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Ethiopia origin ID card photo requirements

The photo rules set by Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) for the Ethiopia origin ID card, with the official wording and sources.

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

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Quick answer

What are the Ethiopia origin ID card photo requirements?

For the Ethiopian Origin ID, often called the Yellow Card, ICS in Ethiopia asks for one recent passport-sized photograph and gives no size or background. The Paris embassy asks for three recent ID-format colour photos on a white background, taken facing the camera without glasses, with your names in capitals on the back. A child under 18 applying through ICS needs one recent photo of their own.

The Ethiopian Origin ID is issued by the Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) to people of Ethiopian descent who hold foreign citizenship. ICS says it brings visa-free entry into Ethiopia, the right to own property and easier access to residence and employment. ICS runs separate services for foreign nationals married to Ethiopian citizens and for children under 18 of Ethiopian descent.

In Ethiopia, you apply with a completed form, a passport valid for more than six months, a copy of your entry visa and entry stamp, proof of Ethiopian origin such as a machine-readable Ethiopian passport or an authenticated birth certificate, and one recent passport-sized photograph. ICS says an Origin ID cannot be issued by proxy, and that its applications can be made online or at an immigration office.

Abroad, the embassy for your country handles the card. The Paris embassy takes applications in person, without an appointment, and wants three printed colour photos.

Ethiopia origin ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS):[1]

Print sizeNo size published: ICS asks for one recent passport-sized photograph; the Paris embassy for ID-format prints
Digital sizeNo pixel size published; ICS and the Paris embassy list photographs
BackgroundWhite (Paris embassy); ICS states no colour
ColourColour (Paris embassy)
Photo ageRecent (ICS and Paris); no time limit published
Print qualityParis embassy: surname and first names in capital letters on the back of each photo

In the official words

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

, Internet Archive 2020-12-03); that page and the embassy domain are gone. The latest embassy figure found was London's

Ethiopian Origin ID[1]

DNS points to prohibited IP

Ethiopian Origin ID[1]

Key requirements

  • ICS: one recent photograph

    ICS lists one recent passport-sized photograph for the Origin ID, the same for the Origin ID by marriage, and one recent passport-sized photograph of the applicant for a child under 18. It states no size or background.

  • Paris: three colour photos on white

    The Paris embassy asks for three recent ID-format colour photos, taken facing the camera without glasses, on a white background, with your surname and first names in capital letters on the back of each.

  • Proof of origin

    ICS accepts a machine-readable Ethiopian passport or an authenticated birth certificate, plus a copy of an Ethiopian parent's kebele ID or passport. If you once held a kebele ID, the father's and grandfather's names must match it.

  • No proxies

    ICS says an Origin ID cannot be issued by proxy. For the card by marriage, the spouse must also be present in person with their ID and passport, and the applicant attaches a signed application letter.

  • Fingerprints from age 14

    The Paris embassy takes fingerprints for the identity card, but applications for children under 14 are exempt. The card it issues is valid for five years, and the person who applied must collect it.

  • Renew before it expires

    ICS charges a daily penalty if you do not renew your ID on time. In Paris, renewal of an expired card carries its own fee, separate from a first card or a child's card.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check whether your office wants one photo or three.
  • Use a white background and a colour photo for Paris.
  • Write your name in capitals on the back of each photo for Paris.
  • Attend in person, with your spouse if you apply by marriage.
  • Bring a copy of your entry visa and stamp when applying in Ethiopia.
  • Ask your embassy which print size it prefers.

Don't

  • Do not wear glasses in photos for the Paris embassy.
  • Do not send someone else to apply for you as an adult.
  • Do not reuse photos from an old Yellow Card.
  • Do not let the card expire: ICS charges a daily penalty.
  • Do not submit a foreign-language court decision without a legal translation.

Glasses

The Paris embassy asks for identity-card photos taken facing the camera without glasses. ICS gives no rule on glasses for Origin ID photos.

As one set of prints may end up at either an embassy or an ICS office, photos without glasses are the version that meets every published Ethiopian Origin ID list.

