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Moldova ID card photo requirements

The 100 × 150 mm photo rules set by Agenția Servicii Publice (Public Services Agency of Moldova) for the Moldova 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 size is the Moldova ID card photo?

You do not bring a photo for a Moldovan identity card (carte de identitate). The Public Services Agency (ASP) captures your facial image at the counter, in Moldova and at consulates, against a white background. The only print it names is 10 x 15 cm, colour, matte, on white, for a seriously ill person in hospital. ASP publishes no 3 x 4 cm format.

Moldovan identity cards are issued by the Public Services Agency (Agenția Servicii Publice, ASP). Since 31 March 2025 the agency has issued the carte de identitate, and the older buletin cards issued before that date stay valid until they expire. Citizens living in Moldova must hold an identity card from the age of 14, and it also serves as a travel document under international agreements. Its electronic storage holds the facial image and the fingerprints of the holder.

The photo is not something you bring. ASP states that when the application is lodged, the applicant undergoes facial image capture and, where applicable, fingerprinting. Its guidance for applicants speaks of a graphic workstation and says identity photographs are taken against a white background. Moldovan embassies and consulates work the same way: in March 2025 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received 40 biometric data collection devices for its missions, which collect photos, fingerprints and electronic signatures. The only photo size ASP names is 10 x 15 cm, for the narrow case of a seriously ill person in hospital. A 3 x 4 cm format does not appear on ASP's pages.

Moldova ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Agenția Servicii Publice (Public Services Agency of Moldova):[1]

Print sizeNo print needed: the photo is taken at the office. Hospital case only: 10 x 15 cm, colour, matte print
Digital sizeNo digital file: the facial image is captured at the counter
Head heightAt least 70% of the photo height; hair may take up to 10% of the height (ASP technical requirements)
BackgroundWhite (identity photographs are taken against a white background)
ColourColour
Photo ageHospital-case print: recent, no period given
Print qualityHospital-case print only: matte finish; no other print rules are published
Pixels when printed1181 × 1772 px at 300 dpi · 2362 × 3543 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
100 mm150 mm
100 × 150 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: white.

Key requirements

  • The office takes the photo

    ASP says the applicant is put through facial image capture when the application is lodged, with fingerprints taken where they apply. For a standard application the applicant supplies no print, whether at an ASP office or at a Moldovan mission abroad.

  • White background, so no white clothes

    Identity photographs are taken against a white background. ASP advises solid colours that are not white, and a higher collar for people with a long neck, because after cropping the clothing may not show in the picture.

  • Head at least 70% of the height

    ASP's technical requirements reserve up to 10% of the photo height for hair and do not let the head fall below 70% of the height. A low neckline is discouraged because the head must take up two thirds of the photo area.

  • Whole face visible

    The facial oval must be completely visible, so a fringe must not cover the eyebrows. ASP also advises against striking make-up and excessively large hair accessories.

  • Glasses only if worn permanently

    Glasses are accepted only for people who wear them all the time. The lenses must be transparent with no glare, the frames must not obscure or distort the outline of the face, and the eyes must be clearly visible.

  • Special cases: hospital and facial injuries

    For an immobilised or seriously ill applicant in a medical institution, ASP's list includes one recent 10 x 15 cm colour matte photo on white. Its guidance adds that for such people, and for serious facial injuries or a face bandage, the image can come from the State Population Register on a medical certificate.

  • Children follow the adult rules

    A child's facial image must meet the adult requirements. For children under 11, a head of up to 50% of the photo height is accepted if needed to keep the image sharp and undistorted. Eyes open, mouth closed, gaze straight ahead.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Wear a solid colour that is not white
  • Keep your fringe clear of your eyebrows
  • Remove hats and caps unless they are for religious or medical reasons
  • Wear glasses only if you wear them all the time, with clear lenses and no glare
  • Keep your hands clean and your nails short enough for fingerprinting
  • Bring medical documents if surgery, scars or tattoos have changed your face since your last document
  • Bring a child to the counter, where a parent lodges the application

Don't

  • Do not wear white clothes against the white background
  • Do not come in uniform, because photographs in uniform are prohibited
  • Do not wear a low neckline, as the clothing may vanish when the image is cropped
  • Do not style your hair very high or very voluminous
  • Do not wear striking make-up or oversized hair accessories

Sample photos

How a Moldova ID card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 100 × 150 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

ASP accepts glasses in the photograph only for people who wear them permanently. The lenses must be transparent and free of glare. The glasses and frames must not obscure or distort the contour of the face, and the eyes must be clearly visible.

