Iraq ID card photo requirements
The photo rules set by Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in London for the Iraq ID card, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What are the Iraq ID card photo requirements?
No official size or background is published for the Iraqi Unified National Card photo. You fill in the National Card Affairs Directorate's electronic form, book an appointment and enrol in person with your original documents. At the Detroit consulate, which also takes fingerprints and an iris scan, you bring 1 recent personal photo; the London embassy's checklists ask for no photo at all.
The Unified National Card is the Iraqi identity card, issued by the Ministry of Interior's National Card Affairs Directorate within the Directorate of Civil Status, Passports and Residence. It takes the place of the civil status identity card and the Iraqi nationality certificate. The London embassy accepts it instead of both, and the Detroit consulate no longer accepts the older documents for powers of attorney or the e-passport, which it issues only on the basis of the card.
Every application begins with the directorate's electronic form. Detroit says it is filled in with the directorate's program on a Windows computer and printed as a single page, because the barcode on it is needed to book the appointment. You then attend with original documents: your nationality certificate and civil status identity card, a valid passport, and a supporting document from a relative. The consulate checks the file and sends it to the Ministry of Interior for approval before the card is printed.
Abroad, the service depends on the mission. The foreign ministry said in March 2025 that national card stations were running in eight missions, out of 26 planned; Frankfurt opened one in February 2025 and Cairo in March. London began taking appointments in a trial phase on 21 October 2024. In the US, Detroit issues cards, Washington refers applicants to Detroit or Los Angeles, and Houston has no national card system.
Iraq ID card photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in London:[1]
| Print size | No size published; Detroit asks for one recent personal photo and London lists none |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No photo upload: the electronic form is printed with a barcode and taken to the appointment |
| Background | Not published for the National Card |
| Photo age | Recent (Detroit); no age limit in months is published |
Key requirements
- Electronic form with a barcode
Fill in the National Card Affairs Directorate's application form before booking. Detroit wants it on one page only, since the barcode is used both for the booking and at the counter.
- No appointment, no service
Detroit does not process a card application without a prior booking on the foreign ministry's platform, and it does not want documents sent by email. London took bookings by telephone during its 2024 trial and now links the same platform.
- One photo at Detroit
Detroit's rules of March 2026 list one recent personal photo among the documents to bring. They give no size, background or colour for it, and London's lists for a first card have no photo item.
- Fingerprints and iris scan in person
Detroit's card appointments are for finger printing, eye scanning and archiving original documents, so the applicant has to be there.
- Proof through a relative
You support your application with a relative's document: Detroit asks for a recent nationality certificate, national card or electronic civil record of the father, brother or sister, and London also accepts those of the mother, paternal grandfather or uncle.
- Collection in person
London hands the card to the holder in person, against the original civil status identity card and nationality certificate. Detroit publishes lists of names when cards arrive, and you collect yours with the original civil status identity card.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Fill in the electronic form and print it on a single page
- Book an appointment before visiting the mission
- Bring one recent personal photo if you apply in Detroit
- Bring your original nationality certificate and civil status identity card
- Bring a relative's nationality certificate or national card as support
- Collect the card in person with your original documents
Don't
- Do not email your documents to the national card section
- Do not turn up at Detroit without a prior booking
- Do not apply at the Washington consular section, which issues no cards
- Do not print the application form across two pages
- Do not apply for a child before the birth is recorded in Iraq
Babies and children
A child's card depends on the family record in Iraq. Detroit's FAQ says the parent must first have the marriage recorded at the civil status department and the child's birth entered in the family register; only then can the consulate take an application for the child. A birth statement issued outside Iraq must be certified by the Iraqi foreign ministry and the Ministry of Health under the barcode system before you book, and you bring the father's Unified National Card or a recent nationality certificate.
London lists a certified birth certificate for registering a child under 12 years old who has no nationality certificate or civil status card. When both parents are Iraqi and not yet in the civil information system, both or one of them must attend; when only the father or only the mother is Iraqi, that parent attends, and a foreign father's case also needs a letter from the nationality directorate.
