusian passport you hand in four colour photos on one sheet, each printed on a 40 x 50 mm template; the office trims them to 35 x 45 mm. The face, from chin to the top of the hair, must measure 32 to 35 mm, on an even light background, with no headwear. For the ID card and the biometric passport you bring no photo: the citizenship and migration unit photographs you digitally.

Belarus lets its citizens choose between two sets of documents. One is the passport of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, a booklet without a chip that serves both as an identity document and as a travel document. The other is the biometric pair: an identification card (ID card) for identity inside the country and a biometric passport for travel. Presidential Decree No. 294 on documenting the population says a citizen cannot hold a valid passport at the same time as a valid ID card or biometric passport, and the Foreign Ministry adds that once you have the biometric documents you cannot go back to the non-biometric passport.

The two routes treat photos differently. For the non-biometric passport, Presidential Decree No. 200 on administrative procedures asks for four colour photographs of 40 x 50 mm on one sheet, and Interior Ministry (MVD) Resolution No. 251 of 12 July 2024 sets the technical requirements for them. For the ID card and the biometric passport the decree lists no photographs at all. Decree No. 294 makes personal attendance compulsory for digital photographing, and for fingerprint scanning from age 14.

Since 7 September 2023, under Presidential Decree No. 278, Belarusian embassies and consulates no longer issue, exchange or extend any kind of passport or ID card. Passports are issued and exchanged only in Belarus.

Belarus passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (National Legal Internet Portal):[1]

Print size40 x 50 mm (1.57 x 1.97 in) print template, trimmed to 35 x 45 mm; ID card and biometric passport: photo taken at the office
Digital sizeNo file to upload: the ID card and biometric passport photo is taken digitally when you apply
Head heightChin to the top of the hair 32 to 35 mm, with 2 to 3 mm of free space above the head
Eye lineThe horizontal centre line of the frame passes through the lower edges of the eye sockets and the ear openings
BackgroundEven, light background, lit from the front, above and the side
ColourColour; four photos printed on one sheet
Photo ageNo fixed period: the image must match your age when you hand in the documents
Print qualitySharp; no creases, scratches, emulsion damage, stains or fogging; technical retouching only
Pixels when printed472 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm50 mm32–35 mm
40 × 50 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 32–35 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: even.

In the official words

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

Only technical retouching is permitted when the photographs are made. (translated from Russian)

MVD Resolution No. 251 of 12.07.2024: technical requirements for passport photos and passport instruction (in Russian)[1]

Длина изображения лица от подбородка до окончания волосяного покрова головы устанавливается в пределах от 32 до 35 мм.

MVD Resolution No. 251 of 12.07.2024: technical requirements for passport photos and passport instruction (in Russian)[1]

Key requirements

  • Four prints on one sheet

    Decree No. 200 asks for 4 colour photos of 40 x 50 mm "on one sheet" for a first passport, for an exchange and for a replacement after loss, for adults and for children alike. The officer writes your surname and initials on the back of each photo, trims one and glues it to the Form 1 application, so hand the sheet in uncut.

  • Face 32 to 35 mm, small margin above

    The MVD technical requirements fix the length of the face image, from the chin to the top of the hair, at 32 to 35 mm. On the 40 x 50 mm print template the image is placed so that a free margin of 2 to 3 mm stays above the head. Photos prepared for gluing or scanning are cut to 35 x 45 mm.

  • Full face, centred on the frame

    The photo is a chest-up portrait taken full face. The imaginary vertical centre line of the frame should run down the middle of your face, and the horizontal centre line should pass through the lower edges of the eye sockets and the ear openings. The background is even and light, with lighting from the front, above and the side.

  • No headwear, uniform or unregistered symbols

    You must be photographed bareheaded. Within the frame, your face, neck and clothing may not carry symbols that have not been officially registered, although jewellery and costume jewellery are fine. Photos taken in uniform are not allowed.

  • Technical retouching only

    Only technical retouching is permitted when the photos are made. The image must be sharp, with no creases, scratches, damage to the emulsion layer, stains or fogging, and the finished photos must meet the international standard for machine-readable documents.

  • A likeness of you today

    No number of months is set. Instead, the image must correspond to your age at the moment you hand in the documents, which is also how Decree No. 200 describes the photos.

  • Biometric documents: attend in person

    For the ID card and the biometric passport the office takes a digital photo of you. Attendance is compulsory for everyone, including children and adults whose legal capacity is limited, and fingerprints are scanned from 14. A biometric passport is issued only with a valid ID card or together with an ID card application.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Bring four identical colour prints of 40 x 50 mm on one uncut sheet.
  • Keep the face between 32 and 35 mm from chin to the top of the hair.
  • Leave 2 to 3 mm of free space above your head.
  • Use an even, light background with light from the front.
  • Go in person for an ID card or biometric passport; the photo is taken there.
  • Apply in Belarus: embassies no longer accept passport applications.

Don't

  • Do not wear a hat, cap or any other headwear.
  • Do not wear dark glasses unless you are disabled through a visual impairment.
  • Do not pose in uniform or with unregistered symbols on your clothes.
  • Do not retouch the photo beyond technical corrections.
  • Do not cut the four photos apart yourself.
  • Do not hand in creased, scratched or stained prints.

