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Saudi Arabia eVisa photo requirements

The photo rules set by Saudi eVisa portal, Ministry of Tourism for the Saudi Arabia eVisa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 3 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What are the Saudi Arabia eVisa photo requirements?

The Saudi tourist eVisa takes one digital photo of 200 x 200 pixels and 5 to 100 KB, uploaded on the official eVisa portal. Your face should fill 70% to 80% of the image, the background must be white with no pattern or shadows, and the photo may be no more than six months old. Head coverings are generally not allowed, with exceptions mainly for religious reasons if the face shows from chin to forehead.

Saudi Arabia's tourist visa is governed by the Ministry of Tourism's Tourist Visa Regulations. Article 4 offers three routes: a visa on arrival at a Saudi port for listed nationalities, an e-Visa applied for on the visitsaudi.com platform or any other electronic platform approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a visa from a Saudi diplomatic mission or the ministry's digital embassy. The multiple-entry visa is valid for one year, with stays of up to three months.

Under Article 5, every applicant fills in the online form, attaches the supporting documents and registers biometric characteristics, either during the application or on arrival. The passport must be valid for at least six months, and approved medical insurance and an address inside the Kingdom are required.

The photo is uploaded with the form. The eVisa portal at visa.visitsaudi.com, run for the Ministry of Tourism, still publishes its own photo specifications, which this page follows. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' newer KSA VISA platform also accepts tourism visit applications, and its upload step gives different guidance: a 35 x 45 mm headshot as a PNG or JPEG file.

Saudi Arabia eVisa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Saudi eVisa portal, Ministry of Tourism:[1]

Print sizeNo print: one digital photo, 200 x 200 pixels, uploaded on the eVisa portal
Digital size200 x 200 pixels (eVisa portal); KSA VISA states 35 x 45 mm and no pixel size
Head heightFace 70% to 80% of the image, or 1.4 x 1.6 in from chin to crown
BackgroundWhite, with no pattern and no shadows
Photo ageNo more than six months old
File sizeeVisa portal: 5 KB to 100 KB; KSA VISA: up to 5 MB
File formatKSA VISA: PNG or JPEG; the eVisa portal names no format

Key requirements

  • Exactly 200 x 200 pixels

    The eVisa portal asks for one photograph 200 pixels wide and 200 high, with a file size between 5 KB and 100 KB. Larger phone pictures must be cropped and compressed first.

  • Close-up of face and shoulders

    The photo shows your face and the top of your shoulders, with the face taking up 70% to 80% of the picture, or 1.4 by 1.6 inches from chin to crown. Keep the face centred and include all of a voluminous hairstyle.

  • White background, nobody else

    The background is white, without pattern or shadows, and only the applicant may appear. Group pictures and objects in the frame are refused.

  • Head square to the camera

    Do not tilt or turn your head in portrait style. Your face and eyes point straight at the camera so that both ears and cheeks can be seen.

  • Head coverings only by exception

    The portal says head wear is generally not permitted, but exceptions are possible, especially for religious reasons, provided the face is visible from the lower tip of the chin to the forehead.

  • Biometrics as well as the photo

    The regulations require tourists to register their biometric characteristics during the application or when they arrive in the Kingdom, in addition to uploading the photo.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Crop the photo to a square of 200 x 200 pixels
  • Keep the file between 5 KB and 100 KB
  • Fill 70% to 80% of the frame with your face
  • Stand in front of a plain white background with even light
  • Use a photo taken within the last six months

Don't

  • Do not upload a group picture or a photo with objects in it
  • Do not tilt or turn your head
  • Do not leave shadows on your face or on the background
  • Do not cover any part of your face from chin to forehead
  • Do not send a file larger than 100 KB to the eVisa portal

Glasses

Neither platform has a rule on glasses. The eVisa portal's photo specifications cover size, framing, background, expression and head wear but do not mention spectacles, and the headshot guidance on KSA VISA does not mention them either.

What the portal does insist on is that your facial features are clearly shown and that no shadows fall on the face, so lenses that reflect light or frames that cast shadows work against you.