Printed and digital photos
Nothing is uploaded. The only digital step is the application form, which you print with its barcode and take to the appointment.
Whether a print is needed depends on the mission. Detroit asks for one recent personal photo, while London's first-card checklist and its 2024 announcement list no photo. Neither publishes a size, background or colour for that print. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter if your mission asks for one.
Where to submit the photo
Applications abroad go to an Iraqi mission with a national card station. In the US that is the Detroit consulate; the Washington consular section says national ID card issuance is unavailable there and refers applicants to Detroit or Los Angeles, and Houston says it has no national card system. In the UK, the London embassy has taken card applications since 21 October 2024.
After the appointment, Detroit sends the file to the Ministry of Interior's civil status directorate for approval. Once the card has been printed and returned, the consulate publishes the names on its website and Facebook page, and holders collect the card in person.
How to get your Iraq ID card photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Iraq ID card. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: electronic form with a barcode; no appointment, no service; one photo at Detroit; fingerprints and iris scan in person.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Nothing is uploaded. The only digital step is the application form, which you print with its barcode and take to the appointment. Whether a print is needed depends on the mission.
- Submit the photo with your application. Applications abroad go to an Iraqi mission with a national card station.
Iraq ID card photo FAQ
No official size is published. Detroit asks for one recent personal photo without stating dimensions or a background, and London's checklists for a first card list no photo. The card itself is produced after your appointment, where fingerprints and an iris scan are taken.
It depends on where you apply. The Detroit consulate lists one recent personal photo among the documents to bring. The London embassy's first-card requirements and its October 2024 announcement do not mention a photo. Check the list published by your own mission before the appointment.
Yes, at missions with a national card station. The foreign ministry reported eight such missions in March 2025, with 26 planned, including Cairo and Frankfurt. London started appointments on 21 October 2024 and Detroit issues cards in the US. Missions without a station, such as Washington and Houston, cannot take applications.
No. The Washington consular section says passport and national ID card issuance services are currently unavailable there. It asks applicants to contact the consulates in Detroit or Los Angeles instead.
Record the marriage and the birth in the family register in Iraq first. Detroit then needs the foreign birth statement certified by the Iraqi foreign ministry and Ministry of Health under the barcode system, an appointment, and the father's Unified National Card or a recent nationality certificate.
In person. Detroit publishes the names of applicants whose cards have arrived and asks them to bring the original civil status identity card. London requires the holder to attend with the original civil status identity card and nationality certificate.
Detroit issues the electronic passport only on the basis of the Unified National Card and has stopped accepting the electronic civil record in its place. It also requires the card for powers of attorney, instead of the old civil status identity card and nationality certificate.
Related photo specifications
Other Iraq documents
- Passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Visa photo 2 × 2 in
Identity cards nearby
- Armenia ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Azerbaijan ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Bahrain ID card photo 40 × 60 mm
- Israel ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Jordan ID card photo
- Lebanon ID card photo
- Oman ID card photo 40 × 60 mm
- Palestine ID card photo
- Qatar ID card photo 38 × 48 mm
- Saudi Arabia ID card photo
Official sources
- Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in London. Rules for issuing the Unified National Card for the first time (Arabic) mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in London. Announcement: Issuance of the National Card mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Iraq in Detroit. New rules for applying for the Unified National Card (Arabic) mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Iraq in Detroit. Requirements for issuing the national card (Arabic) mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Iraq in Detroit. Important announcement on national card appointments mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Iraq in Detroit. Information and related questions (Arabic) mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq. Foreign Minister inaugurates the national card issuance station at the embassy in Cairo mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq. Foreign Minister opens Unified National card issuance system at Iraqi Consulate in Frankfurt mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Washington. Consular Section, Washington DC iraqiembassy.us. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Iraq in Houston. Instructions and related questions (Arabic) mofa.gov.iq. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in London before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Iraq ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/iraq/id-card-photo