Israel Passport Photo Requirements & Guidelines

Israel's passport photo uses the international 35 × 45 mm standard, and it gives you a small piece of flexibility most countries don't: the background can be **light grey *or* white**. What it does not flex on is glasses — they come off — and print sharpness, which must hold up at 600 DPI.

This guide covers every current Israel passport photo requirement for 2026 — the 35 × 45 mm size, the grey-or-white background, the 32–36 mm head height, and the pose, glasses, and quality rules the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority applies.

Israel Passport Photo Requirements at a Glance

Here are the core specifications for the Israeli passport photo:

The grey-or-white choice is the friendly part; the glasses-off rule is the one people forget.

Photo Size and Head Position Rules

Exact photo dimensions

The Israeli passport photo is 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall, the international ICAO standard. The minimum resolution is 600 DPI, so the print must be genuinely sharp.

Head size and placement

Your head — top of the hair to the bottom of the chin — should measure about 32 mm, and your face from chin to hairline 32 to 36 mm, centred in the frame. That fills roughly 70–80% of the photo height.

Hitting the head-height band inside a 45 mm frame is easy to miss by eye. You can create your Israel passport photo and have the 35 × 45 mm frame and head height measured from your source image.

Background Requirements

Acceptable backgrounds

Israel accepts a plain, even background in light grey or white — your choice, as long as it is uniform with no shadow, gradient, texture, or objects behind you.

Common background mistakes

• Shadow outlines behind the head from standing too close to the wall.
• Mid or dark grey — too dark; the tone must stay light.
• Low contrast — light hair blending into a light grey background.
• Clutter creeping into the frame.

Pose, Expression, and Lighting Rules

Expression and eyes

Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open, not obscured by hair, looking straight into the lens. No smiling or exaggerated expressions.

Lighting

Use soft, even, frontal light so both sides of your face match and the background stays a single uniform tone. Face a window for daylight; direct flash creates glare and a hard wall shadow.

Glasses, Head Coverings, and Other Restrictions

Glasses

Glasses should not be worn — remove any glasses, including prescription frames, and never wear sunglasses or tinted lenses. Taking them off keeps the eyes fully visible for biometric identification.

Head coverings

Everyday hats and caps are not accepted. Religious head coverings are permitted provided the full face stays visible from the chin to the forehead, without shadow.

Editing and retouching

Do not alter the photo. No blemish removal, no skin smoothing, no filters, no AI enhancement — the image must show your natural appearance.

Digital Upload vs. Printed Photo Specs

Printed photo

Provide clean 35 × 45 mm prints on photo paper, accurate in colour and free of creases, marks, or damage, sharp enough to meet the 600 DPI minimum.

Digital photo

Where a digital file applies, keep the same 7:9 proportion at high resolution, sharp and naturally coloured. Avoid upscaling a small crop or letting a messaging app recompress it.

Top Reasons Israel Passport Photos Get Rejected

• Glasses worn — the most common Israel-specific fault.
• Head height off — outside the 32–36 mm band.
• Background too dark — mid grey instead of a light tone.
• Hair over the eyes — eyes must stay clearly visible.
• Soft or low-resolution prints — failing the 600 DPI standard.
• Retouched photos — smoothing, filters, or edited features.
• Outdated photos — older than six months.

How to Take a Compliant Photo at Home

1. Find a plain light wall — light grey or white both work.
2. Stand about half a metre in front of it so no shadow falls behind you.
3. Face a window for even, frontal daylight.
4. Set the camera at eye level, 1.5–2 metres away.
5. Take your glasses off.
6. Pin back any hair that falls near your eyes.
7. Hold a neutral expression — mouth closed, both eyes open.
8. Crop to 35 × 45 mm with your head at 32–36 mm chin to crown — or let an automated tool handle the framing.

Beyond Israel: Other Countries' Requirements

Israel's grey-or-white flexibility is unusual — most countries name exactly one tone. Its neighbours diverge sharply: Egypt uses a tall 40 × 60 mm on white, and Jordan and the Gulf states set their own head bands. If you are preparing documents for more than one country, our passport photo tool for 150+ countries applies each official spec to the same source photo.

Conclusion

Three rules decide an Israeli passport photo: the 35 × 45 mm frame with your head at 32–36 mm, a plain light grey or white background, and a sharp, glasses-free, unedited photo at 600 DPI. Take your glasses off and hit the head height, and the photo clears on the first pass.