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Yemen passport photo requirements

The 40 × 60 mm photo rules set by Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, The Hague for the Yemen passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 12 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Yemen passport photo?

There is no single Yemeni passport photo size. The Hague asks for 40 x 60 mm (written 6 x 4 cm) with a face 32 to 36 mm high, Washington for 2 x 2 inches, Kuala Lumpur for 5 x 5 cm and Riyadh for 4 x 6 or 5 x 5. Every mission that publishes a rule wants a recent colour photo on a plain white background, facing the camera. Use the size of the embassy or consulate that handles your application.

Yemeni passports are issued by the Immigration, Passports and Nationality Authority of the Ministry of Interior, headquartered in Aden, through passport offices in Yemen and through embassies and consulates abroad. Landinfo, the Norwegian immigration authorities' country information centre, reported in 2022 that passports were issued at offices in Aden, Al-Mukalla, Taiz (the Al-Hasab office), Marib, Ataq and Seiyun. The Washington embassy says every application it receives is sent to the passport authority through an automated system, and no passport is issued until the main issuing centre approves it.

Passports have also been issued since the conflict by offices in Sana'a and other areas under Houthi control. Landinfo reported that the Aden-based authority does not recognise passports issued in those areas after 1 August 2015, and the Kuala Lumpur embassy asks for extra identity documents when such a passport is replaced. No single photo standard is published for the whole country: each mission sets its own size, number of prints and pose rules, so check the one that will take your application.

Yemen passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, The Hague:[1]

Print size40 x 60 mm (The Hague); 2 x 2 in (Washington); 5 x 5 cm (Kuala Lumpur); 4 x 6 or 5 x 5 (Riyadh, no unit given)
Digital sizeNo pixel size published; Riyadh's online service and Kuala Lumpur take a digital photo
Head heightFace about 32 to 36 mm high (The Hague); no other mission publishes a head size
BackgroundPlain white (every mission that publishes a rule)
ColourColour
Photo ageRecent; Washington: taken within the last 6 months
File formatKuala Lumpur: JPEG, JPG or PNG
Print qualityNo paper rule published; Frankfurt asks for biometric quality, Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur for a clear, high-quality photo
Pixels when printed472 × 709 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1417 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm60 mm32–36 mm
40 × 60 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 32–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain white.

In the official words

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

Not processed with any photo-editing program. If the personal photo does not match the specifications, the application will be rejected. (translated from Arabic)

Passport section service requirements (Arabic)[11]

Key requirements

  • The size depends on the mission

    The Hague's photo page shows a 40 mm wide by 60 mm high portrait, although its text says "60mm width by 40mm height (6x4 cm)". Washington asks for 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), Kuala Lumpur for 5 cm x 5 cm, and Riyadh for 5x5 at its counter and 4x6 or 5x5 for its online service.

  • Face and shoulders in frame

    The Hague requires the entire face and part or all of the shoulders to be visible, with the face about 32 to 36 mm high so the photo is neither too close nor too far. Riyadh's photo guide rejects a face that is not centred, too close or too far away.

  • White background, facing the camera

    Washington, The Hague, Frankfurt, London, Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur all ask for a colour photo on a white background with the applicant facing forward. Riyadh's guide also marks smiling, looking away and turning the head as unacceptable.

  • No photo editing

    Kuala Lumpur says the photo must not be processed with any photo-editing program and that an application with a non-compliant photo will be rejected. Riyadh's online guide asks for a photo not processed with Photoshop.

  • Avoid white clothing

    Kuala Lumpur states that clothing must not be white, so that it does not merge with the white background.

  • Number of photos

    The Hague and Washington each ask for three photos, Frankfurt and London for two, and Riyadh for two at the counter. Kuala Lumpur takes one digital photo; applicants outside Malaysia send it separately from their documents.

  • Thumbprint and signature

    The Hague and Washington ask adults to put their left thumbprint and signature on the application form. Washington will not accept a form that lacks the full four-part name in Arabic and English.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check the photo size of the mission that will handle your application
  • Use a plain white background and face the camera directly
  • Show your whole face and the top of your shoulders
  • Wear clothes that are not white if you apply through Kuala Lumpur
  • Put your left thumbprint and signature on the form where it asks
  • Keep a copy of your old passport before you post the original

Don't

  • Do not wear sunglasses or prescription glasses
  • Do not wear a cap or hat; men should be bareheaded
  • Do not cover the face with a niqab or veil
  • Do not retouch, filter or edit the photo with software
  • Do not smile or look away from the camera
  • Do not send a photo of a baby held by someone else or with a dummy

Sample photos

How a Yemen passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 60 mm, head height 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

Remove them. Washington says no sunglasses or prescription glasses may be worn, and Riyadh's current online instructions ask for a photo without glasses; its photo guide shows a person in glasses as unacceptable.

Frankfurt's English page bans only sunglasses, but the Arabic version of the same page bans sunglasses and prescription glasses. The Hague's passport page does not mention glasses. Taking them off satisfies every mission.

Headwear and religious dress

Women may wear a hijab. Washington bans any head covering except the hijab for women, and Riyadh asks men to be bareheaded and women to wear the hijab. Kuala Lumpur asks for no head covering for men and no niqab for women. Frankfurt bans hats.

The Hague's examples accept a headscarf that leaves the face fully visible and a scarf worn around the neck, and reject a face veil, a turned head and a dark background.

Babies and children

Each child needs a separate form and the same photos as an adult. Washington asks for copies of both parents' passports and the child's birth certificate, and Kuala Lumpur for the birth certificate, both parents' passports and residence permits, and the parents' marriage contract or family card. The Hague also asks for the marriage certificate for a newborn and, where the father is not Yemeni, the Ministry of Interior's approval of the mixed marriage.

At Riyadh, a guardian must attend for a newborn and bring two recent 5x5 photos on a white background. Riyadh's photo guide rejects a baby photo with a dummy or with another person in the picture. If the father cannot apply in Kuala Lumpur, a no-objection authorisation from him is needed.

Most missions take printed photos with a paper form. Washington, The Hague and Frankfurt accept applications by post; The Hague asks applicants to email a PDF of the documents for checking first. Riyadh's counter and Kuala Lumpur, for applicants living in Malaysia, take applications in person by appointment.

Two channels take a digital photo. Riyadh's online service, for residents of Saudi Arabia who verify their identity through Nafath, asks for an uploaded 4*6 personal photo on a white background plus a photo of the applicant holding the passport; the new passport is sent by SMSA courier. Kuala Lumpur accepts applications from outside Malaysia by WhatsApp as one PDF, with the photo sent separately in JPEG, JPG or PNG. A digital photo can also 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

Abroad, apply to the mission that covers your country of residence. Washington handles residents of the United States, Canada and Latin America by post. The Hague covers the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway and sends completed applications to the Consulate General in Frankfurt for processing. Kuala Lumpur also takes applications from outside Malaysia, and Riyadh serves residents of Saudi Arabia. London's website was under maintenance on 2 November 2026; its passport page, as captured in June 2026, asked for two photos.

Inside Yemen, Landinfo reported that applicants attend the passport office in person with an ID card or family card, and that first-time applicants also give a birth certificate and fingerprints. No official page read says what photo, if any, an applicant brings to a passport office inside Yemen.

How to get your Yemen passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Yemen passport: 40 × 60 mm print, plain white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the size depends on the mission; face and shoulders in frame; white background, facing the camera; no photo editing.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Most missions take printed photos with a paper form. Washington, The Hague and Frankfurt accept applications by post; The Hague asks applicants to email a PDF of the documents for checking first.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Abroad, apply to the mission that covers your country of residence. Washington handles residents of the United States, Canada and Latin America by post.

Make this photo online

Yemen passport photo FAQ

It depends on where you apply. The Hague asks for 40 x 60 mm with a face about 32 to 36 mm high, Washington for 2 x 2 inches, Kuala Lumpur for 5 x 5 cm, and Riyadh for 5x5 at its counter or 4x6 or 5x5 online. All want a recent colour photo on white.

Yes, at some missions. The Hague's diagram shows a 40 mm by 60 mm portrait, and Riyadh's online service labels its upload field 4*6 with a white background. Washington and Kuala Lumpur use square sizes instead, so 4 x 6 cm is not accepted everywhere.

No. Washington bans sunglasses and prescription glasses, Riyadh asks for a photo without glasses, and the Arabic version of Frankfurt's page bans both kinds. Remove your glasses before the photo is taken.

Yes. Washington allows the hijab as the only head covering, and Riyadh asks women to wear it. Kuala Lumpur bans the niqab, and The Hague's examples reject a face veil, so the whole face must stay visible.

Three at The Hague and Washington, two at Frankfurt, London and Riyadh's counter. Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh's online service take a single digital photo.

Only through some missions. Riyadh runs an online service for residents of Saudi Arabia, with a photo upload and a Nafath identity check; its 2021 instructions limit it to passports with six months or less left. Kuala Lumpur takes applications from outside Malaysia by WhatsApp. Washington, The Hague and Frankfurt work by post.

Kuala Lumpur asks for extra documents when the passport was issued in areas outside the government's control: an entry visa for your country of residence and an older passport issued before 2015, or else an old birth certificate or ID card issued before 2015 with a father's or brother's documents.

No. Kuala Lumpur rejects photos processed with any photo-editing program, and Riyadh's online guide asks for a photo not processed with Photoshop. Take the photo against a white wall or screen instead.

Related photo specifications

Other Yemen documents

Passports nearby

Also 40 × 60 mm

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Official sources

  1. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, The Hague. Photo Requirements for Passport Issuance yemenembassynl.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, The Hague. Passports Issuance yemenembassynl.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, Washington DC. Passport Instructions (Arabic) yemenembassy.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Consulate General of the Republic of Yemen, Frankfurt. Passport extraction guide yemenconsulate.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Consulate General of the Republic of Yemen, Frankfurt. Passport extraction guide (Arabic version) yemenconsulate.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, London. Passport Issuance Guide yemenembassy.co.uk. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, Riyadh. Passport issue or replacement (Arabic) yemenembassy-sa.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, Riyadh. Passport for newborns (Arabic) yemenembassy-sa.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, Riyadh. Electronic services for automated passport issuance (Arabic) yemenembassy-sa.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  10. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, Riyadh. Instructions for automated passport issuance, with photo guidelines (Arabic, PDF) yemenembassy-sa.org. Checked 2 November 2026.
  11. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, Kuala Lumpur. Passport section service requirements (Arabic) eportal.yemenembassy.my. Checked 2 November 2026.
  12. Landinfo, Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre. Jemen: Sivilregister, identitetsdokumenter og pass (27 June 2022) landinfo.no. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, The Hague before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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