Aruba passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Government of Aruba for the Aruba passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Aruba passport photo?
The Dutch passport issued in Aruba takes a printed colour photo of 35 x 45 mm, handed in at the Civil Registry (DBSB) when you apply in person. Aruba's pages point to the Fotomatrix Model 2007: head 26 to 30 mm from chin to crown (from age 11), a plain light grey, light blue or white background, mouth closed, and an unedited print on smooth photo paper at 400 dpi or more. The photo must be recent.
People who live in Aruba and hold Dutch nationality travel on the Dutch passport. The Government of Aruba issues it through the Civil Registry and Population Register Department (Dienst Burgerlijke Stand en Bevolkingsregister, DBSB, also known as Censo) in Oranjestad. You must apply in person, be entered in the Aruba population register and actually live on the island. There is a walk-in desk at the head office in Schoolstraat 2, and appointments are booked online for the office at L.G. Smith Boulevard 66.
The photo is a printed colour photo that you bring with you. The government's passport page tells applicants to contact a recognised photographer because of the strict guidelines, but it does not make a studio compulsory. What counts is the Fotomatrix Model 2007, the acceptance criteria for photos in Dutch travel documents, which the page links. The office decides whether a photo is good enough, and it does not process the application if the photo fails, so you would have to come back with a new one.
The Government of Aruba hosts its own copy of the matrix, a leaflet of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior printed in September 2014. The Netherlands itself now works from a 2020 edition, but the Aruban pages still send you to the 2007 model, so this page follows what they say. If a detail is unclear, ask the DBSB before you pay for prints.
Aruba passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Government of Aruba:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), width x height, printed |
|---|---|
| Digital size | None published: the application pages describe a printed photo handed in at the counter |
| Head height | 26 to 30 mm chin to crown from age 11; 19 to 30 mm up to age 10; face 16 to 20 mm wide |
| Background | Light grey, light blue or white; even, one colour, no gradient or shadow, enough contrast with the head |
| Colour | Colour photo (the application pages ask for a "pasfoto in kleur") |
| Photo age | Recent: the Aruban pages give no number of months |
| Print quality | Smooth, high-quality photo paper, at least 400 dpi; sharp, undamaged, not a copy, not edited |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
Not a copy. Not edited. Printed on high-quality, smooth photo paper. (translated from Dutch)
Key requirements
- Head 26 to 30 mm, face 16 to 20 mm wide
From age 11 the distance from chin to crown must be at least 26 mm and at most 30 mm. The width of the face, measured from the base of one ear to the base of the other, must be 16 to 20 mm. Up to and including age 10 the minimum chin-to-crown length is 19 mm. Staff can check the measurement by laying a positioning transparency over the photo.
- A plain, light backdrop
The background is light grey, light blue or white. It must be even and a single colour, with no gradient and no shadow, and the head must stand out from it. The matrix warns that weak contrast gives a vague image on the passport, because the photo appears in black and white on the document and is stored in colour on the chip.
- Colour, sharp and genuine
The photo must be in colour, a good likeness, natural-looking, sharp, with enough contrast and detail in the face, and undamaged. It must not be a copy and must not be edited. The matrix illustrates faults with black and white, optical distortion, an unnatural look, low contrast and blur.
- Smooth paper, 400 dpi
The print must be on high-quality, smooth paper made for photographs, without relief or other bumps that could disturb the picture of the face. The minimum resolution is 400 dpi. The matrix addresses that figure to whoever makes the photo, who judges whether the printed image is of comparable optical quality.
- Straight, neutral, mouth closed
Head and shoulders face the camera squarely, the eyes lie on a horizontal line and the head is not tilted. Look straight into the lens with a neutral expression and a closed mouth. A broad smile or an open mouth is not allowed, although you do not have to look stern. Support for a small child must stay out of sight, for example by keeping a hand under the child's clothing.
- Even light, nothing reflecting
Light the face and the background evenly. Shadows in the face, especially around the eyes, and reflections or white spots from flash, shiny skin, sweat, glasses or jewellery are faults, and hairbands or earrings must not reflect. The whole head must be shown and centred; only a very large hairdo may be partly cut off.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Bring one recent colour print to the counter.
- Check the head against the 26 to 30 mm range.
- Choose a light grey, light blue or white backdrop.
- Keep your mouth closed and look into the lens.
- Print on smooth photo paper at 400 dpi or more.
- Ask the DBSB if a point in the matrix is unclear.
Don't
- Do not hand in a copy of a photo.
- Do not edit or retouch the picture.
- Do not use a black-and-white photo.
- Do not smile broadly or open your mouth.
- Do not wear glasses with tinted lenses.
- Do not cover your head unless an exception applies.
Sample photos
How a Aruba passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
You may wear glasses as long as your eyes are fully visible. The matrix asks for completely transparent lenses, no distracting reflection from the glasses and no shadow. Neither the frame nor the lenses may cover the eyes in any way. If a disturbing reflection cannot be avoided, the matrix says the glasses must come off.
Headwear and religious dress
Your head must be uncovered. A head covering is allowed only on religious, philosophical or medical grounds, and the Aruban page says the issuing office decides whether an exception applies. Even then the other criteria stay in force: the face must be completely visible, the eyes included, and the matrix does not require the ears to show as long as the sides of the face can be seen.
