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

Visas and travel authorisations

Iran eVisa photo requirements

The photo rules set by Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the Iran eVisa, with the official wording and sources.

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

Rate this page

Quick answer

What are the Iran eVisa photo requirements?

The Iran e-visa takes a digital photo, not a print. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal asks for a colour JPEG of 10 KB to 500 KB, at least 400 pixels wide and 600 pixels high and taller than it is wide, taken in the last six months against a plain white or off-white background. Glasses are refused without a medical reason, and the whole face must be visible.

Visas for Iran are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), whose Evisa Department runs the online application portal. According to the portal, every visa type can be requested there, although citizens of some countries must apply for some visa types in person at an Iranian embassy. You answer the form in English, upload a digital personal photo and an image of your passport's first page, and name the embassy or consulate where you plan to receive the visa.

The photo travels only as a JPEG file attached to the application. The portal is available in English, Persian, Arabic and German, and its English and Persian photo pages agree on the file rules but differ in places: the English page wants a white or off-white background, the Persian one a completely even, light background. Whether a photo is accepted is up to the Iranian embassy or consulate you select.

Iran eVisa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran:[1]

Print sizeNo printed photo: a JPEG upload at least 400 x 600 pixels, taller than wide
Digital sizeAt least 400 x 600 pixels (width x height); the height must be greater than the width
BackgroundPlain white or off-white (English page); completely even and light (Persian page)
ColourColour; the Persian page warns that black-and-white or monochrome photos may be refused
Photo ageTaken within the last 6 months
File size10 KB to 500 KB; files under 10 KB are not accepted
File formatJPEG (.jpg or .jpeg) only

In the official words

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

with about 70-80% part of the photo must be filled by the applicant's face

Photo Requirements[1]

Key requirements

  • Minimum 400 x 600 pixels

    The image must be at least 400 pixels wide and 600 pixels high, in portrait format. No maximum pixel size is published; the upper limit is the 500 KB file size.

  • JPEG between 10 KB and 500 KB

    Upload a .jpg or .jpeg file of 500 KB or less. Anything under 10 KB is refused, and the upload form rejects other file types with a request to use JPEG.

  • Face filling most of the frame

    The English page asks for roughly 70 to 80 per cent of the image to be taken up by your face. The Persian page does not include this figure.

  • Light, plain background

    The English page asks for plain white or off-white, the Persian page for a completely even, light background. Dark and patterned backgrounds are among the MFA's examples of unsuitable photos.

  • Neutral expression, facing the camera

    Look straight at the camera with both eyes open and a neutral expression. Smiling, looking away and closed eyes all appear in the ministry's list of rejected examples.

  • No low-quality phone or booth images

    The ministry turns down low-quality images from mobile phones and vending machines, as well as snapshots, magazine pictures, full-length shots and photos scanned from a driving licence, passport or other official document.

  • No digital changes to your appearance

    The English page says the photo must not be digitally enhanced or altered to change how you look. The Persian page says improving quality or changing the face with software is not accepted in any way.

  • The mission decides

    The embassy or consulate you choose decides whether the photo is accepted, and it will ask for a new one if the photo no longer reflects how you look.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Save the photo as a JPEG between 10 KB and 500 KB
  • Make it at least 400 pixels wide and 600 pixels high, in portrait
  • Use a plain white, off-white or other light background
  • Wear the clothes you wear every day
  • Keep your whole face visible, with no shadow from any head covering
  • Upload a colour image of your passport's first page as well

Don't

  • Do not upload any format other than JPEG
  • Do not wear glasses unless they are medically necessary
  • Do not wear headphones or wireless hands-free devices
  • Do not wear a uniform, unless it is religious clothing you wear daily
  • Do not scan the photo from your passport or driving licence
  • Do not use editing software to change your appearance

Glasses

Glasses are refused in an Iran e-visa photo except in rare medical cases, for example when you have recently had eye surgery and need glasses to protect your eyes. You then have to provide a statement signed by a medical professional.

Where glasses are accepted on medical grounds, the frames must stay clear of your eyes, and glare, shadow or refraction from the lenses must not hide them. The Persian page adds that reflections of the camera flash on the lenses that obscure the eyes are not acceptable.

