Austria driving licence photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt) for the Austria driving licence, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Austria driving licence photo?
An Austrian driving licence needs one portrait photo of 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) in which you are clearly recognisable, meeting the passport photo criteria where possible, handed in by the theory test at the latest. The licence regulation describes the photo as 28 to 35 mm wide and 36 to 45 mm high with the whole head shown. Photographers may supply licence photos in black and white, and the card itself shows the photo laser-engraved in black and white.
The Austrian driving licence (Führerschein) is a polycarbonate card in credit-card format, issued by the driving licence authority. In cities that have a state police department (Landespolizeidirektion) and no district authority, that department is responsible, which in Vienna means the LPD Wien traffic office; elsewhere it is the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft), and in Krems and Waidhofen an der Ybbs the Magistrat. Learner drivers apply through their driving school, and the competent authority is then the one for the district in which the school is located.
The same photo rule applies whenever a new card is made: a first licence, a duplicate after loss or theft, the voluntary swap of an old paper licence, the conversion of a foreign licence and the renewal of a time-limited one. The federal citizens' portal lists one photo in portrait format, 35 mm x 45 mm, in which the holder is clearly recognisable, if possible meeting certain passport photo criteria. For a first licence it must be with the authority by the theory test at the latest.
The card is produced centrally at the state printing works. The photo is laser-engraved into it in black and white, and a scanned copy is stored in the central driving licence register. Card licences issued since 19 January 2013 are valid for 15 years, which LPD Wien explains is to keep the photo on the licence up to date.
Austria driving licence photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), portrait; the regulation allows 28 to 35 mm wide and 36 to 45 mm high |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital upload: hand in a printed photo with the application |
| Background | Passport criteria where possible: plain light background, ideally grey, no pattern |
| Colour | Colour under the passport criteria, but photographers may supply licence photos in black and white |
| Photo age | A current photo (LPD Wien); the passport criteria say no older than 6 months |
| Print quality | Passport criteria: smooth, glossy paper without surface texture |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- One portrait photo by the theory test
The federal portal asks for one photo in portrait format, 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, in which you are clearly recognisable. For a first licence it must reach the authority by the theory test at the latest. If you learn with a driving school, the application is normally made through the school.
- The size range in the regulation
The Driving Licence Implementing Regulation (FSG-DV) has the card carry a photo between 36 and 45 mm high and between 28 and 35 mm wide, with the head recognisable and shown in full. LPD Wien quotes the same range for licences converted from outside the EEA. A standard 35 x 45 mm photo falls inside it.
- Passport criteria, where possible
The portal adds "if possible" to the passport photo criteria, so a licence photo is judged less strictly than a passport photo. The professional photographers' guild marks two criteria of its quality seal, a head about two-thirds of the photo height and 8 to 10 mm between the eyes, as not applying to the driving licence.
- Black and white is accepted
The guild reminds photographers that driving licence photos may also be supplied in black and white. The social insurance card service notes that photos are laser-engraved in black and white on the licence, just as on the identity card.
- A recognisable photo keeps the licence valid
Under the Driving Licence Act (FSG), a licence is invalid if the photo is missing or no longer shows the holder clearly. You then apply for a duplicate with a new photo. LPD Wien adds that old licences stay valid until January 2033 only while your photo on them is still easy to recognise.
- Regional wording
Some offices add details of their own. District authorities in Upper Austria ask for a passport photo, 35 x 45 mm portrait, from a photo shop (translated from German) when you apply for a duplicate, and LPD Wien asks for a current passport photo with any card application.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Hand in one 35 x 45 mm portrait photo by your theory test.
- Follow the passport photo criteria as far as you can.
- Show your whole head, from the top of the hair to the chin.
- Use a recent photo that looks like you now.
- Book an online appointment before going to LPD Wien.
- Take your old licence along when you swap it for a card.
Don't
- Do not crop off the top of your head or your chin.
- Do not hand in a photo in which you are hard to recognise.
- Do not wear glasses with wide frames or reflecting lenses.
- Do not keep using a licence whose photo no longer shows you clearly.
Sample photos
How a Austria driving licence photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
The licence pages set no separate rules for glasses, so the passport criteria apply where possible: wearing glasses must not stop your eyes being seen clearly. The photographers' guild is more specific for its quality seal, which licence photos can carry: no glasses with wide frames, better none at all, no reflections in the lenses over the eyes, and no part of a pupil covered by the frame.
Whether you need glasses to drive is a separate matter. If the medical check finds that you do, the licence records it as a code on the card, 01.01 for glasses; the code, not the photo, is what sets that condition.
