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

Passports

Somalia passport photo requirements

The photo rules set by Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia for the Somalia passport, with the official wording and sources.

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

Rate this page

Quick answer

What are the Somalia passport photo requirements?

Somalia's Immigration and Citizenship Agency asks for two recent passport photos with an ordinary passport application and publishes no size, background or head-size rule for them. A digital photograph, fingerprints and a signature are also captured at biometric enrolment. A valid National ID card has been required since 1 September 2025. Only the service and diplomatic passport form states a white background.

Somali passports are issued by the Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA) of the Federal Government of Somalia. Its home page sets out four steps for an ordinary passport: gather your national ID, the certificate of non-criminal record, two recent passport photos and the completed form; submit the application at the headquarters in Mogadishu or a regional immigration office; attend an enrolment centre to have your fingerprints, digital photograph and signature captured; and collect the passport in person.

Two rule changes shape the process. The ICA announced on 6 August 2025 that, from 1 September 2025, every passport applicant must already hold a valid National ID Card, issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA). On 15 January 2026 it announced a new passport for 2026 with enhanced security features, and said current passports remain valid. Abroad, the Somali embassy in Washington asks for proof of a NIRA ID application and takes appointments only.

The photo rule is short. The ICA services page and the federal government's service page both ask for two recent passport photos and give no size, background colour or head size. A white background appears only on the separate online form for service and diplomatic passports, which is not the ordinary passport.

Somalia passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia:[1]

Print sizeNot published: "two recent passport photographs"; no dimensions on the ICA or federal service pages
Digital sizeNo file rules for ordinary passports; a digital photograph is captured at biometric enrolment
BackgroundNot published for ordinary passports; white for service and diplomatic passports (online form)
Photo ageRecent; no period is published
File sizeService and diplomatic passports, online form only: PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 10 MB each
Print qualityTwo passport photos with the application; no paper or print rules published

In the official words

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

A recent passport photo with a white background

Government Passport Application[6]

Key requirements

  • Two recent passport photos

    The ICA home page lists "two recent passport photos" among the documents to gather, and its services page lists "two recent passport photographs" beside the national ID or citizenship certificate, the completed form and the service fee. The federal government's service page also lists two passport photos.

  • No size or background for ordinary passports

    None of the pages read gives dimensions, a background colour, a head size or a glasses rule for the ordinary passport photo. If your office does not specify, ask it before printing.

  • A digital photograph is captured at enrolment

    Step three on the ICA home page is biometric enrolment: you attend an enrolment centre to have your fingerprints, digital photograph and signature captured. You still gather the two photos in step one.

  • National ID Card required since 1 September 2025

    The ICA says a valid National ID Card is mandatory for all Somali passport applications from 1 September 2025. NIRA, the issuing authority, captures its own photograph at registration, so the ID card needs no passport-size print.

  • White background for official passports online

    The ICA's online form for service and diplomatic passports lists "a recent passport photo with a white background" and accepts PDF, JPG or PNG files of up to 10 MB each. It is for government officials and is not the ordinary passport route.

  • In person, by appointment abroad

    The federal service page gives the method of applying as in person, at the headquarters at Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu. The embassy in Washington takes appointments only and processes new passports and renewals of expired passports, not lost ones.

  • New passport planned for 2026

    The ICA says a new national passport, aligned with ICAO standards, will be introduced in 2026, with further details on design and issuance to follow. Photo rules for it have not been published.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Bring two recent passport photos to the application.
  • Make sure you already hold a valid National ID Card before applying.
  • Attend the enrolment centre in person for fingerprints, signature and the digital photograph.
  • Ask your office or embassy for its photo size before you print.
  • Book an appointment first if you apply at the embassy in Washington.

Don't

  • Do not assume a size: none is published for ordinary passports.
  • Do not pay an embassy passport fee outside Washington without proof of a NIRA ID application.
  • Do not apply for the ordinary passport through the government passport form meant for service and diplomatic passports.
  • Do not expect a lost passport to be processed at the Washington embassy.

Glasses

No Somali page read for this guide sets a rule on glasses. The ICA says its ePassport is built to ICAO standards, and ICAO's photograph guidelines say that, if you wear glasses, your eyes must be clearly visible with no flash reflection and no tinted lenses. Treat that as a guide only, because the Agency has not published it as a Somali photo rule.

Headwear and religious dress

No Somali page read sets a rule on headwear. ICAO's photograph guidelines allow head coverings for religious reasons only, and require the face to be clear from the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face visible. Ask the enrolment centre if you need an exception.

Both exist in the same process. You hand over two photos with the application, and a digital photograph is captured at the enrolment centre. No page read gives a pixel size or a file size for the ordinary passport. The only file rule is for service and diplomatic passports, which are applied for online.

A digital photo can be cropped and resized, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut into prints. Check the size with the office handling your application, because none is published.

Where to submit the photo

In Somalia, apply at the ICA headquarters in Mogadishu or at any regional immigration office, and collect the passport from the same office. The ICA opened a third passport centre in Mogadishu's Dayniile district in May 2025. The federal service page describes a personal interview and document examination as part of the process.

Abroad, the ICA's services page says consular requirements have not yet been published and tells people to contact the Agency. The Washington embassy asks for proof of a NIRA ID application, runs a joint passport and NIRA ID appointment system, and says its fees cover both services. Other embassies may differ, so check yours.

How to get your Somalia passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Somalia passport: not published for ordinary passports background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two recent passport photos; no size or background for ordinary passports; a digital photograph is captured at enrolment; national ID Card required since 1 September 2025.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Both exist in the same process. You hand over two photos with the application, and a digital photograph is captured at the enrolment centre. No page read gives a pixel size or a file size for the ordinary passport.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Somalia, apply at the ICA headquarters in Mogadishu or at any regional immigration office, and collect the passport from the same office. The ICA opened a third passport centre in Mogadishu's Dayniile district in May 2025.

Make this photo online

Somalia passport photo FAQ

No size is published. The Immigration and Citizenship Agency and the federal service page both ask for two recent passport photos without dimensions. Ask the office or embassy handling your application for its size before you print.

It is not published for ordinary passports. The online form for service and diplomatic passports asks for a white background, but that is a different passport. For the ordinary one, confirm with the office.

Two recent passport photos, according to the ICA home and services pages and the federal service page. A digital photograph is also captured at the biometric enrolment step.

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

A digital photograph is captured at the enrolment centre, along with fingerprints and signature. The checklist still asks you to bring two recent passport photos, so bring them.

The ordinary passport is applied for in person, according to the federal service page. The ICA's online form is for service and diplomatic passports for government officials, and accepts PDF, JPG or PNG photos of up to 10 MB each.

Yes. The ICA announced on 15 January 2026 that a new national passport aligned with ICAO standards will be introduced in 2026. Current passports remain valid, and photo rules for the new one have not been published.

Related photo specifications

Other Somalia documents

Passports nearby

Was this page helpful?

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

Official sources

  1. Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia. Immigration and Citizenship Agency - Passports immigration.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia. Services immigration.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia. National ID Card Now Required for Passport Applications immigration.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia. New Somali Passport Planned for 2026 immigration.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia. ICA Opens Third Passport Centre in Mogadishu immigration.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia. Government Passport Application qc.immigration.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Federal Republic of Somalia. Ordinary passport somalia.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Washington. Passports usa.mfa.gov.so. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Photograph Guidelines (Doc 9303 Annex A) icao.int. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Federal Government of Somalia before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

Categories: