Qatar uses an unusual 38 × 48 mm portrait for passports — 3 mm narrower than the 40 × 50 mm format and noticeably smaller than the 2 × 2 inch square that many photo apps default to. The head fills 70–80% of the height (34–38 mm) on a light grey background, and two identical prints are normally required. The grey background is the detail that catches most applicants out: labs outside Qatar almost always print white.
Make a Qatari Passport Photo →Per Ministry of Interior (MOI) passport guidance, applied at MOI service centres and consular offices.
| Photo size | 38 × 48 mm (3.8 × 4.8 cm) portrait, borderless — 1.50 × 1.89 inches |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70 – 80% of the frame height, roughly 34 – 38 mm from chin to crown |
| Background | Light grey (#EEEEEE), plain, no pattern and no shadow. Some checklists simply say "plain light background" — grey is the safe interpretation |
| Resolution | 300 DPI minimum (449 × 567 px), 600 DPI preferred (898 × 1,134 px) |
| Number of prints | Two identical colour prints on photo paper. Digital printing paper is not accepted |
| Colour | Colour, natural skin tones, neutral white balance |
| Pose | Full frontal view, head square to the camera, shoulders visible, looking into the lens |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, no teeth showing, both eyes open |
| Glasses | Best removed. Clear lenses without glare are allowed in principle, but reflections are the most common rejection reason |
| Hair and accessories | Hair must not cover the eyes. No earrings or visible facial piercings near the face |
| Head covering | Religious headwear only, with the face visible from chin to forehead |
| Retouching | Not allowed — no spot removal, no skin smoothing, no red-eye correction |
| Recency | Taken within the last 6 months |
Qatar is one of the few countries where the passport and visa formats differ, so the same photo will not do for both.
Light grey background, two prints, head at 70–80% of the frame height.
The visa photo follows the smaller 35 × 45 mm format on a plain light background. A passport photo cropped down will not match the required head proportion.
Online services use their own upload rules at a smaller size. These are separate from the printed passport photo.