Headwear and religious dress

The head must be uncovered. ASP makes an exception for religious and medical circumstances: the applicant presents supporting medical documents where they apply, and the written approval of the head of the identity-document service (SEAI) is needed. Photographs in uniform are prohibited.

Babies and children

A parent lodges the application for a child, and the child must be present, at any identity-document service point, including the multifunctional centres of ASP. The child's facial image follows the adult requirements; for children under 11 a head of up to 50% of the photo height is accepted where it is needed to avoid distortion. Children under 12 are exempt from giving fingerprints.

No digital upload is described on ASP's pages, because the image is captured live at the counter.

For the hospital case ASP gives a print size of 10 x 15 cm (100 x 150 mm, or 3.94 x 5.91 inches), in colour, matte, on a white background, and asks for a recent photograph without stating an age limit. A digital photo can be cropped to that size and printed at a photo counter; the common 4x6 inch print is only slightly larger.

Where to submit the photo

In Moldova, apply at the subdivisions of ASP, which include its multifunctional centres. Abroad, apply at a Moldovan diplomatic mission or consular office; if there is none in your country of residence, any mission can take the application.

The embassy in Washington, as one example, works by appointment, one applicant per appointment, and one appointment covers an identity card and a passport requested together. Its list of documents for the card contains no photograph.

How to get your Moldova ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Moldova ID card: 100 × 150 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the office takes the photo; white background, so no white clothes; head at least 70% of the height; whole face visible.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. No digital upload is described on ASP's pages, because the image is captured live at the counter.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Moldova, apply at the subdivisions of ASP, which include its multifunctional centres. Abroad, apply at a Moldovan diplomatic mission or consular office; if there is none in your country of residence, any mission can take the application.

Make this photo online

Moldova ID card photo FAQ

No. ASP says the applicant undergoes facial image capture when the application is lodged, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has equipped missions abroad with stations that collect photos and fingerprints. The one print ASP names is for seriously ill people in hospital.

ASP's pages do not give a 3 x 4 cm size. The photo is taken at the office, so no standard print is requested. The only size on its identity card pages is 10 x 15 cm, and only for an immobilised or seriously ill applicant in a medical institution.

When the applicant is immobilised or in a serious condition, such as a coma, in a medical institution. A family member or other person acting for them hands in one recent colour photo of 10 x 15 cm, matte, on a white background, with a medical certificate.

Only if you wear them permanently. The lenses must be transparent with no glare, the frames must not obscure or distort the outline of your face, and your eyes must be clearly visible.

The head must be uncovered, except for religious and medical reasons. In those cases you present supporting medical documents where they apply, and the head of the identity-document service must give written approval. Photographs in uniform are prohibited.

A solid colour that is not white, because the photograph is taken against a white background. ASP also suggests a higher collar for a long neck and warns against low necklines, very high or voluminous hair, striking make-up and large hair accessories.

Yes. Abroad, applications are lodged at diplomatic missions and consular offices, and at any of them if your country of residence has none. The embassy in Washington requires an appointment and lists no photograph among the documents.

Related photo specifications

Other Moldova documents

Identity cards nearby

Also 100 × 150 mm

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Official sources

  1. Agenția Servicii Publice (Public Services Agency of Moldova). Carte de identitate (identity card) asp.gov.md. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Agenția Servicii Publice (Public Services Agency of Moldova). Carte de identitate provizorie (provisional identity card) asp.gov.md. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Agenția Servicii Publice (Public Services Agency of Moldova). Recomandări privind aspectul exterior al solicitantului la fotografierea pentru actele de identitate asp.gov.md. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Agenția Servicii Publice (Public Services Agency of Moldova). Eliberarea pașaportului (passport issuance) asp.gov.md. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova. Modernization and Digitization of Consular Services for Moldovan Citizens Abroad mfa.gov.md. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Republic of Moldova to the United States of America. National ID cards (Embassy in Washington) sua.mfa.gov.md. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Agenția Servicii Publice (Public Services Agency of Moldova) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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