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Morocco ID card photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Morocco (Adala) for the Morocco ID card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 5 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Morocco ID card photo?

The Moroccan electronic national identity card (CNIE) needs printed photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm). Decree 2.20.521 asks for four identical, recent colour photos taken from the front on a light grey or light blue background, with the face and ears uncovered and no dark glasses. Consulates describe the background as light and ask for four photos for a first card and two for most renewals.

The CNIE (carte nationale d'identité électronique) proves a Moroccan citizen's identity and, while it is valid, Moroccan nationality. Under law 04-20 of August 2020 every Moroccan aged 16 or over must hold one, and a child under 16 can be given one at the request of a legal representative. The card is issued and renewed by the Director General of National Security (DGSN). It is valid for 10 years for holders over 12, and for at most 7 years for younger children, expiring before the child turns 12.

The photo rules are written into the implementing decree, 2.20.521 of 12 August 2020. For a first card and again for each renewal, it lists four identical, recent colour identity photographs, taken from the front, measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm, on a light grey or light blue background, with the face and ears uncovered and without dark glasses. The prints are handed in with the application; the finished card shows the holder's photo on the front and stores it in the chip.

Moroccans abroad apply through the consular service for the place where they live, or at a CNIE office in Morocco with the same documents. The Foreign Ministry's consular pages describe the background only as light (fond clair), and ask for four photos for a first card but two for a renewal.

Morocco ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Morocco (Adala):[1]

Print size3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm, 1.38 x 1.77 in)
Digital sizeNo upload: printed photos are filed with the application
BackgroundLight grey or light blue (decree 2.20.521); consulates write light background (fond clair)
ColourColour
Photo ageRecent; no exact period is set
Print qualityFour identical prints for a first card or renewal (decree); consulates take two for most renewals
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: light grey or light blue.

In the official words

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

. The validator passes white against

Décret n° 2.20.521 pris pour l'application de la loi n° 04.20 relative à la CNIE (Arabic)[1]

Key requirements

  • Face and ears uncovered

    Decree 2.20.521 asks for photographs with the face and the ears uncovered. The consular lists repeat that the face must be uncovered. Hair or a head covering must not hide your ears.

  • Light grey or light blue background

    The decree names a light grey or light blue background. The consular pages only say "light background". White is not named in the decree, so light grey or light blue is the choice that meets both texts.

  • Frontal, in colour

    The photographs must be colour pictures taken from the front, so that you face the camera directly. Black-and-white prints do not meet the decree.

  • No dark glasses

    The decree and the consular lists both require the photo to be taken without dark glasses. No further rule on clear glasses, frames or reflections is published for the CNIE.

  • Four identical prints

    The decree lists four identical photographs for a first card and for renewals. Consular pages ask for four for a first card and two for renewals after expiry, a change of address, loss or theft, or a change to civil-status details.

  • Fingerprints from age 12

    Fingerprints are taken from anyone over 12 for a first card, for a replacement after loss, theft or damage, and when a child's card is renewed on turning 12. Abroad, the consular service takes them.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use a plain light grey or light blue background
  • Keep your face and both ears uncovered
  • Face the camera straight on
  • Bring four identical colour prints for a first card
  • Check how many prints your consulate wants for a renewal
  • Bring your child to the appointment with a legal representative

Don't

  • Do not wear dark glasses
  • Do not let hair or a head covering hide your ears
  • Do not use a black-and-white photo
  • Do not mix prints from different sittings
  • Do not send someone else to file an adult's application
  • Do not reuse an old photo

Sample photos

How a Morocco ID card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 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

The decree rules out dark glasses: the identity photographs must be taken without them. The consular pages use the same wording, "sans lunettes sombres", for first cards and for replacements after loss or theft.

Nothing more is published for the CNIE about ordinary clear glasses, frames or glare. For comparison, the Interior Ministry's passport photo standard accepts only clear lenses that leave the eyes fully visible, with no reflections.

