Iran Passport Photo Requirements — 4 × 6 cm, White Background

For an Iranian passport application. The official wording names a 4 × 6 cm print, five copies, and a clear set of presentation rules — but the text is an official 2004-era snapshot, so read the currency caution below before treating it as today's e-passport checklist. Source: Iran police force passport page (police.ir), via an Internet Archive snapshot dated 14 June 2004.

The official wording is “پنج قطعه عكس جدید 4*6 برقی … تمام رخ … بدون عینك، كلاه و كراوات … با زمینه سفید یا كاملاً روشن” — five new 4 × 6 photos, fully front-facing, without glasses, hat or tie, on a white or fully light background.

Iran uses 4 × 6 cm, not 35 × 45 mm

This is the part to get right before anything else. A great deal of third-party guidance describes an Iranian passport photo as 35 × 45 mm — the common European portrait format. That figure is not in the official source, and it conflicts with the figure that source does state: 4 × 6 cm. Since the two are different rectangles, we report what the official text says (4 × 6 cm) and flag the discrepancy honestly rather than repeating the more familiar 35 × 45 mm number. If you are preparing a photo today, confirm the current format with the authority or the studio you use, and treat any 35 × 45 mm claim about Iran as unverified. For comparison, formats that genuinely do use 35 × 45 mm are listed in the full size chart.

Five copies, from the same negative, not older than a year

The official text asks for five new photographs. Two further conditions come with them: the copies must be made from the same negative (so the set is identical, not five different shots), and they must be not older than one year. A set printed from a single file, taken within the last twelve months, satisfies both. Reusing a photo from a previous application can breach the one-year limit even if the print itself is fine.

Background: white or fully light

The required background is “زمینه سفید یا كاملاً روشن” — white, or completely light. What normally spoils such a background is not the colour but the light on it: a shadow cast behind the head, or a hot spot from a direct flash. Stand a little away from the wall so the flash does not bounce back behind you. See how the light backgrounds compare across documents in the background guide.

Fully front-facing — no glasses, hat or tie

The official wording requires a fully front-facing pose (“تمام رخ”) and lists three things that must not appear: glasses, a hat and a tie. The glasses and hat rules are the familiar ones — the eyes and the hairline must be visible, and no frame or brim may cover the face. The ban on a tie is the Iran-specific detail worth noticing. The practical answer for spectacles is simply to take the shot without them, so the eyes and frame line stay fully visible. The dress code guide covers how the clothing rules differ between documents.

Dress code: women and girls over five

The official text states that for women, observing full Islamic dress (“رعایت كامل حجاب اسلامی الزامی است”) is mandatory, and the same requirement applies to girls over 5. Headwear worn for religious reasons is permitted under this rule; it is a requirement, not an exception. Make sure the face stays clearly visible and evenly lit within the covering — the detail is set out in the head coverings guide and the dress code guide.

Companion and dependant photos: 6 × 9 cm

Photographs for companions or dependants travelling on the same application are a different size from the applicant's: five 6 × 9 cm photographs, subject to the same conditions (new, same negative, not older than a year, front-facing, appropriate background and dress). Because the two sizes sit in the same document, it is worth separating the applicant's five 4 × 6 cm prints from the companion's five 6 × 9 cm prints before you submit.

Currency caution: this is a 2004-era snapshot

The specifics above come from an official capture of the police force passport page dated 14 June 2004. The current police.ir site does not render the photo specification at all, so the text cannot be re-verified live. Treat the format as advisory: the 4 × 6 cm figure, the five copies, the one-year rule and the dress code are what the official source says, but the modern e-passport process may have moved on. Where the current requirements differ, the current authority wins. Crop and size a photo for reference with the image cropper, and sanity-check the result against the passport photo checker for the general presentation rules that do not change.

Frequently asked questions

What size photo does an Iran passport need?
The official source states 4 x 6 cm, five new photos. That is what the text says; visually familiar 35 x 45 mm numbers are not in it.

Is an Iran passport photo 35 x 45 mm?
No - not according to the official source. The widely-quoted 35 x 45 mm figure does not appear in it and conflicts with the 4 x 6 cm figure the source does state. Treat 35 x 45 mm claims about Iran as unverified.

Can I wear glasses, a hat or a tie in an Iran passport photo?
No. The official wording asks for a fully front-facing pose and prohibits glasses, a hat and a tie.

What background and lighting does an Iran passport photo need?
A white or fully light background. The usual failure is not the colour but the light - a shadow behind the head or a flash hot spot.

How old can an Iran passport photo be?
Not older than one year, and the copies must be from the same negative, so the five prints are identical.

Related: Because the Iranian specification uses 4 × 6 cm, it is a useful reminder that photo formats vary more than the headline 35 × 45 mm suggests — the Turkey passport photo page shows another format in the same region. Every size the site supports is listed in the full size chart; verify presentation rules with the passport photo checker.

Browse all photo sizes →  Check an Iran photo →