Headwear and religious dress

The MFA's English photo page does not require a headscarf. It bans hats and any head covering that hides the hair or hairline, unless the covering is worn every day for a religious reason; in that case your full face must be visible and the covering must not throw shadows on it. A hat is among the ministry's examples of unacceptable photos.

The Persian version says the photo should be without a hat, the face must be completely clear, and head coverings such as a headscarf must not cover any part of the face or cast a shadow on it.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office gives this advice: women and girls aged 10 or over should wear a headscarf in their Iranian visa application photos. The MFA pages read for this guide do not state that rule.

Babies and children

For babies and toddlers, the portal says no one else may appear in the photo and the child should look at the camera with eyes open. It suggests laying a baby on its back on a plain white or off-white sheet, or covering a car seat with such a sheet, and making sure no shadow falls across the face when you photograph from above.

A child under 16 whose looks have changed only through normal growing up will generally not need a new photo, although the embassy or consulate has the final word.

No print is asked for. The application takes two images: your personal photo, and a colour image of your passport's first page. The passport image has rules of its own: JPEG, 10 KB to 500 KB, landscape rather than portrait, at least 800 x 600 pixels, sharp, correctly exposed and with every character readable.

A phone photo can be cropped and resized to the pixel rules, but the ministry refuses low-quality phone images, so use good light and a sharp camera. The English page recommends a professional visa photo service; the Persian page recommends preparing the image with professional photo-editing software.

Where to submit the photo

Apply on the MFA e-visa portal. Answer every question in English using only the English alphabet, with no accented letters, review your answers, then confirm your email address with the code the system sends; an application that is not verified within 3 days expires. Keep the tracking code shown on the confirmation page so you can follow the application.

In the form you pick the Iranian embassy or consulate where you will receive the visa, and some applicants are called for an interview. Travellers who plan to get their visa at one of Iran's international airports are asked by the portal to take its listed steps at least two days before they travel.

How to get your Iran eVisa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Iran eVisa: 400 × 600 px digital file, plain white or off-white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: minimum 400 x 600 pixels; jPEG between 10 KB and 500 KB; face filling most of the frame; light, plain background.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. No print is asked for. The application takes two images: your personal photo, and a colour image of your passport's first page.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply on the MFA e-visa portal.

Make this photo online

Iran eVisa photo FAQ

There is no printed size. The portal takes a JPEG at least 400 pixels wide and 600 pixels high, in portrait format, with a file size between 10 KB and 500 KB. An image of exactly 400 x 600 pixels meets the minimum.

The MFA e-visa portal does not require one. It allows a head covering worn daily for religious reasons if the full face stays visible and free of shadow. The UK Foreign Office advises that women and girls aged 10 or over should wear a headscarf in Iranian visa photos.

Only for a medical reason, such as recent eye surgery, backed by a statement signed by a medical professional. The frames must not cover your eyes, and no glare, shadow or refraction may hide them.

The portal refuses low-quality mobile phone images; it does not ban phone photos as such. A phone photo must still meet the pixel, file and background rules and must not be digitally altered to change your appearance.

Plain white or off-white, according to the English page; the Persian page asks for a completely even, light background. Dark and patterned backgrounds are among the ministry's examples of unsuitable photos.

Between 10 KB and 500 KB, saved as JPEG. Files smaller than 10 KB are refused, and the upload form accepts only .jpg or .jpeg files.

The Iranian embassy or consulate you choose in the application. It can ask for a new photo if yours no longer matches your appearance, for example after facial surgery, a large weight change, or adding or removing many facial piercings or tattoos.

Yes: a colour JPEG of the first page only, wider than it is tall, at least 800 x 600 pixels and between 10 KB and 500 KB. It must be sharp, properly exposed and fully readable.

Related photo specifications

Other Iran documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Was this page helpful?

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

Official sources

  1. Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Photo Requirements evisatraveller.mfa.ir. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Photo requirements (in Persian) evisatraveller.mfa.ir. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Passport Copy Requirements evisatraveller.mfa.ir. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. How to complete the application evisatraveller.mfa.ir. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran Electronic Visa (Iran eVisa) Application evisa.mfa.ir. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Iran travel advice: entry requirements gov.uk. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Iran eVisa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/iran/evisa-photo

Categories: