Iraq Passport Photo — Four Recent Colour Photos
Iraq's passport guidance does not publish a millimetre format. What the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) states for passports is a number of photographs: in its lost, damaged or stolen passport procedure, the applicant must supply four recent colour photographs. The MFA does not publish a photo size or background colour, so this page does not repeat one. Verified against the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mofa.gov.iq), September–October 2026.
What the Iraqi MFA publishes about the photo
| Number of photos | Four (“扁擤ْ اربع صورَ حديثة ملونة” — four recent colour photos) |
| Type | Recent, colour |
| Size | Not published (no mm format on the MFA pages) |
| Background / dpi / px | Not published |
| Where it applies | Step 7 of the lost / damaged / stolen passport procedure |
| Source | Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mofa.gov.iq) |
The MFA states, in the procedure for a lost passport (step 7):
يقدم أربع صور حديثة ملونة.
— “Four recent colour photographs are submitted.”
Four colour photos — and no millimetre format
This is a different case from the countries whose whole photo page is a size table. Iraq states the count and the kind of photo — four recent, colour — but it does not publish a size, a background colour or a pixel/dpi figure on its MFA pages. So do not size an Iraqi passport photo to an unofficial number you have seen elsewhere; the published requirement is the four colour photographs, and any format beyond that is unverified.
Where a specific diplomatic mission, consulate or the passport directorate later tells you a format, follow that instruction.
What is a passport, in the MFA's words
The MFA defines the document plainly:
جواز السفر هو المستند الذي تصدره الدولة لمواطنيها لغرض السفر إلى خارج البلد.
— “A passport is the document the state issues to its citizens for the purpose of travelling outside the country.”
The lost-passport procedure, in outline
The four photos sit inside an eleven-step procedure the MFA sets out for a lost, damaged or stolen passport. In outline: report the loss; complete an investigation form (model no. 1) signed and stamped by the consul; file a police or residence report showing the passport number and your date of entry; publish a notice in a local newspaper; give a statement to the consul on how the passport was lost; provide documents proving nationality (such as the civil-status ID or the nationality certificate); supply four recent colour photographs; have the mission check its issue and extension records; complete the community form; the file is sent to the Passport Directorate for approval of a new passport; and the consular department circulates the loss to Iraqi missions abroad.
Validity and extension
The MFA states that passports may be extended after their period of validity ends, where validity runs from the date of issue:
تمدد الجوازات بعد انتهاء مدة نفاذها أي الفترة المحددة من تاريخ الإصدار.
— “Passports are extended after their period of validity ends, that is the period fixed from the date of issue.”
60-second Iraq check
- ☐ Four recent colour photographs (the MFA's published photo requirement)
- ☐ No published size or background — do not use an unofficial mm figure
- ☐ The four photos are step 7 of the lost / damaged / stolen passport procedure
- ☐ Nationality evidence such as the civil-status ID or nationality certificate may be required
- ☐ Passports run from the date of issue and can be extended after expiry
Frequently asked questions
How many photos does an Iraqi passport require?
Four recent colour photographs, as stated in the passport procedure published by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What size is an Iraqi passport photo?
Not published. The MFA pages state the number and kind of photographs (four recent colour) but do not give a millimetre size, so no official size can be quoted.
What background colour is required?
Not published on the MFA pages, alongside the photo size and pixel or dpi figures.
When do the four photos apply?
In the procedure for a lost, damaged or stolen passport, where supplying four recent colour photographs is step 7.
Can an Iraqi passport be extended?
Yes. The MFA states that passports are extended after their period of validity ends, with validity running from the date of issue.
Where can I check the current requirement?
On the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs site, mofa.gov.iq, under the passport-issuance section. If a mission or the Passport Directorate tells you a specific format, follow that instruction.
Source note: the requirement to submit four recent colour photographs, the definition of a passport, the extension statement and the lost/damaged/stolen passport procedure are from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mofa.gov.iq/إصدار-الجوازات/ and the ministry home page (checked October 2026). No photo size or background is published there.
Related: for the countries that do publish a size, see the size chart; set a background with the backgrounds guide; and check a finished file with the passport photo checker. If a photo has been refused, the rejection reasons guide covers the common causes.