Qatar Passport Photo Requirements — Complete Guide

Official Photo Size

The Qatari passport photo size is 38 mm wide × 48 mm tall. For visa applications, the standard size is 35 mm × 45 mm. For visa photos, the face must occupy 70–80% of the photo, showing a close-up of the head and top of shoulders. Both passport and visa use different dimensions, so make sure you have the right size for your application. Always verify with the official Ministry of Interior before submitting.

Getting the frame to land on the exact millimetre is the fiddly part: Photo Resizer

Background and Lighting

Qatari passport photos require a grey background — this is different from many other countries that use white. Visa photos require a plain light-coloured background. Lighting must be uniform with no shadows or flash reflections on the face. The photo should show natural skin tones with appropriate brightness and contrast.

If no wall in the room is plain enough, swap the backdrop instead: Background Eraser

Expression and Pose

Qatar asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed, the face turned fully to the camera with both edges of the face clear. Glasses may stay on only if no flash reflection crosses the lens and the glass carries no tint; frames must never cover the eye. Head coverings are admitted for religious reasons only, and even then the face from chin to forehead stays readable.

Glasses and Accessories

Glasses are allowed, but there must be no flash reflection off the lenses. Tinted lenses are not permitted. Spectacle frames must not cover any part of the eyes. Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons. The face must be fully visible from chin to forehead.

Face Visibility

The Qatari passport sheet is 38 mm × 48 mm — not the 35 mm × 45 mm used for the visa — and the framing measure, face at 70–80% of the photo, is published against the visa specification. Print the passport size and the visa size separately rather than trimming one down to the other. Red-eye and any shadow falling on the face will both draw a refusal.

Photo Recency

Six months is the stated window for a Qatari passport photograph, measured to the day you lodge the application. The medium matters as much as the date: digital photo paper is not acceptable for the passport, so an inkjet proof from a home printer will not do. Order a proper lab print in colour, front view, and take it in the same month you submit rather than recycling an older sheet.

How Many Copies You Get

Qatari passport and visa applications both require 2 photos. When you use PicToPassport, you receive a digital file sized exactly for the 38 × 48 mm passport format plus a print-friendly layout with multiple copies on a single page. The digital file can be taken to a photo shop for professional printing on proper photo paper.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most frequent reasons for rejection are using a white background instead of grey for passport, wrong dimensions, and using digital photo paper. Other issues include tilting the head, smiling, having hair cover the face, or using a photo that is too old. Always double-check the Qatar passport photo requirements before submitting.

A correct image in the wrong format still fails validation, which is why: Convert Image Format

Baby Passport Photos

Qatar keeps infants to the same 38 mm × 48 mm passport sheet and the same grey backdrop used for adults, with both eyes open required. Photograph the baby awake, laid flat on grey cloth rather than white, and shoot from above so the face sits centred with no shadow behind it. No hands, toys or pacifiers may enter the frame; a second person may steady the head from underneath.

Using PicToPassport

PicToPassport handles Qatar's split rules cleanly: 38 mm × 48 mm for a passport against a grey background, and 35 mm × 45 mm for a visa against a plain light-coloured one. The face occupies 70–80% of the photo, the front view stays clear of flash reflections and tinted lenses, and the output is a colour print on proper photo paper — digital photo paper is refused. It is free, runs in your browser, and never leaves your device.