Israeli Passport Photo

The Israeli passport is a very important document issued to citizens and nationals of Israel. It is a document that allows Israeli people to travel, often with a country-specific visa exemption and specific periods of time, and it is also an ID form that can be shown by any Israeli person to prove their identity.

Keep reading and you can learn what the photo requirements of the Israeli passport are, how to renew your Israeli passport, its cost, validity, and photo size formats.

Israeli passport application - requirements

For your Israeli passport application you should bring the following documents:

• ID card (your driving license won't be accepted)
• The Israeli passport if you have one (even if it's not valid)
• You can bring your foreign passport or Oleh certificate with the correct spelling of your name in English, otherwise the clerk will spell it phonetically

Damaged, lost or stolen passports 

You can't enter or leave Israel with a damaged passport. Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged Israeli passport is more expensive than renewing an expired passport, and it's cheaper to pay the price for a new passport online and pay the remaining cost at the passport office.

If your Israeli passport has been lost, stolen or damaged more than once, you need to submit a court declaration.

In a case if your passport has been lost or stolen due to force majeure you will need to submit evidence to support your claim of force majeure and an authenticated declaration explaining how it was lost or stolen.

If you lose your passport abroad you should contact the nearest Israeli mission.

Israeli passport fees

When applying for your Israeli passport, you should keep in mind that it's always cheaper to pay online from 1 November till the end of February.

Soldiers, reservists and national civic-service volunteers pay about half if they meet the IDF criteria.

Lone soldiers don't need to pay for a passport, except when replacing a damaged, stolen or lost passport. A brand new Israeli Passport can cost you from 155 to 270 ILS, depending on the time of the year. If you are an Israeli Soldier, it will cost you around half of the price.

In case you are applying from the USA through an Israeli embassy or consulate, the price is US$82 for adults, and US$43 for minors. In case of loss or damage of the passport, the amount to be paid is US$87.

Israeli passport photo guidelines

Your picture must show a close-up of your entire head and shoulders with respect to Israeli passport photo requirements. Only you are to appear in the photo, with no other objects or individuals. All photos are reviewed using your country's latest information.

General Israeli passport photo size & requirements:

• two photos required 
• the photos must be identical and taken within the last month
• a light background -white or off white is required
• you should be able to clearly distinguish the facial features from the background
• it must show a close-up of your head and shoulders
• the passport photographs must be clear and in sharp focus
• there must not be any shadows in the photo either on the face or the background
• there must be no reflection from the eyewear, if worn
• the eyes must not be obscured by sunglasses or hair across the eyes, for example 
• your face must be looking directly at the camera with your eyes open
• your mouth must be closed, showing no teeth
• you must have a neutral expression
•  no hats or head covering, unless worn for religious purposes

Israeli passport photo - technical requirements

• Dimensions and size (pixels): 1200dpi resolution or high
• Color: the photo must be in colour. Black and white photos are unacceptable
• Position and head size: your face (from your chin to the start of your hairline) must be between 32 millimeters (mm) to 36mm
• Size: the Israeli passport photo size is 35x45 mm

What are the most common reasons Israeli passport photos get rejected?

Having your passport application rejected just because of your photos can be pretty frustrating. You took the time to take your photos, perhaps taking a day off of work or school, and here you are again, going through the entire process from the beginning. Below are listed a few common reasons that can get your Israeli passport photos rejected:

• The “Red eye” effect: when you take your picture using a strong flash, your pupils will appear as if they are red - which would cause your photo to be rejected. To avoid this situation, make sure your pupils are clearly visible, that the light is natural, and that your eyes and the structure of your face are well defined
• Tilted head - Look straight into the camera! If you take a semi-profile or a profile type of photo or any other snap where your head is tilted and your eyes are not looking directly into the camera lens, your picture will get rejected.
• Uneven lighting
• Smiling or making a funny face - unfortunately, if you smile in your passport photo, it will get rejected. You should look the same way people look in a mugshot - neutral/serious: it is wise to look as smart and as respectable as you can
• Digital retouching to alter or enhance your facial features - you are not allowed to use any photo editor software such as Photoshop to alter your appearance nor are you allowed to use a filter in the official photo - it should reflect your true appearance and your true colors
• Passport photos which are creased, have staple holes or are otherwise marked

Background

Taking a passport photo against a colored background is a common mistake. The official requirement says the Israeli passport photo is acceptable only if taken against a plain white or off-white background. There also cannot be any patterns on the wall against which you take the photo. Also, make sure there are no other objects behind you. Background must be uniform and white or off-white.

Lighting, sharpness, and contrast

The light should be even - both sides of your face have to be equally lighted. There cannot be any shadows on your face. Make sure the lighting is not over- or underexposed, as your face must be clearly visible. In addition, pay attention to the reflections - there cannot be any on your face or caused by accessories. With enough contrast and detail, the picture has to be sharp.

Headwear and makeup

Makeup and headwear can be worn in an official biometric image for the Israeli passport.

Nonetheless, keep in mind that intense makeup will get your picture rejected. It recognizes only headgear worn for religious purposes. You’re not allowed to wear a cap or any other form of headgear that would cover your face, apart from a religious head covering.

Jewelry 

The use of jewelry in your Israeli passport photo is not permitted. You will get your application rejected if you put on jewelry. Ears must be completely visible.

