Israel passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Population and Immigration Authority for the Israel passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Israel passport photo?
In Israel you bring no photo for a biometric passport: a Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA) clerk photographs your face at the office. Prints are used only in exceptions, such as a temporary passport, and PIBA's print standard is 35 x 45 mm on a plain light grey or white background, without glasses. Israeli missions abroad issue non-biometric passports and ask for two recent colour photos, 5 x 5 cm, on white; US consulates specify 2 x 2 inches.
Israeli passports and laissez-passers are issued by the Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA). Since 1 June 2017 the regular passports and laissez-passers issued in Israel are biometric: the chip holds a facial photo and two fingerprints. You book an appointment, pay online or at the office, and apply in person at any PIBA branch; applicants under 18 come with a parent. A biometric passport cannot be issued outside Israel.
The photo is taken during the appointment. A clerk asks identity questions, photographs your face and scans your index fingers, and PIBA's passport procedure says that as a rule the applicant does not need to supply photos. If you decline to have your fingerprints kept in the biometric database, the passport is valid for 5 years instead of 10; children's passports are valid for 5 years in all cases.
Abroad, Israeli embassies and consulates issue non-biometric passports valid for up to five years, and there you do need prints. The Foreign Ministry asks for two current, identical colour photos measuring 5 by 5 centimetres on a white background, and the consulates in the United States ask for 2 x 2 inch photos on white.
Israel passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Population and Immigration Authority:[1]
| Print size | In Israel usually none (taken at the office); printed photos: 35 x 45 mm. Missions abroad: 5 x 5 cm; US missions: 2 x 2 in |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload: PIBA captures the photo at the office, and missions abroad take printed photos |
| Head height | Printed photos in Israel: face 32 to 36 mm from chin to hairline, head centred |
| Background | Printed photos in Israel: plain and light (grey or white); missions abroad: white |
| Colour | Colour (missions abroad ask for colour photos) |
| Photo age | Recent; the Atlanta and San Francisco consulates want photos taken within the last 3 months |
| Print quality | On photo paper, cut exactly to size; no office or coloured paper, stains, creases, folds or holes |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Photographed at the PIBA office
For a biometric passport issued in Israel, the clerk takes your photo as part of the enrolment, together with the scan of both index fingers. You do not need to bring printed photos for an ordinary application.
- No glasses
PIBA's photo standard says the photo is taken without glasses, and photos with red eyes are refused. The consulates in Atlanta and Munich and the embassy in Warsaw also ask for photos without glasses.
- Head straight, both ears visible
Look straight at the camera without tilting or turning your head. PIBA rejects portrait-style shots looking over the shoulder and wants both ears to show in the photo.
- Neutral expression
Keep your mouth closed and your expression neutral, without a smile. Your eyes must be open, level and not covered by hair.
- Prints only in exceptions
In Israel, printed photos are used for a temporary passport, are recommended for a child up to age 6, and can be scanned in with special approval when a bedridden applicant cannot be photographed at an office. They follow PIBA's 3.5 x 4.5 cm standard.
- 5 x 5 cm through a mission
For a passport issued by an Israeli mission abroad, bring two recent colour photos, 5 x 5 cm, on a white background with a full front view of the face. Consulates in the United States write the size as 2 x 2 inches.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Book an appointment at a PIBA office and attend in person
- Look straight at the camera with your mouth closed
- Tuck your hair behind your ears so both ears show
- Bring two identical 5 x 5 cm colour photos on white to a mission abroad
- Use 2 x 2 inch photos for a consulate in the United States
- Have prints made on photo paper and cut exactly to size
Don't
- Do not wear glasses for the photo
- Do not smile or tilt your head
- Do not wear a hat; only a religious head covering is allowed
- Do not use photos printed on office or coloured paper
- Do not include toys, jewellery or another person in the photo
- Do not hand in creased, stained or stamped prints
Sample photos
How a Israel passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Take your glasses off. PIBA's photo guide for passports and travel documents states that the photo is taken without glasses, and photos with red eyes are not accepted. The eyes should sit on a level line, open and not hidden by hair.
Missions abroad say the same for the prints they collect. The Atlanta consulate asks for no glasses and for facial features, including the eyebrows, to be fully visible; the embassy in Warsaw wants a frontal headshot without glasses; and the Munich consulate lists no glasses, both ears visible and no shadow.
Headwear and religious dress
Hats are not allowed, but a head covering worn for religious reasons is. PIBA's photo standard asks for the photo to be taken without a hat and marks a religious head covering, such as a kippah or headscarf, as the exception.
Your face must stay clear and your head straight, facing the camera. For postal renewals the Atlanta consulate asks for hair tucked behind the ears. PIBA's guide also wants only you in the photo, without objects or jewellery.
Babies and children
Every child needs their own Israeli passport or laissez-passer, babies included. In Israel an applicant under 18 must attend with a parent, and when the parents are not married to each other both must give consent at a PIBA office, or one can authorise the other through a power of attorney signed before a lawyer. Children's passports are valid for 5 years.
Children are photographed at the office like adults, but PIBA's photo guide recommends bringing printed photos for a child up to age 6. Those prints must show the child alone, without other people or any objects, and meet the same standard as adults' photos.
Through a mission abroad, minors must appear in person with their parents. Washington asks for two 2 x 2 inch photos on white for a minor's renewal, and its page on travel documents for minors asks for two current colour photos of the face, 5 x 5 cm, on a bright background.