Sample photos

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

The MVD technical requirements do not allow photos in dark or sun glasses, with an exception for disabled people with visual impairments. They say nothing more about ordinary clear glasses, so neither a ban nor an obligation to wear them is published.

The framing rule applies either way: the horizontal centre line of the frame should pass through the lower edges of the eye sockets and the ear openings, so the eye area has to be clearly placed in the picture.

Headwear and religious dress

The person photographed must be without headwear. The MVD requirements for the Belarusian passport publish no religious or medical exception to this rule.

The same paragraph of the requirements rules out uniforms, and any symbols on the face, neck or clothing within the frame that have not been officially registered. Jewellery and costume jewellery are allowed.

Babies and children

A child under 14 can also have a passport, valid for 5 years, and the application comes with the same four colour photos of 40 x 50 mm on one sheet. A legal representative applies on the child's behalf. Every citizen aged 14 or over must hold an identity document, and anyone travelling abroad needs a travel document whatever their age.

For an ID card or a biometric passport the child must come to the office, because the photo is taken digitally there. The legal representative submits the application and the documents. Fingerprints are scanned only from age 14.

Only the non-biometric passport uses prints. You bring four colour photos printed side by side on one sheet, each on a 40 x 50 mm template. The office cuts one photo and glues it to the Form 1 application, and the form goes with the remaining photos to the MVD document personalisation centre or a regional passport bureau.

The ID card and the biometric passport carry a digital photo portrait that the citizenship and migration unit, or the Foreign Ministry's Main Consular Directorate, captures when you apply. There is no upload and no print for these documents.

A digital photo can be cropped to the 40 x 50 mm template and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter; check that the face measures 32 to 35 mm on the print.

Where to submit the photo

Citizens registered in Belarus apply for the biometric documents at the citizenship and migration unit of the internal affairs body. For the non-biometric passport you can also go to the organisation that keeps the housing and utility accounts for your place of registration, or to another person authorised for passport work, such as a village council. That person passes your documents and photos to the citizenship and migration unit within three working days.

Citizens registered as living abroad, on the permanent consular register, can apply either at the citizenship and migration unit for their last place of registration in Belarus, which issues both kinds, or at the Foreign Ministry's Main Consular Directorate, which issues biometric documents only, by appointment booked online. Embassies and consulates no longer take passport applications, but they issue a certificate of return to Belarus if your passport expires abroad.

How to get your Belarus passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Belarus passport: 40 × 50 mm print, even background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: four prints on one sheet; face 32 to 35 mm, small margin above; full face, centred on the frame; no headwear, uniform or unregistered symbols.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Only the non-biometric passport uses prints. You bring four colour photos printed side by side on one sheet, each on a 40 x 50 mm template.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Citizens registered in Belarus apply for the biometric documents at the citizenship and migration unit of the internal affairs body.

Make this photo online

Belarus passport photo FAQ

The non-biometric passport uses a 40 x 50 mm print template, and the photo is trimmed to 35 x 45 mm for gluing or scanning. The face from chin to the top of the hair must be 32 to 35 mm, with 2 to 3 mm of space above the head. Decree No. 200 asks for four such colour photos on one sheet.

No. The document lists for both contain no photographs. You must attend in person so that the citizenship and migration unit, or the Foreign Ministry's Main Consular Directorate, can take a digital photo and, from age 14, scan your fingerprints.

No. Since 7 September 2023, under Presidential Decree No. 278, embassies and consulates no longer issue, exchange or extend passports or ID cards. Passports are issued and exchanged in Belarus only. If your passport expires while you are abroad, the embassy can issue a certificate of return to Belarus.

Dark or sun glasses are not allowed, except for disabled people with visual impairments. The MVD technical requirements do not mention ordinary clear glasses either way, so no rule on them is published.

Yes. The Foreign Ministry says a citizen can choose either the non-biometric passport or the ID card with the biometric passport. Once you have the biometric documents you can only exchange them for new biometric ones, and you cannot hold a valid passport and a valid ID card or biometric passport at the same time.

The MVD technical requirements say the person must be photographed without headwear, and they publish no religious exception. If this affects you, ask the citizenship and migration unit before you have the photos made.

No number of months is set. The image must correspond to your age at the time you hand in the documents, so use a photo that shows you as you look now.

Related photo specifications

Other Belarus documents

Passports nearby

Also 40 × 50 mm

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Official sources

  1. 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 and passport instruction (in Russian) pravo.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. Issue and exchange of passports (in Russian) mfa.gov.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus. Presidential Decree No. 200 of 26.04.2010: list of administrative procedures, chapter 11 (in Russian) pravo.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus. Presidential Decree No. 294 of 03.06.2008 on documenting the population (in Russian) pravo.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Germany. Issue of passports (in Russian) germany.mfa.gov.by. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Ostrovets District Executive Committee. Issue and exchange of the passport for citizens of Belarus (in Russian) ostrovets.gov.by. Checked 2 November 2026.

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

Cite this page

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

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