Hair that falls over the eyes or otherwise hides the face is also a fault, because it can hinder automated face recognition.
Babies and children
For a child under 6 the Aruban page says more relaxed requirements apply, called the minimum requirements. In the matrix this means every criterion applies except the posture rules (eyes on a horizontal line, head not tilted, shoulders straight) and the expression rules (neutral look, looking into the camera, mouth closed). A baby may therefore smile or have the mouth open, though the face must still be fully visible.
Up to and including age 10 the head may be shorter, from 19 mm chin to crown. A child must attend the application to be measured, and a parent or guardian with authority signs the consent at the counter.
Printed and digital photos
The Aruban pages describe a paper process. You hand in a printed colour photo with the application, and the office digitises it so that the face can also be stored on the chip of the passport. Neither page mentions an upload or an e-mail route for the photo.
If you take the picture yourself, a digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter, on smooth photo paper at 400 dpi or better. The print must still pass every other test: sharp, undamaged, not a copy and not edited.
Where to submit the photo
Apply in person at the DBSB in Oranjestad. Either walk in at the head office in Schoolstraat 2, or book an appointment through the online system linked from the government's passport page and go to the office at L.G. Smith Boulevard 66. The page says people aged 65 or over who have no digital option can phone for an appointment or walk in. Bring your expired passport and the photo. The new passport is collected in person at Schoolstraat 2, and collection cannot be booked as an appointment.
An emergency passport or laissez-passer is requested from the Cabinet of the Governor of Aruba, but only after you have applied for the national passport at the DBSB. The pages read do not say what photo that office wants, so ask it before you go. The Dutch government's own page lists the Cabinet of the Governor and the civil affairs department as the places to apply in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, while the Aruban pages send ordinary passport applications to the DBSB.
How to get your Aruba passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Aruba passport: 35 × 45 mm print, light grey background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: head 26 to 30 mm, face 16 to 20 mm wide; a plain, light backdrop; colour, sharp and genuine; smooth paper, 400 dpi.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The Aruban pages describe a paper process. You hand in a printed colour photo with the application, and the office digitises it so that the face can also be stored on the chip of the passport. Neither page mentions an upload or an e-mail route for the photo.
- Submit the photo with your application. Apply in person at the DBSB in Oranjestad. Either walk in at the head office in Schoolstraat 2, or book an appointment through the online system linked from the government's passport page and go to the office at L.G. Smith Boulevard 66.
Aruba passport photo FAQ
It is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), width first, as stated in the Fotomatrix Model 2007 that the Government of Aruba links. From age 11 the head measures 26 to 30 mm from chin to crown and the face 16 to 20 mm across. Up to age 10 the minimum head length is 19 mm.
The government page advises contacting a recognised photographer because of the strict guidelines, but it does not say a studio is compulsory. The office decides whether your photo meets the Fotomatrix. If it does not, the application is not processed and you must supply a new photo.
The Aruban pages describe a printed colour photo handed in with the application and mention no upload or e-mail route. A digital photo is therefore only useful as the source of a print on smooth photo paper at 400 dpi or more.
The Aruban pages say only that the photo must be recent and give no number of months. The Dutch government's page on Dutch travel documents says the photo may be no more than 6 months old at the date of application, so a photo of that age is the safer choice.
Yes, if your eyes are fully visible. The lenses must be completely transparent, with no distracting reflection and no shadow from the frame. If the reflection cannot be avoided, take the glasses off for the photo.
Light grey, light blue or white. The background must be even and one colour, without a gradient or shadow, and there must be enough contrast between the head and the backdrop.
Yes. For a child under 6 the Aruban page applies the minimum requirements in the Fotomatrix: the posture and expression rules are dropped, so the head may tilt and the mouth may be open. The photo must still be sharp, in colour and show the face fully.
At the Civil Registry and Population Register Department (DBSB) in Oranjestad, in person. Walk in at Schoolstraat 2, or book an appointment for L.G. Smith Boulevard 66. You must hold Dutch nationality and be registered and living in Aruba.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Bahamas passport photo 2 × 2 in
- Barbados passport photo 50 × 50 mm
- British Virgin Islands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cayman Islands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cuba passport photo 45 × 45 mm
- Dominica passport photo 38 × 45 mm
- Dominican Republic passport photo 50 × 50 mm
- Guadeloupe passport photo 35 × 45 mm
Also 35 × 45 mm
- Afghanistan visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Anguilla passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Antigua and Barbuda passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Armenia visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- All Aruba photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in North America
Official sources
- Government of Aruba. Paspoort gobierno.aw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Government of Aruba. Paspoort (Reizen vanuit Aruba) gobierno.aw. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, hosted by the Government of Aruba. Fotomatrix Model 2007: acceptatiecriteria voor de pasfoto in de Nederlandse reisdocumenten (PDF) cuatro.sim-cdn.nl. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Government of the Netherlands. Requirements for photos government.nl. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. Eisen aan de pasfoto voor paspoort of ID-kaart rijksoverheid.nl. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. Hoe kan ik een paspoort of identiteitskaart aanvragen? rijksoverheid.nl. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Government of Aruba before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Aruba passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/aruba/passport-photo