Independent reference to official photo rules

Not affiliated with any government. Always confirm with the issuing authority before you apply.

WorldPhotoSpecsOfficial photo rules for every country

Identity cards

Qatar ID card photo requirements

The 38 × 48 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar for the Qatar ID card, with the official wording and sources.

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

Rate this page

Quick answer

What size is the Qatar ID card photo?

The Ministry of Interior (MOI) issues the Qatar ID card (QID) to citizens and residents. For a new Qatari card, applicants under 12 and over 65 bring two recent passport-size photos, and anyone older than 12 must attend in person; renewals need two photos and the old card. The MOI residence permit form asks for a 38 x 48 mm colour photo, printed as "4.8 x 3.8", whose background must not be white.

The Qatar ID card, or QID, is issued by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) under Law No. 37 of 2005 on identity cards. Qatari citizens apply to the ministry's Nationality and Travel Documents Department, which also serves GCC citizens living in Qatar. Foreign residents get their card through the residence permit process of the General Directorate of Passports, where the Expatriates Affairs Department issues ID numbers and ID cards to expatriates and issues, renews and cancels residence permits.

The card is now a smart QID. According to the MOI, a citizen can travel to Saudi Arabia on the new smart card, though not on the old one, and must come back on the same document used to leave. Photos reach the ministry in two forms. Some applicants hand in printed passport-size photos or glue one onto a paper form, and the Expatriates Affairs Department collects biometric samples from expatriates: an eye print, a face image and fingerprints.

Qatar ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar:[1]

Print size38 x 48 mm (printed "4.8 x 3.8") on the MOI residence permit form; for citizens the MOI says only "passport-size"
Digital sizeNone published: the MOI asks for printed photos, pasted onto the form
BackgroundMust not be white (MOI residence permit form); no colour is given for citizens' cards
ColourColour photo (MOI residence permit form)
Photo ageRecent, for a new citizen's card (MOI); no time limit is published
Print qualityGlued to the form, not pinned (MOI residence permit form)
Pixels when printed449 × 567 px at 300 dpi · 898 × 1134 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
38 mm48 mm
38 × 48 mm photo drawn to scale.

In the official words

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

Back ground of the photo should not be white

Residence permit application form for investors and property owners (PDF)[7]

Key requirements

  • Background must not be white

    The General Directorate of Passports prints its photo rules beside the photo box of its residence permit application for investors and property owners: "Back ground of the photo should not be white". No other MOI page read states a background colour for a QID photo.

  • Colour, 38 x 48 mm

    The same form asks for a colour photo, size "4.8 x 3.8". The photo box is drawn taller than it is wide, so the photo is 38 mm wide and 48 mm high.

  • Glue the photo, do not pin it

    The form tells applicants to paste the photo up rather than pin it to the page.

  • Photos for under-12s and over-65s

    For a new Qatari ID card, the MOI asks for two recent passport-size photos from applicants younger than 12 and older than 65.

  • In person from age 12

    Applicants older than 12 must attend personally for a new card. Renewal applicants must attend as well, except those over 65, and they bring their old ID card and two passport-size photos.

  • Residents: a photo with the first permit

    The MOI's requirements for a first-time residence permit include a photo of the employee, the original passport, the application form signed by the sponsor and a blood group certificate.

  • Fingerprints from age 16

    The residence permit form adds that anyone over 16 must visit the Criminal Evidences and Information Department to be fingerprinted.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use a background that is not white for MOI residence forms
  • Glue the photo into the photo box
  • Bring two passport-size photos and the old card when you renew a Qatari ID
  • Bring a blood group certificate for a first ID card
  • Give a child under 12 two recent photos and copies of both parents' ID cards

Don't

  • Do not pin or staple the photo to the form
  • Do not send a white-background photo with a residence permit form
  • Do not expect someone else to renew for you unless you are over 65
  • Do not hand in black-and-white photos where the form asks for colour

Sample photos

How a Qatar ID card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 38 × 48 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.

