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Jordan ID card photo requirements

The photo rules set by Civil Status and Passports Department for the Jordan ID card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What are the Jordan ID card photo requirements?

CSPD publishes no print size for the smart ID card, because the registration officer at the civil status office takes your photo along with your fingerprints and signature. First-time applicants and people replacing a lost card must also bring a recent colour personal photo; renewals need none. You apply in person in Jordan only, as embassies cannot issue or renew the card. Its photo checks follow CSPD's ICAO 9303 guide.

The smart civil status card is the national identity card of Jordanian citizens, issued by the Civil Status and Passports Department of the Ministry of Interior. CSPD accepts the application only from the card holder in person, and applicants under 16 need their guardian's approval. The card also opens other services: online passport renewal, for example, needs a smart card with the hand fingerprint activated from the age of 16.

The card photo is captured at the office. After the clerk checks your form against the system and you pay, the file passes to the registration officer, who takes your fingerprints, your photo and your signature and sends the print order to the printing centres electronically. A text message tells you when the card is ready, and it is handed over once your fingerprint has been verified and you have entered the card's PIN.

A photo you bring is needed only in some cases. CSPD's English FAQ says to bring a personal photo for a first card and for a replacement of a lost card, and the renewal service lists no photo. Living abroad does not change this: the London embassy says consulates cannot issue or renew the card, and the Washington embassy has citizens sign a pledge to get the smart card on their first visit to Jordan.

Jordan ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Civil Status and Passports Department:[1]

Print sizeNo print size published: CSPD photographs you at the office; first or lost cards also need a recent colour photo
Digital sizeNo digital file: the photo is captured at the civil status office
BackgroundNot published for the card; CSPD's ICAO-based guide wants a plain background of one colour
ColourColour (the photo brought for a first card must be in colour)
Photo ageRecent (Arabic service page: one recent colour photo)

Key requirements

  • In person, in Jordan

    CSPD accepts smart card applications only from the person concerned, in person. There is no online or embassy channel for the card itself.

  • The office takes the photo

    The Arabic service guide sends you to the registration officer for fingerprints and the photo, followed by your signature. The English guide for a first card also lists iris photography.

  • Bring a print for a first or lost card

    A first card needs a recent colour personal photo: the Arabic service page asks for one, the English page for two. CSPD's FAQ adds a replacement for a lost card as the other case that needs a photo.

  • No photo to renew

    The renewal list is the card form, the card being renewed, and approval letters or bridge cards where they apply. If the photo on your current card is unclear, bring a passport or a first-degree relative to confirm your identity.

  • ICAO-based checks at the camera

    CSPD's photo guide checks for open eyes, a head facing the camera, a neutral mouth, a plain background of one colour, even light and no red eye.

  • Guardian approval under 16

    Applicants under 16 need their guardian's approval. A first-time applicant also proves identity with the testimony of an adult family member.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Apply in person at a civil status office in Jordan
  • Bring a recent colour photo for a first card or a lost-card replacement
  • Carry your passport if the photo on your old card is unclear
  • Face the camera with your eyes open and mouth closed
  • Bring your guardian's approval if you are under 16

Don't

  • Do not expect a Jordanian embassy to issue or renew the card
  • Do not wear sunglasses or coloured contact lenses at the camera
  • Do not wear a cap or hat unless the covering is religious
  • Do not smile or open your mouth for the capture
  • Do not let your hair fall across your eyes

Glasses

Because CSPD staff take the card photo, the department's ICAO-based photo guide sets the eye checks. Both eyes must be fully open. Glasses are accepted only if they are medical glasses whose frames leave the pupils clear, and neither sunglasses nor coloured contact lenses may be worn.

The guide also screens for reflections of the camera light and for red eye, so a lens glare on the capture can fail the check.

Headwear and religious dress

For the card photo, CSPD allows a head covering only when it is worn for religious reasons, and its rejected examples include a cap and a sun hat. A hijab is acceptable as long as the whole face is visible.

A covering over the face fails, and so does a scarf that casts a shadow on it. The guide's contrast check wants the features lit evenly, with no detail hidden.

Babies and children

The service guide sets no minimum age, but an applicant under 16 needs the guardian's approval, and a first card for anyone needs proof of identity backed by an adult family member. Like adults, children are photographed at the office.

CSPD's guide has its own checks for children's photos: the face must point at the camera with the mouth closed, and the child must be alone in the frame, without a toy or another person in the background.

There is no upload for the ID card and no digital photo to send. The card photo is taken at the civil status office. The only print involved is the colour photo that first-time and lost-card applicants bring.

CSPD publishes no size or background for that print. The Arabic service page asks for one recent colour personal photo and the English page for two. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

Go to a civil status office in Jordan. At the public service desk you fill in the ID card form and take a queue number; the acceptance clerk checks your details, the office secretary approves the application and you pay the cashier. The registration officer then takes your fingerprints, photo and signature. CSPD sends a text message when the card is ready.

Citizens abroad cannot apply through an embassy. London tells them to visit a civil status office during their next trip to Jordan, and the Washington embassy's forms include a pledge to issue the smart card on the first visit.

How to get your Jordan ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Jordan ID card. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: in person, in Jordan; the office takes the photo; bring a print for a first or lost card; no photo to renew.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. There is no upload for the ID card and no digital photo to send. The card photo is taken at the civil status office. The only print involved is the colour photo that first-time and lost-card applicants bring.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Go to a civil status office in Jordan. At the public service desk you fill in the ID card form and take a queue number; the acceptance clerk checks your details, the office secretary approves the application and you pay the cashier.

Make this photo online

Jordan ID card photo FAQ

CSPD publishes no size, because the registration officer photographs you at the civil status office. If you are applying for your first card or replacing a lost one, you also bring a recent colour personal photo, but no dimensions or background colour are given for it.

No. The renewal service lists the form, the card being renewed and any approval letters, but no photo; your new photo is taken at the office. If the photo on your old card is unclear, bring a passport or a first-degree relative to prove your identity.

No. The London embassy states that consulates cannot issue or renew the civil status ID card and asks citizens to visit a civil status office on their next trip to Jordan. The Washington embassy asks applicants to pledge to get the card on their first visit.

Yes. CSPD's photo guide allows a head covering for religious reasons only, with the face fully visible. Hats and caps are rejected, as is any covering that hides or shades the face.

CSPD's online passport renewal requires a smart ID card for applicants aged 16 and over, with the hand fingerprint activated on the card. The fingerprint is also used when a courier delivers the passport.

The service guide sets no minimum age. Applicants under 16 need their guardian's approval, and the child is photographed at the office like an adult, facing the camera with the mouth closed.

Related photo specifications

Other Jordan documents

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Official sources

  1. Civil Status and Passports Department. Issuing a Smart ID Card (for the first time) cspd.gov.jo. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Civil Status and Passports Department. Smart civil status card, first issue (Arabic service guide) cspd.gov.jo. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Civil Status and Passports Department. Renewing the smart civil status card (Arabic service guide) cspd.gov.jo. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Civil Status and Passports Department. Frequently asked questions cspd.gov.jo. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Civil Status and Passports Department. ICAO specifications for the personal photo (photo guide based on ICAO 9303) cspd.gov.jo. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. Issuing or renewing the civil status ID card (London embassy) mfa.gov.jo. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Washington. First Jordanian passport: instructions and forms, including the smart card pledge (Washington) mfa.gov.jo. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Civil Status and Passports Department before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Jordan ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/jordan/id-card-photo

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