Headwear and religious dress

The decree requires the face and both ears to be uncovered in the photograph. The Foreign Ministry's consular lists for the CNIE say the face must be uncovered (le visage découvert). A head covering that hides the ears does not meet the decree's wording.

Neither text sets out a religious exception. If you usually cover your hair, arrange it so your whole face and both ears stay visible, or ask the office handling your file before you have the prints made.

Babies and children

A CNIE is compulsory from 16, but it can be issued earlier at the request of the child's legal representative, and the consular pages note that children over 12 who are applying for a passport can get a CNIE on the same terms as adults. A child's card issued before age 12 is valid for at most 7 years and must expire before the 12th birthday.

Every step for a minor's card takes place with the child present, accompanied by the legal representative, who shows their own CNIE and a document proving their status; a copy of the representative's CNIE goes into the file. Fingerprints are taken only from age 12. The decree sets no separate photo rule for children: four identical colour photos, face and ears uncovered.

The CNIE file takes printed photos only. The decree lists four photographs among the documents to hand in, and neither the decree nor the consular pages describe a photo upload. The application is filed on paper against a dated receipt, which you keep to collect the card.

Have all the prints made from the same picture so they are identical. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

In Morocco, the application is filed in person at the CNIE service covering your place of residence, against a dated receipt; the decree makes allowances for people with reduced mobility. The file includes a residence certificate from the national police, the Royal Gendarmerie or, where neither is present, the local authority, and for a first card a copy of the family book page or a civil-status record no more than three months old.

Moroccans abroad file at the consular service for the place where they live, or at a CNIE office in Morocco. Instead of a residence certificate they provide a consular registration certificate showing their address abroad. The card is collected in person, or by the legal representative for a minor, on presentation of the receipt.

How to get your Morocco ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Morocco ID card: 35 × 45 mm print, light grey or light blue background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: face and ears uncovered; light grey or light blue background; frontal, in colour; no dark glasses.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The CNIE file takes printed photos only. The decree lists four photographs among the documents to hand in, and neither the decree nor the consular pages describe a photo upload.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Morocco, the application is filed in person at the CNIE service covering your place of residence, against a dated receipt; the decree makes allowances for people with reduced mobility.

Make this photo online

Morocco ID card photo FAQ

3.5 x 4.5 cm, which is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in). The size is set by decree 2.20.521 and repeated on the Foreign Ministry's consular pages for first cards and renewals.

The decree asks for light grey or light blue. Consulates describe it only as a light background. White is not named in the decree, so a light grey or light blue background is the safer choice.

The decree lists four identical photos for a first card and for renewals. Consulates ask for four for a first card and two for renewals after expiry, a change of address, loss or theft, or a change of name, date of birth or filiation.

The decree requires the face and the ears to be uncovered. A scarf that leaves the whole face and both ears visible fits that wording; one that covers the ears does not. No separate rule for religious head coverings is published.

Not dark glasses: the decree and the consular lists both exclude them. Nothing further is published about ordinary clear glasses for the CNIE.

The published rules ask you to bring printed photographs with the application, in Morocco and at consulates. What is taken on the spot is your fingerprints: from anyone over 12 for a first card or a replacement.

Yes. They can file at their consulate or at a CNIE office in Morocco, with the same documents the consulate asks for, including the consular registration certificate that proves their residence abroad.

Related photo specifications

Other Morocco documents

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Morocco (Adala). Décret n° 2.20.521 pris pour l'application de la loi n° 04.20 relative à la CNIE (Arabic) adala.justice.gov.ma. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Morocco (Adala). Loi n° 04-20 relative à la Carte Nationale d'Identité Electronique adala.justice.gov.ma. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Morocco. Délivrance de la CNIE pour la première fois consulat.ma. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Morocco. Renouvellement de la CNIE consulat.ma. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Ministry of the Interior, Kingdom of Morocco (passeport.ma). Réglementation (CNIE and passport texts) passeport.ma. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Morocco (Adala) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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