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Saudi Arabia visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Saudi Arabia visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 4 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Saudi Arabia visa photo?

Visas applied for on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs KSA VISA platform, such as family, business and medical visits, ask for a 35 x 45 mm headshot on a plain background, uploaded as PNG or JPEG of up to 5 MB, with the head straight and a neutral expression. Invited visitors complete some visas at a Saudi mission through approved centres, and many applicants must also give fingerprints, at a consulate or through the Visa Bio app.

Apart from the tourist eVisa, Saudi visas are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kingdom's embassies and consulates. The ministry's KSA VISA platform takes applications for family and friends visits, which need a Nafath login, as well as business, medical and tourism visits. Each application includes an Upload Headshot step with its own photo guidance.

Some visits start with an invitation letter. The ministry's visa platform tells the person who obtained the letter to give its number to the visitors, so that they can complete the entry visa at the relevant Saudi mission through the approved centres once every requirement is met. Biometrics are part of the process: an application marked Fingerprint Required is finished in the Visa Bio app, and one marked Consular Visit Required needs a visit to the Saudi consulate with the passport.

Pilgrimage visas run through Nusuk, overseen by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Hajj packages and visas can only be obtained on the Nusuk Hajj platform, and Nusuk Umrah packages include the visa. Anyone who already holds an active Saudi visa may perform Umrah without applying for a new one.

Saudi Arabia visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs:[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) headshot, uploaded on the KSA VISA platform
Digital sizeNo pixel size stated; KSA VISA takes the headshot as an image file
BackgroundPlain (KSA VISA names no colour)
File sizeUp to 5 MB
File formatPNG or JPEG
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.

Key requirements

  • 35 x 45 mm headshot

    KSA VISA gives the photo size as 35 x 45 mm, a portrait shape rather than a square. Its upload tool lets you zoom and rotate the picture before you confirm it.

  • Plain background

    The platform asks for a plain background without naming a colour. A plain white wall meets that wording and also suits the white background of the tourist eVisa.

  • Head straight, neutral face

    Face the camera directly with your head straight. The English guidance adds no smile and a closed mouth; the Arabic version asks for a neutral expression.

  • Even light, no shadows

    Light the face well enough that no shadows fall on it, and dress appropriately for a visa application.

  • Fingerprints for many applicants

    When the visa status reads Fingerprint Required, the visitor enters fingerprints through the Visa Bio app; when it reads Consular Visit Required, the visitor goes to the Saudi consulate in the country of residence.

  • Hajj only through Nusuk Hajj

    Hajj packages and visas cannot be booked or obtained from any external platform. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of a country the platform serves.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Frame a 35 x 45 mm portrait headshot for KSA VISA
  • Save the photo as PNG or JPEG under 5 MB
  • Keep your head straight and your expression neutral
  • Check your visa status for Fingerprint Required or Consular Visit Required
  • Book Hajj only through the Nusuk Hajj platform

Don't

  • Do not smile or open your mouth in the headshot
  • Do not use a busy or patterned background
  • Do not upload a square 2 x 2 inch crop to KSA VISA without checking the frame
  • Do not leave shadows across your face
  • Do not apply for a new visa just to perform Umrah if you already hold an active one

Sample photos

How a Saudi Arabia visa 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

KSA VISA's headshot guidance does not mention glasses, and neither the Nusuk Hajj nor the Nusuk Umrah FAQ pages set a photo rule about them. No official page we could read for Saudi embassy, work or pilgrimage visas states whether glasses are allowed.

The guidance does require good lighting with no shadows on the face, which glare from lenses or shadows from heavy frames can spoil.

Headwear and religious dress

For visas on KSA VISA, the only clothing rule is to dress appropriately for the visa application. The platform does not mention the hijab, niqab, turban or any other head covering, and it does not say how much of the face must show beyond asking applicants to face the camera with the head straight.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's Nusuk platforms do not publish photo rules on head coverings in their FAQs either. Where a pilgrim's visa status reads Consular Visit Required, the Saudi consulate in the country of residence is the place to ask what it accepts.

Babies and children

Age limits depend on the purpose. Nusuk says Umrah is allowed for people aged five and over, while Hajj through Nusuk Hajj is open to those aged 15 and older. KSA VISA does not publish separate headshot rules for children, so a child's photo follows the same 35 x 45 mm guidance.

Up to seven family members living in the same country can be added to one Nusuk Umrah account, and the account holder pays for the package for the whole family.

KSA VISA works with an uploaded image: a 35 x 45 mm headshot in PNG or JPEG of up to 5 MB, adjusted with the platform's zoom and rotate tools. Consulates and approved centres complete some visa procedures, but no official page we could read lists printed photos for them.

This page currently produces a 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) photo. That size came from an old Saudi embassy page that no longer loads, and it does not match the 35 x 45 mm shape KSA VISA describes. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm proportions, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter if a centre asks for prints.

Where to submit the photo

Family and friends visit applications on KSA VISA require a Nafath login, while a tourism visit uses an email login on the same platform. The issued visa can be printed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform. Visitors who hold an invitation letter number complete the entry visa at the relevant Saudi mission through its approved centres.

Hajj pilgrims from served countries register and book on Nusuk Hajj, where entered data and attached files are verified before acceptance. Umrah visitors from the countries Nusuk Umrah serves buy a package there; packages come from the ministry's authorised service providers and include the visa.

How to get your Saudi Arabia visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Saudi Arabia visa: 35 × 45 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: 35 x 45 mm headshot; plain background; head straight, neutral face; even light, no shadows.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. KSA VISA works with an uploaded image: a 35 x 45 mm headshot in PNG or JPEG of up to 5 MB, adjusted with the platform's zoom and rotate tools.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Family and friends visit applications on KSA VISA require a Nafath login, while a tourism visit uses an email login on the same platform. The issued visa can be printed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform.

Make this photo online

Saudi Arabia visa photo FAQ

35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in). The platform's upload step asks for a headshot of that size on a plain background, saved as PNG or JPEG of up to 5 MB.

KSA VISA asks for a plain background and does not name a colour. A plain white background satisfies that, and it is also what the tourist eVisa portal requires.

No. KSA VISA's English guidance asks for a neutral expression with no smile and the mouth closed, and the Arabic version asks for a neutral expression.

Often, yes. Nusuk explains that a visa marked Fingerprint Required is completed by entering fingerprints in the Visa Bio app, and one marked Consular Visit Required needs a visit to the Saudi consulate with the passport.

Only through the Nusuk Hajj platform, run under the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Packages and visas cannot be obtained from any external platform, and applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of a served country and at least 15.

Not if you already hold an active Saudi visa: KSA VISA notes that you can then perform Umrah without applying for a new visa. Otherwise, Nusuk Umrah packages include visa issuance.

Related photo specifications

Other Saudi Arabia documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. KSA VISA: Upload Headshot guidance and visa services ksavisa.sa. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Visa Platform visa.mofa.gov.sa. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Nusuk, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Nusuk Umrah: Frequently Asked Questions umrah.nusuk.sa. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Nusuk, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Nusuk Hajj: Frequently Asked Questions hajj.nusuk.sa. Checked 2 November 2026.

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

Cite this page

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

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