Headwear and religious dress

The MOI publishes no rule on head coverings for QID photos. Its requirements for citizens' cards, its residence permit service pages and the residence permit form describe the number of photos, their colour, size and background, and are silent on the ghutra, agal, hijab and every other kind of headwear.

The one colour rule, that the photo background must not be white, concerns the backdrop. If you wear a head covering, ask the service centre handling your card what it accepts.

Babies and children

For a citizen under 12, the application for a new card needs two recent passport-size photos, the original passport and a copy, a blood group certificate, a birth certificate copy, copies of both parents' ID cards and parental consent. Once a child is older than 12, he or she has to come in person.

On the MOI form for investors and property owners, a residence permit for a spouse, child or parent is applied for with a copy of the sponsor's valid ID. Children over 16 also have to be fingerprinted at the Criminal Evidences and Information Department.

The QID photo rules the MOI publishes are all about prints: photos handed in at a service centre, or glued into the photo box of a paper form. The ministry gives no pixel size, file size or file format for an ID photo.

Residents can renew a residence permit on the Metrash2 app or the MOI e-services portal as well as in person. The MOI's renewal requirements, a signed and stamped form, the fees, the original passport and the sponsor's establishment or personal ID, do not include a photo. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut to 38 x 48 mm.

Where to submit the photo

Citizens apply at the Nationality and Travel Documents Department, at its main office in Al Gharrafa or at one of its branch centres.

Residents apply for a first residence permit at MOI Services Centres and the Expatriates Affairs Department. Workers sponsored by a company also need a labour contract attested by the Labour Department and a copy of the company's establishment ID. Renewals go to the same offices, or online through Metrash2 and the MOI e-services portal.

How to get your Qatar ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Qatar ID card: 38 × 48 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: background must not be white; colour, 38 x 48 mm; glue the photo, do not pin it; photos for under-12s and over-65s.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The QID photo rules the MOI publishes are all about prints: photos handed in at a service centre, or glued into the photo box of a paper form. The ministry gives no pixel size, file size or file format for an ID photo.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Citizens apply at the Nationality and Travel Documents Department, at its main office in Al Gharrafa or at one of its branch centres. Residents apply for a first residence permit at MOI Services Centres and the Expatriates Affairs Department.

Make this photo online

Qatar ID card photo FAQ

The MOI residence permit form gives the size as 4.8 x 3.8, in a photo box drawn taller than it is wide, so the photo is 38 mm wide and 48 mm high. For citizens' cards the MOI asks for passport-size photos without stating dimensions.

Not on MOI residence permit forms. The General Directorate of Passports prints "Back ground of the photo should not be white" next to the photo box. The MOI gives no background colour for citizens' cards.

Yes. The MOI asks for two passport-size photos and your old ID card, and you must attend in person. Applicants over 65 do not have to come themselves.

Yes, if the child is under 12: the application for a new card needs two recent passport-size photos, along with parental consent and copies of the parents' ID cards. From the age of 12, the applicant attends in person.

Yes. The MOI says residence permit renewal is also available on the Metrash2 app and the MOI e-services portal, besides the Expatriates Affairs Department and MOI Services Centres. Its renewal requirements do not list a photo.

The MOI has not published a rule either way. Its QID requirements and residence permit form cover the number of photos, colour, size and background only. Ask the service centre before you have the photo taken.

Citizens can travel to Saudi Arabia with the new smart QID, according to the MOI, but not with the old card. You must return on the same document you left with, whether that is the smart card or the passport.

Related photo specifications

Other Qatar documents

Identity cards nearby

Was this page helpful?

No ratings yet. Be the first to rate this page.

Official sources

  1. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Nationality and Travel Documents Department: services and requirements portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Nationality and Travel Documents Department: introduction portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Travel with QID portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Expatriates Affairs Department: functions portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. First Time Residence Permit portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Residence Permit Renewal portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Ministry of Interior, General Directorate of Passports. Residence permit application form for investors and property owners (PDF) portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

Categories: