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Qatar visa photo requirements

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

Based on 13 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Qatar visa photo?

There is no single Qatar visa photo standard. Tourists apply on the Hayya platform or get a visa on arrival, and neither publishes photo specifications. Qatari embassies taking paper applications usually ask for two photos: Singapore wants 3.8 x 4.8 cm (38 x 48 mm) with a coloured background, Kuwait 4 x 6 cm, and Washington 2 x 2 inches for tourist visas. Workers hired from countries with a Qatar Visa Centre give biometrics there.

Entry visas for Qatar are issued by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) through its General Directorate of Passports. For tourists the ministry points to the Hayya platform, which handles the tourist e-visa and the entry visas for GCC residents, for companions of GCC citizens and for holders of an Electronic Travel Authorization. Citizens of more than 95 countries can get a visa on arrival instead, and GCC nationals need no visa at all, only a passport or GCC ID.

Family visit visas are requested by the resident host through the Metrash2 app. Work visas are sponsored by the employer, and the MOI requires workers to pass a medical test before they come to Qatar. Since the first Qatar Visa Centre opened in Colombo in October 2018, workers in countries with a centre complete their biometrics, medical examination and electronic contract signing there. Qatari embassies still accept paper applications for several visa types, and their consular pages are where most visa photo rules appear.

Qatar visa photo size and specifications

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

Print size38 x 48 mm (3.8 x 4.8 cm) at the Qatari Embassy in Singapore; Kuwait asks 4 x 6 cm, Washington 2 x 2 in
Digital sizeNone published for Hayya or Metrash2; Qatari embassies take printed photos
BackgroundColoured (Qatari Embassy in Singapore); not white on the MOI investor residence visa form
ColourColour (Qatari Embassy in Washington: "colored passport size photos")
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:

Two photos of the applicant size (4.8 x 3.8) with colored background

Consular Services (visas)[8]

). The MOI investor/property residence form says

Consular Services (visas)[8]

Key requirements

  • Hayya publishes no photo standard

    The MOI sends tourist visa applicants to the Hayya platform. Neither Hayya's public pages nor the MOI visa pages give a photo size, background or file format for it, so follow the instructions on the application screen.

  • No photo for a visa on arrival

    The MOI lists what a visa on arrival needs: a passport with at least three months' validity, a confirmed onward or return ticket, and compulsory health insurance. A photo is not among them.

  • Two photos at an embassy

    The visa sections of Qatari embassy websites list "Two photos of the applicant" for official, business, visit, transit and joint tourist visas, mostly without a size or colour.

  • The size depends on the mission

    Where a size is given, it differs: 4.8 x 3.8 in Singapore for business, visit and transit visas, 4 x 6 cm in Kuwait, and 2 x 2 inches in Washington for tourist visas.

  • Coloured, not white

    The Qatari Embassy in Singapore asks for photos "with colored background". The MOI form for investor and property owner residence visas says the background should not be white.

  • Family visits run on documents

    For a family visit visa through Metrash2, the MOI asks the host to upload the visitor's passport copy, valid for at least six months, a document proving the relationship and proof of family accommodation. It lists no photo.

  • Workers: biometrics at a Qatar Visa Centre

    Applicants who already have initial approval for an entry visa register their biometrics, have their medical examination and sign their contract electronically at a Qatar Visa Centre, in the countries where one operates.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Find out which channel your visa goes through before printing photos
  • Ask the embassy for its size when its page gives none
  • Use a coloured background for the Qatari Embassy in Singapore
  • Take two photos to an embassy unless it asks for another number
  • Travel on a passport valid for at least three months after arrival

Don't

  • Do not use the Qatari passport size (3.5 x 4.8 cm, grey) for a visa
  • Do not use a white background on the MOI investor residence visa form
  • Do not print photos for a visa on arrival
  • Do not assume one embassy's size applies at another

Sample photos

How a Qatar visa 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

None of the visa channels publishes a rule on head coverings. The Hayya platform, the MOI visa pages and the visa sections of Qatari embassy websites say how many photos to bring and, at a few missions, what size and background to use, but nothing about religious or traditional headwear such as the hijab or ghutra.

If you wear a head covering for religious reasons and need printed photos, ask the embassy handling your application what it accepts.

Which you need depends on the channel. Hayya e-visa and Metrash2 family visit applications are made online, and the MOI's Metrash2 requirements are uploads of documents such as the visitor's passport copy. Neither publishes a pixel size or file format for a photo.

Qatari embassies want printed photos with a paper application: 3.8 x 4.8 cm on a coloured background in Singapore, 4 x 6 cm in Kuwait and 2 x 2 inches for tourist visas in Washington. At a Qatar Visa Centre, biometrics are registered on site. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut to the size your mission asks for.

Where to submit the photo

Tourist and GCC-resident visas: the Hayya platform or the Hayya mobile app. Family visits: the resident host applies through Metrash2. Embassy visas: the visa section of the Qatari embassy in your country, which may also ask for an application form.

Work visas: the employer applies in Qatar, and where a Qatar Visa Centre operates the worker completes biometrics, the medical examination and contract signing there. The MOI's online visa services let you follow an approval, look up and print an issued visa, and link to the Qatar Visa Center to track applications made there.

How to get your Qatar visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Qatar visa: 38 × 48 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: hayya publishes no photo standard; no photo for a visa on arrival; two photos at an embassy; the size depends on the mission.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Which you need depends on the channel. Hayya e-visa and Metrash2 family visit applications are made online, and the MOI's Metrash2 requirements are uploads of documents such as the visitor's passport copy.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Tourist and GCC-resident visas: the Hayya platform or the Hayya mobile app. Family visits: the resident host applies through Metrash2. Embassy visas: the visa section of the Qatari embassy in your country, which may also ask for an application form.

Make this photo online

Qatar visa photo FAQ

It depends on where you apply. The Qatari Embassy in Singapore asks for 4.8 x 3.8 photos (38 mm wide, 48 mm high) with a coloured background, the embassy in Kuwait asks for 4 x 6 cm, and the embassy in Washington wants 2 x 2 inch photos with tourist visa applications. Hayya publishes no size.

No. The MOI lists a passport with at least three months' validity, a confirmed onward or return ticket and compulsory health insurance, plus vehicle insurance if you arrive by road. A photo is not on that list.

The MOI directs tourist visa applicants to the Hayya platform, but neither Hayya's public pages nor the MOI publish photo specifications for it. Follow the instructions on the Hayya application screen when you upload your documents.

The MOI's work visa requirements list attested certificates, a police clearance certificate, an employment contract and a medical test passed abroad, not photos. Where a Qatar Visa Centre operates, workers register their biometrics there. After arrival, the first residence permit application asks for a photo of the employee.

The MOI's Metrash2 requirements for a family visit visa are uploads of the visitor's passport copy, valid for at least six months, a document proving the relationship and proof of family accommodation in the host's name. A photo is not listed.

The Qatari Embassy in Singapore asks for a coloured background for business, visit and transit visas, and the MOI form for investor and property owner residence visas says the background should not be white. Other channels do not state a colour.

The MOI's online Visa Inquiry and Printing service lets you look up an issued visa by its number and print or reprint it. A separate MOI service follows the approval of a visa application by its application number.

Related photo specifications

Other Qatar documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Qatar Visit Visas portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Tourist Visa portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Family Visit portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Work Visa on Company Sponsorship portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. Visa Services (inquiry, printing, Qatar Visa Center tracking) portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar. First Time Residence Permit portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Ministry of Interior, General Directorate of Passports. Application for entry visa for residence for investor or property owner (PDF) portal.moi.gov.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  8. Embassy of the State of Qatar, Singapore. Consular Services (visas) singapore.embassy.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  9. Embassy of the State of Qatar, Kuwait. Services (visas) kuwait.embassy.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  10. Embassy of the State of Qatar, Washington DC. Services (tourist visa requirements) washington.embassy.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  11. Embassy of the State of Qatar, Kathmandu. Qatar Visa Centre opened in Nepal kathmandu.embassy.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  12. Embassy of the State of Qatar, Colombo. HE the Ambassador inaugurates first Qatar Visa Center in Colombo colombo.embassy.qa. Checked 1 November 2026.
  13. Hayya platform, State of Qatar. Hayya hayya.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 visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/qatar/visa-photo

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