Saudi Absher ID photo requirements (JPEG, 1 MB, 2:3)
Updated 2026-09-20
Last checked: 2026-09-20. Verify with the official source before submitting.
Absher, Saudi Arabia's e-government platform, lets citizens and residents update the photo used for the national ID and, for residents, the Iqama. The conditions Absher itself has stated, in a reply from its official X account, are short: the photo must be JPEG, no larger than 1 MB, with dimensions in a 2:3 ratio, in colour, on a white background.
What Absher has not published is a pixel size. Third-party guides fill the gap with conflicting numbers (200 x 240, 640 x 480, and others), and none of them is confirmed. This guide sticks to the ratio and size rules from Absher, uses a 2:3 example of 800 x 1200 pixels in the resizer preset, and labels every unofficial figure as such.
Requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| File format | JPEG | Absher official X account |
| File size | 1 MB or less | Absher official X account |
| Dimensions | Ratio 2:3 (width:height); no pixel size published | Absher official X account |
| Colour and background | Colour photo, white background | Absher official X account |
| Common rejection reasons | Wrong ratio, non-white or greyscale background, over 1 MB or wrong format, filters or retouching | Aalejha (Saudi guide site, third-party) |
| Preset used here | 800 x 1200 px (a 2:3 example; pixel size not officially published) | ratio from Absher; size chosen by GivenTool |
| Unverified: 200 x 240 px, 5 to 20 KB / 100 KB max | Third-party blog figure; contradicts Absher's 2:3 and 1 MB; not confirmed | wisemixmedia blog (unverified) |
| Unverified: 640 x 480 px | Photo-tool preset; landscape 4:3, does not match 2:3; not confirmed | Visafoto preset (unverified) |
Open the tool with these settings
Ratio only: Absher has not published a pixel size. Centre-crops to 2:3 and saves as JPEG.
Only needed if the resized file is over 1 MB. Target set to 976 KB in case the form counts 1 MB as 1,000,000 bytes.
All tools linked here run in your browser; the photo is never uploaded to GivenTool.
The conditions Absher has stated
Replying to a user's question, the official Absher account listed the conditions for the national ID photo service: format JPEG; size not exceeding 1 MB; dimensions in multiples of 2 x 3 (a 2:3 ratio); colour with a white background. The Saudi guide site Aalejha restates the same four rules and lists the usual reasons a photo is refused: wrong ratio, a background that is not white or a greyscale image, a file over 1 MB or in the wrong format, and filters or retouching. Aalejha also notes that Absher gives no fixed pixel value.
The 2:3 ratio means the height is one and a half times the width: 400 x 600, 800 x 1200, 1000 x 1500 all qualify. A phone photo in 3:4 is slightly too wide for it, so the resizer trims a little from each side.
Pixel sizes you will see elsewhere, and why they are unverified
A 2026 blog post states 200 pixels wide by 240 high, "between 5 KB and 20 KB or a maximum of 100 KB", .jpg only, and reports that Absher rejects .webp and .heic. That is a 5:6 ratio, not 2:3, and the size band contradicts Absher's own 1 MB figure; we could not find an Absher page stating it, so treat 200 x 240 as unverified. A photo-tool site sells a "Saudi Absher ID card photo" at 640 x 480, which is landscape 4:3 and also does not match the 2:3 rule; that figure is unverified too.
When sources conflict, follow the issuer. Absher says 2:3, JPEG, 1 MB, white background. A 800 x 1200 JPEG satisfies all four, is large enough for any reasonable display, and at normal quality is 150 to 400 KB, well under 1 MB. If the upload form itself displays a pixel requirement when you use it, that on-screen figure overrides everything here.
Step by step
Take or choose a colour photo against a plain white wall, facing the camera, without filters. The background rule is enforced by review, not by the file check, so it has to be genuinely white.
Open the resizer with the Absher 2:3 preset (800 x 1200, JPG). If you already know a different pixel size from the form, use exact-pixel mode with the same 2:3 ratio.
Check the result card: dimensions in 2:3 and size under 1 MB. If your custom size pushed it over, run the "compress to 1 MB" tool; 976 KB is a safe target if the form counts 1 MB as 1,000,000 bytes.
Upload the JPEG through the Absher app or website.
Frequently asked questions
Is 800 x 1200 the official Absher size?
No. Absher has published the 2:3 ratio, JPEG format, 1 MB limit and white background, but no pixel size. 800 x 1200 is simply a 2:3 size that is large enough for an ID and small enough to stay under 1 MB.
A blog says 200 x 240 and under 20 KB. Should I follow that?
We could not verify it and it contradicts Absher's own statement (200 x 240 is not 2:3, and 20 KB is far below the 1 MB limit). If the upload form shows a requirement on screen, follow the form; otherwise follow Absher's stated ratio and size.
Does Absher accept HEIC or WebP?
Absher states JPEG, and a third-party guide reports that .webp and .heic uploads are rejected. Convert to JPEG first; the resizer does this automatically.
Can I make the background white with an app?
Absher lists filters and retouching among rejection reasons and requires a white background. The safest route is a real white wall with even lighting; automated background replacement can leave halos that a reviewer will notice.
Is the photo uploaded to GivenTool?
No. Resizing and compression run in your browser. The only upload is the one you make to Absher.
This guide summarises published requirements for convenience. It is not legal advice and GivenTool is not affiliated with any government. The issuing authority's page is the only authoritative source.
Last checked: 2026-09-20. Verify with the official source before submitting.