Glasses and sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses in your photos is not allowed. You’re allowed to take your photos with glasses on, as long as they’re not blocking the eyes’ visuals. Nevertheless, even if Israeli passport photo requirements do not forbid glasses in photos, we still recommend that people who wear glasses take them off to be sure that their photos get approved. 

Hair and beard

People with bangs should make sure that their face is not covered by their hair. As for people with long hair, we advise you not to let it go outside the edge of the picture as your images can be rejected. We recommend that you tie it back.

Nothing involving beards is specified. Therefore, if you wear one on a regular basis, taking a picture with your beard is perfectly appropriate.

Israeli passport photo - what to wear? 

You should wear anything you want, just avoid wearing light-colored clothing or uniforms as it could get your application rejected.

Another tip is, you should always wear something over your shoulders - otherwise you will look naked, and it can get your photos rejected. 

Biometric photo for the Israeli passport - children 

When leaving Israel with their parents, relatives or friends, children need their own passport. Their age doesn’t matter. Children are not excluded from these regulations. Every child is also required to have an individualised photo of them taken within the past month. It can be a challenge to get a proper picture of small kids, but it is a must. Among the other regulations mentioned above, a few other specifics you should pay attention to are described here:

• Children must be on their own in the picture with no other objects or people. Toys, bottles and pacifiers or any other objects cannot be photographed with your child
• Babies shouldn’t be holding toys or dummies
• Children under 6 don’t have to look directly at the camera or have a neutral expression
• Children who are a year old or younger don’t have to have their eyes open. If their head is supported by a hand, the hand can’t be visible in the photo
• The child can be placed on the floor or you can have them sit in a car seat to assure a good position

Digital passport photo checker

To ensure that your digital passport photo satisfies government requirements, it is best to validate it. For this purpose, use the digital passport photo checker. Our tool allows you to check the photo online. Just attach the file and the app will verify its correctness according to the specifications for the Israeli passport application (background, Israeli passport photo size, centering, lighting).

Israeli passport photo near me

There are some guidelines for an Israeli passport photo, but you don't have to go to a professional photographer to make sure your photo is accepted. Ask someone with a smartphone or digital camera to take the photo of you and upload it online to our photo tool. You can stay home and save plenty of time to do your house chores or relax. The validator will check whether the image is eligible for the requirements or not. You'll only be paying for the final photos you approve.

A tool for the Israeli passport photo

Did you know that if your Israeli passport photo does not meet all of the official requirements, official authorities can reject it?

The Israeli passport photo must be recent, no items should be seen in the background, the focus should be on your face, and the illumination must be on either side of your face. These are only a few specifications that must be fulfilled by your passport photo before being submitted. Not everyone is proficient in photo editing techniques, and here comes our Passport Photo Online with this easy-to-use passport photo editing app! We will remove the background, crop the image to the size needed, and prepare a printable Israeli passport photo template for you!

Israeli passport photo: how to prepare it? 

If you want to use your smartphone to take a photo for the Israeli Passport photo, you can use our online app. It can modify the background and adjust the dimensions to meet the requirements. With this passport photo maker, you don’t have to remember all the size and measurement rules, because the online app prepares the photo for you.

There are three easy steps to prepare your Israeli Passport photograph:

1. Ask somebody to take a photo of you. Show a neutral expression and keep your mouth closed. Remember, selfies are forbidden.
2. Upload the picture to our online photo editor and choose the appropriate kind of photo.
3. Wait a moment - the tool will be processing your photo. After a few minutes, your Israeli Passport photo will be ready. 

Keep in mind that we guarantee your passport picture will be accepted.

Take the Israeli passport photo by yourself!

A photo taken at a drugstore or photo booth is not the only way to obtain a correct picture for your Israeli Passport application. By using our photo tool, you will be able to take the photo yourself with only your smartphone. This is an online program in which you upload a photo taken with your smartphone. The image is analysed to check its accuracy in accordance with the requirements for Israeli passport photos. If the photo meets the requirements, the program automatically removes the background and sends you a photo ready to be attached to your application.

AI supported validation tool for your Israeli passport photo

What happens if the program detects that your photo is not correct? You can then try again - as many times as necessary to ensure that the image meets the technical and composition specifications for passport photos. As soon as this passport photo tool has checked that the photo is correct, it will remove the background and send you the photo by email.

Photo app for Israeli Passport on Android and iPhone

You can use our Passport Photo Online application, whatever your smartphone's operating system is. You can download it on Samsung, LG, Huawei, HTC, Lenovo and Sony's Google Play Store or from your iPhone's AppStore.

It's simple, convenient and, most importantly, it has built-in software for verification. Thanks to this, you’re not taking the risk that your application photo will be rejected. Thanks to this technology, your application has a better chance of being approved.

We have developed a passport photo generator that responds to the needs of our customers, whether they need a digital or printed photo. A printable passport photo template, i.e. a file that is ready to be printed in 4x6 inch (10 x 15 cm) format, will be prepared for you by the passport photo creator - so you will get four 35x45 mm photos on one photo of a postcard size. For just a few cents, you can print it out at any photo-printing store. Our passport photo converter offers a delivery option if you prefer to get the printed passport photos delivered straight to your location. Download the photo tool online and see for yourself!

With our online cropping tool, converter, and resizer, create a passport photo and save yourself time and cash.

Last update: 10/1/22