Headwear and religious dress

The eVisa portal's wording is: "Generally speaking, head wear is not permitted. Exceptions are possible, especially for religious reasons. In such cases, the face must be visible from the lower tip of the chin to the forehead. No shadows should be visible on the face." The Arabic version of the page says the same.

A hijab or turban worn for religious reasons can therefore fall under the exception, as long as the whole face from chin to forehead stays visible. A niqab or any veil over the face does not meet that condition. KSA VISA only asks applicants to dress appropriately for the visa application.

Babies and children

Article 5 of the Tourist Visa Regulations says a tourist coming to the Kingdom must be at least 18 years old unless accompanied by a guardian or a safe companion. Children therefore travel on visas linked to an adult's trip.

Neither the eVisa portal nor KSA VISA publishes separate photo rules for children. A child's photo follows the same specifications: 200 x 200 pixels, a white background, the face filling 70% to 80% of the frame, and nobody else in the picture, which means a parent's hands or shoulder must not show.

The tourist eVisa is entirely digital, and no printed photo is handed in. The 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) print this page also offers is not part of the eVisa process; what counts is the square digital file of 200 x 200 pixels.

If you apply through KSA VISA instead, the upload step describes a 35 x 45 mm headshot in PNG or JPEG format up to 5 MB, and it has its own zoom and rotate tools for adjusting the picture. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to the required pixel size for either platform.

Where to submit the photo

Apply online at the Saudi eVisa portal, visa.visitsaudi.com, which sets out three steps: fill in the application, including the photo upload, pay the visa fee and get the visa online. Eligible nationalities can also use the tourism visit option on KSA VISA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs platform, which asks for an email login for that request.

Travellers on the list for a visa on arrival complete the process at passport offices or self-service machines at the Saudi port of entry. Nationalities that are not eligible for the eVisa apply through a Saudi diplomatic mission or the ministry's digital embassy, with extra documents such as a return ticket, accommodation booking and proof of funds.

How to get your Saudi Arabia eVisa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Saudi Arabia eVisa: 200 × 200 px digital file, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: exactly 200 x 200 pixels; close-up of face and shoulders; white background, nobody else; head square to the camera.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The tourist eVisa is entirely digital, and no printed photo is handed in. The 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) print this page also offers is not part of the eVisa process; what counts is the square digital file of 200 x 200 pixels.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply online at the Saudi eVisa portal, visa.visitsaudi.com, which sets out three steps: fill in the application, including the photo upload, pay the visa fee and get the visa online.

Make this photo online

Saudi Arabia eVisa photo FAQ

200 x 200 pixels, with a file size between 5 KB and 100 KB. The eVisa portal asks for one photo in which your face takes up 70% to 80% of the image, or 1.4 by 1.6 inches from chin to crown.

White. The portal says the background should be white, have no pattern and show no shadows, and that nobody else and no objects may appear in the photo.

Yes, under the portal's exception for religious reasons. Head wear is generally not permitted, but when an exception applies the face must be visible from the lower tip of the chin to the forehead, with no shadows on the face.

No more than six months. The portal asks for a photo of that age or newer so that it is an up-to-date likeness.

Common causes under the portal's rules are a file outside 5 to 100 KB, a picture that is not 200 x 200 pixels, a face too small in the frame, a non-white or patterned background, shadows, a tilted head, or other people or objects in the photo.

Not quite. KSA VISA describes a 35 x 45 mm headshot on a plain background, uploaded as PNG or JPEG up to 5 MB, with a neutral expression. The eVisa portal asks for 200 x 200 pixels and 5 to 100 KB on white.

Related photo specifications

Other Saudi Arabia documents

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Official sources

  1. Saudi eVisa portal, Ministry of Tourism. Photo Specifications visa.visitsaudi.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Tourism. Tourist Visa Regulations cdn.mt.gov.sa. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. KSA VISA: Upload Headshot guidance ksavisa.sa. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Saudi eVisa portal, Ministry of Tourism before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Saudi Arabia eVisa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/saudi-arabia/evisa-photo

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