Babies and children

ICS has a separate Origin ID service for children under 18. One parent must be of Ethiopian origin, and you provide the child's passport valid for more than six months, a copy of the tourist visa and entry stamp, a copy of the parent's Ethiopian passport, kebele ID or Origin ID, an authenticated birth certificate, and one recent passport-sized photograph of the child. If a guardian applies, a copy of the legal representation document is needed.

The Paris embassy exempts children under 14 from fingerprinting. To add a minor under 18 to a parent's card, it asks for two copies of a legal document proving the direct link, such as a birth certificate.

Origin ID applications use printed photos: one for ICS and three for Paris. No authority publishes a pixel size or file limit for this card.

Two sizes are offered here because neither ICS nor Paris gives one. 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm) is the size earlier London embassy lists named for every Origin ID application; 2 x 3 cm (20 x 30 mm) comes from an older Moscow embassy list. Ask the office handling your application if it prefers one, then crop a digital photo to that size and print it on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

In Ethiopia, apply to ICS online or at an immigration office, with the documents and one photograph. ICS charges a fixed service fee for regular and urgent service and adds a daily penalty for late renewal.

Abroad, apply through the Ethiopian embassy for your country. Paris handles the card in person at its consular section, without an appointment. The Brussels embassy says Origin ID applications are processed online through the Digital INVEA platform; when checked on 2 November 2026, that site displayed a notice that its contract had stopped and told applicants to contact ICS, so confirm the current route with your embassy.

How to get your Ethiopia origin ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Ethiopia origin ID card: white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: iCS: one recent photograph; paris: three colour photos on white; proof of origin; no proxies.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Origin ID applications use printed photos: one for ICS and three for Paris. No authority publishes a pixel size or file limit for this card. Two sizes are offered here because neither ICS nor Paris gives one.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Ethiopia, apply to ICS online or at an immigration office, with the documents and one photograph. ICS charges a fixed service fee for regular and urgent service and adds a daily penalty for late renewal.

Make this photo online

Ethiopia origin ID card photo FAQ

No current official page gives one. ICS asks for a recent passport-sized photograph, and the Paris embassy for ID-format colour photos on a white background, both without dimensions. Earlier embassy lists used 3 x 4 cm (30 x 40 mm) or 2 x 3 cm (20 x 30 mm), so ask the office handling your application.

One for an application to ICS in Ethiopia, including the versions for spouses and for children under 18. The Paris embassy asks for three. Other embassies set their own number, so check their list before printing.

For the Paris embassy, no: it asks for photos taken without glasses. ICS publishes no glasses rule, so photos without glasses meet every published list.

Not for an adult. ICS says it is not possible to issue an Ethiopian Origin ID by proxy. For a child under 18, a parent or legal guardian applies; a guardian must submit a copy of the legal representation document to the immigration office.

ICS asks for one recent passport-sized photograph of the child with the under-18 application, together with the child's passport and an authenticated birth certificate. Children under 14 are exempt from fingerprinting at the Paris embassy.

Yes. ICS offers an Origin ID by marriage for foreign nationals married to Ethiopian citizens, with a marriage certificate at least two years old, a signed application letter and one recent passport-sized photograph. The spouse must also be present in person.

ICS says its applications can be submitted online through its official website or in person at the nearest immigration office. Some embassies, such as Brussels, still point to the Digital INVEA platform, which now shows a notice that its contract has stopped.

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Official sources

  1. Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS). Ethiopian Origin ID ics.gov.et. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS). Ethiopian Origin ID by Marriage ics.gov.et. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS). Ethiopian Origin ID for Children (Under 18 Years Old) ics.gov.et. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Embassy of Ethiopia, Paris. Demande de Carte d'Identité ambassade-ethiopie.fr. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of Ethiopia, Brussels. Origin ID Services ethiopianembassy.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Digital INVEA. Origin ID Services digitalinvea.com. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Ethiopia origin ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/ethiopia/origin-id-card-photo

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