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Somalia ID card photo requirements

The photo rules set by National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia for the Somalia ID card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 9 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What are the Somalia ID card photo requirements?

NIRA, the National Identification and Registration Authority, captures your photograph itself at registration, together with fingerprints taken as a 4-4-2 scan, so no applicant photo size is published and none is listed among the documents. The federal service page lists a valid passport or birth certificate and proof of payment. A valid card has been required for passport applications since 1 September 2025.

Somalia's national ID card is issued by NIRA, the National Identification and Registration Authority, which was established under the Identification and Registration Act (Law No. 009 of March 2023). Every registered person receives a unique 11-digit National Identification Number. NIRA then provides an ID certificate, a digital mobile ID or a physical ID card linked to that number. The physical card shows the holder's photograph, among other details.

NIRA describes the process in stages: an application with biographic data, identity proofing, biometric capture, validation and deduplication, and issuance. The biometric stage is where the photo comes from. In NIRA's words, applicants' biometric data, including fingerprints (4-4-2 scan) and a photograph, are captured at registration. The federal service page lists the documents as a valid passport or birth certificate and proof of payment, with no photograph among them.

This matters for passports as well. The Immigration and Citizenship Agency says a valid National ID Card is mandatory for all Somali passport applications from 1 September 2025, and recommends registering with NIRA first. NIRA registration uses fixed enrolment centres, mobile units and, for the diaspora, planned centres at Somali embassies and consulates.

Somalia ID card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia:[1]

Print sizeNo applicant photo size published; NIRA captures the photograph at registration
Digital sizeNo upload channel for the photo; the photograph is captured at the registration centre
BackgroundNot published; the photograph is captured by NIRA staff at registration
Print qualityNo printed photo is listed among the documents (passport or birth certificate, proof of payment)

In the official words

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

In this step, applicants' biometric data, including fingerprints (4-4-2 scan) and a photograph, are captured.

National ID Registration[1]

Key requirements

  • The photograph is captured at registration

    NIRA's registration page lists biometric data capture as one stage of the process: fingerprints (4-4-2 scan) and a photograph. Biometric deduplication then checks that each person is unique. The photo on the card is therefore the one captured at the registration centre.

  • No photo among the documents

    The federal government's page for the National ID Card lists a valid passport or birth certificate and proof of payment as documents needed, and the steps as filling out the request form and paying the fee. The text of NIRA's application form has no photo field.

  • Witnesses can vouch for identity

    If you have no documents, NIRA allows testimonial verification: a witness who is registered in the system and has trusted status in the community, such as a government employee or community leader, can vouch for you.

  • Pre-registration and appointments

    NIRA's TIRSI platform offers pre-registration to fill in your details before visiting a registration centre, an appointment booking service, a centre finder and ID tracking. It does not ask for a photo in the descriptions read.

  • Where to register

    NIRA says it has fixed enrolment centres in major cities and regions, and mobile units for remote areas. It is also setting up enrolment centres in Somali embassies and consulates so that the diaspora can register.

  • Needed for a passport

    The Immigration and Citizenship Agency made a valid National ID Card mandatory for passport applications from 1 September 2025, announced on 6 August 2025. The Washington embassy asks for proof of a NIRA ID application.

  • Card details

    NIRA's features page says the ID has a 10-year validity period and carries biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition, a photograph for easy verification, a QR code and machine-readable data.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Pre-register on NIRA's TIRSI platform and book an appointment before visiting a centre.
  • Bring a valid passport or birth certificate, and your proof of payment.
  • Attend the centre in person so your photograph and fingerprints can be captured.
  • Register with NIRA before you apply for a passport.
  • Ask about the witness route if you have no documents.

Don't

  • Do not prepare a passport-size print for the card: no page read asks for one.
  • Do not expect to upload a photo online; NIRA captures it at registration.
  • Do not use a photo size taken from another country's ID card.
  • Do not delay registration if you plan to apply for a passport.

Glasses

No rule on glasses is published, and none is needed in advance, because NIRA staff capture the photograph at the registration centre. If you wear glasses or a head covering, ask the centre how it wants you to appear before the capture. NIRA lists facial recognition among the biometric data stored with the card.

Babies and children

The pages read for this guide give no minimum age for registration and no separate photo rule for children. NIRA says its process is meant to be accessible and inclusive, with assistance for people who face challenges completing an application, and with forms in Somali, Arabic and English. Contact NIRA or your nearest centre about registering a child.

Neither is needed from you. NIRA captures the photograph at registration, and the card or the digital ID later shows it. The federal service page lists no photo among the documents, and no page read offers a photo upload for the national ID.

If an office or employer asks for a separate passport-size photo for another purpose, that office sets its own size. A digital photo can be cropped and resized, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

Register in person at a NIRA centre. The federal service page gives the method of applying as in person, and says to fill out the request form and pay the fee. NIRA says forms are available in Somali, Arabic and English, and its TIRSI platform lets you fill in your details in advance and book an appointment.

Abroad, NIRA says it is establishing enrolment centres at Somali embassies and consulates. The embassy in Washington runs a joint passport and NIRA ID appointment system.

How to get your Somalia ID card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Somalia ID card. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the photograph is captured at registration; no photo among the documents; witnesses can vouch for identity; pre-registration and appointments.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Neither is needed from you. NIRA captures the photograph at registration, and the card or the digital ID later shows it. The federal service page lists no photo among the documents, and no page read offers a photo upload for the national ID.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Register in person at a NIRA centre. The federal service page gives the method of applying as in person, and says to fill out the request form and pay the fee.

Make this photo online

Somalia ID card photo FAQ

No published rule asks you to bring one. NIRA says a photograph is captured with your fingerprints at registration, and the federal service page lists a valid passport or birth certificate and proof of payment as the documents needed.

No applicant photo size is published, because the photograph is captured by NIRA at the registration centre. A 4 x 6 cm print has no official basis on the pages read.

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), established under the Identification and Registration Act of March 2023. It issues a unique 11-digit National Identification Number and an ID certificate, digital ID or physical card.

No upload step is described. NIRA's TIRSI platform offers pre-registration of your details, appointment booking and tracking, and the biometric stage, including the photograph, takes place at a registration centre.

Yes. The Immigration and Citizenship Agency says a valid National ID Card is mandatory for all passport applications from 1 September 2025. The Washington embassy asks for proof of a NIRA ID application.

NIRA's features page says the ID has a validity period of 10 years, after which it must be renewed and the biometric data updated.

NIRA says it is establishing enrolment centres in Somali embassies and consulates for the diaspora. The Washington embassy runs a joint passport and NIRA ID appointment system. Check whether your embassy offers it.

Related photo specifications

Other Somalia documents

Identity cards nearby

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Official sources

  1. National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia. National ID Registration nira.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia. Registration nira.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia. Features of the SNID nira.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia. Background nira.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia. TIRSI - Unified platform for ID services tirsi.nira.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Federal Republic of Somalia. National ID Card somalia.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Federal Republic of Somalia / NIRA. National ID request form somalia.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia. National ID Card Now Required for Passport Applications immigration.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Washington. Passport and NIRA ID Application usa.mfa.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Somalia before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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