Headwear and religious dress
The passport criteria, which the licence follows where possible, allow a head covering worn for religious reasons. They ask for a frontal view with a neutral expression, uncovered eyes and the head neither tilted nor turned, and the guild's checklist adds that the head must be fully visible and the face not hidden by hair or clothing.
The licence regulation itself requires the head to be recognisable and shown in full, so keep any covering clear of your face.
Printed and digital photos
Austrian licence applications take a printed photo, and no official page describes an upload for applicants. The card is made at the state printing works, where the photo is laser-engraved into it, and a scanned copy of your photo and signature is kept in the central driving licence register.
That register copy is reused: the social insurance system takes it for the e-card when no passport or identity card photo is on file, and card-licence holders can prove their licence digitally with their E-ID under the Driving Licence Act. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed at a photo counter. Licence photos carrying the photographers' guild seal are used by the authorities without further checks.
Where to submit the photo
Learner drivers apply through their driving school. A card swap or a duplicate can be handled by any driving licence authority in Austria. At the state police departments an online appointment is recommended, and LPD Wien sees people in person only by appointment. In Vienna you can have the new card posted to you if you hand in the old licence; production and dispatch take about five working days.
After reporting a lost or stolen licence, the confirmation counts as a substitute for eight weeks, but only in Austria. If you are abroad without taking up residence there, or have moved to a country outside the EEA, the competent Austrian embassy or consulate can take a duplicate application.
How to get your Austria driving licence photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Austria driving licence: 35 × 45 mm print, passport criteria where possible: plain… background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one portrait photo by the theory test; the size range in the regulation; passport criteria, where possible; black and white is accepted.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Austrian licence applications take a printed photo, and no official page describes an upload for applicants.
- Submit the photo with your application. Learner drivers apply through their driving school. A card swap or a duplicate can be handled by any driving licence authority in Austria.
Austria driving licence photo FAQ
One portrait photo of 35 x 45 mm. The federal portal asks for that size, and the licence regulation allows a photo between 28 and 35 mm wide and 36 to 45 mm high, as long as your head is recognisable and shown in full.
Yes. A photo that meets the Austrian passport criteria is what the portal asks for where possible, and it is the same 35 x 45 mm size. Make sure it still looks like you, since LPD Wien asks for a current photo.
Yes. The professional photographers' guild tells its members that driving licence photos may also be delivered in black and white. The photo is engraved into the card in black and white in any case.
Yes. The swap follows the card application procedure, which lists one 35 x 45 mm portrait photo along with official photo ID and your old licence. Swapping is voluntary: unlimited paper licences stay valid until January 2033.
It can be. The social insurance system takes e-card photos from official registers in a fixed order. Passport, identity card, ID Austria and registered e-card photos come first; the photo from your card driving licence is used only when none of those is available.
The Driving Licence Act says a licence is invalid if the photo is missing or no longer shows the holder clearly. The federal portal lists an unrecognisable photo as a reason to apply for a duplicate, which needs a new 35 x 45 mm photo.
Card licences issued since 19 January 2013 are valid for 15 years. LPD Wien says the limit exists to keep the photo on the licence current, so a new card, with a new photo, is needed when it expires.
Related photo specifications
Other Austria documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Civil engineer ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- ÖBB card photo
- Weapons passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Bicycle passport photo 25 × 30 mm
- E-card photo 35 × 45 mm
Driving licences nearby
- Belgium driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
- France driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
- Germany driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
- Netherlands driving licence 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 Austria photo specifications
- Driving licences: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). General information about getting a driving licence oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Scheckkartenführerschein – Beantragung oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Führerschein – Duplikat oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Ausländischer Führerschein – Umschreibung oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Scheckkartenführerschein – Kartenelemente und Sicherheitsmerkmale oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Passbildkriterien oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS). Führerscheingesetz-Durchführungsverordnung (FSG-DV) ris.bka.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS). Führerscheingesetz (FSG) ris.bka.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Landespolizeidirektion Wien (BMI). Scheckkartenführerschein polizei.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Landespolizeidirektion Wien (BMI). Umschreibung ausländischer Führerscheine polizei.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Bundesinnung Berufsfotografie (WKO). Vergabe des Passfoto-Gütesiegels wko.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Land Oberösterreich (Bezirkshauptmannschaft Schärding). Schärding – Duplikat eines Führerscheines land-oberoesterreich.gv.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Dachverband der Sozialversicherungsträger (chipkarte.at). Weitere Fragen zur e-card mit Foto chipkarte.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Austria driving licence photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/austria/driving-licence-photo