Printed and digital photos
There is no photo upload for an Israeli passport. In Israel the photo is captured live at the office, and prints are the exception: PIBA asks for two identical printed photos for a temporary passport, and its procedures let a printed photo be scanned in when someone who is bedridden cannot be photographed at an office. Prints follow the 35 x 45 mm standard, on photo paper, cut exactly to size, with no stains, creases, folds or holes; office paper and coloured paper are refused.
The 50 x 50 mm size applies when you apply through an Israeli embassy or consulate abroad, which issue non-biometric passports. The Foreign Ministry standard is 5 x 5 cm, and US consulates write 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). The Munich consulate asks for what Germany calls a biometric photo, and London asks applicants to have their photos taken at a professional shop with proper lighting.
A digital photo can be cropped to either size and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
Where to submit the photo
In Israel, book an appointment at any PIBA branch, pay online (cheaper than at the office) or at the counter, and attend with your ID card. After the application the passport is sent by post, and you can track it on the Israel Post website. Some branches also have digital service stands where biometric passport and ID card applications are made. If you must travel urgently, PIBA can issue a temporary travel document, including at its branch at Ben Gurion Airport.
Abroad, apply at the Israeli mission in your country of residence. A first adult passport, a lost or stolen passport and any application for a minor need an in-person appointment. Adults renewing an expired passport can often apply by post: Los Angeles, for example, takes mail renewals from adults who have visited Israel in the past 10 years. New York issues a one-time travel document, valid for 14 days for a direct flight to Israel, against two recent passport photos.
How to get your Israel passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Israel passport: 35 × 45 mm print, printed photos in Israel: plain and light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: photographed at the PIBA office; no glasses; head straight, both ears visible; neutral expression.
- Prepare a print or digital file. There is no photo upload for an Israeli passport.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Israel, book an appointment at any PIBA branch, pay online (cheaper than at the office) or at the counter, and attend with your ID card. After the application the passport is sent by post, and you can track it on the Israel Post website.
Israel passport photo FAQ
For a biometric passport applied for in Israel you need no photo, because PIBA photographs you at the office. When a print is needed in Israel, for example for a temporary passport, PIBA's standard is 3.5 x 4.5 cm. Israeli missions abroad ask for two 5 x 5 cm colour photos on white, and US consulates specify 2 x 2 inches.
Usually not. PIBA's passport procedure says applicants do not, as a rule, have to provide photos, since the clerk takes your photo and fingerprints at the appointment. Bring two identical prints if you are applying for a temporary passport. For a child up to age 6, PIBA's guide recommends bringing printed photos.
No. PIBA takes the photo without glasses, and missions abroad such as Atlanta, Warsaw and Munich also ask for photos without glasses. Remove them before the clerk photographs you, and make sure your eyes are open and not covered by hair.
No. Biometric travel documents cannot be issued outside Israel. Missions issue non-biometric passports valid for up to five years and cannot extend one beyond five years from issue. The London embassy says you can apply for a biometric passport at a PIBA office in Israel and have it sent to the embassy when it is ready.
Yes, they are what the consulates in the United States ask for. Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and the embassy in Washington all ask for 2 x 2 inch photos on a white background, and Atlanta and San Francisco add that the photos must have been taken within the last 3 months.
Yes, if you wear it for religious reasons. PIBA's standard asks for photos without a hat but makes an exception for a religious head covering. Your face must stay fully visible, with your head straight and facing the camera.
Adult passports issued in Israel are valid for 10 years only if you consent to your fingerprints being kept in the biometric database; without that consent they last 5 years. Children's passports are valid for 5 years in all cases, and passports issued by missions abroad for up to five years.
Related photo specifications
Other Israel documents
- Visa photo 50 × 50 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Azerbaijan passport photo 30 × 40 mm
- Bahrain e-passport photo 32.5 × 43 mm
- Bahrain passport photo 40 × 60 mm
- Georgia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Iraq passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Jordan passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Lebanon passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Oman passport photo 40 × 60 mm
- Palestine passport photo 30 × 40 mm
- Qatar passport photo 35 × 48 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Israel photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Asia
Official sources
- Population and Immigration Authority. Apply for an Israeli travel document (laissez passer) for Israeli citizens gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Population and Immigration Authority. Apply for an Israeli passport gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Population and Immigration Authority. Photo guide for passports and travel documents (Hebrew) gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Population and Immigration Authority. Procedure 3.2.0001: passport or laissez-passer for an adult (Hebrew) gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Population and Immigration Authority. Procedure 2.18.0013 with the biometric facial photo requirements leaflet (Hebrew) gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Population and Immigration Authority. Biometric passport or ID card applications at digital service stands (Hebrew) gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Issue or extend Israeli travel documents abroad gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles. Issuance of travel documents (passport), Los Angeles embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Israel in New York. Issuance of travel documents (passport), New York embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Israel, Washington. Issuance of travel documents (passport), Washington embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Israel, Washington. Request for an Israeli travel document for a minor, Washington embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta. Issuance of travel documents (passport), Atlanta embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Israel in San Francisco. Issuance of travel documents (passport), San Francisco embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. Issuance of travel documents (passport), Chicago embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Israel, London. Issuance of travel documents (passport), London embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Israel in Munich. Issuance of travel documents (passport), Munich embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Israel, Warsaw. Issuance of travel documents (passport), Warsaw embassies.gov.il. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Population and Immigration Authority before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Israel passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/israel/passport-photo