Austria ID card photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt) for the Austria ID card, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Austria ID card photo?
The Austrian identity card (Personalausweis) takes the same photo as the passport: a 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) colour picture no older than six months that follows the BMI criteria. The head fills roughly two-thirds of the frame, never more than 36 mm, against a plain light background, preferably grey. Black-and-white prints are refused. You apply in person, and from age 12 your fingerprints go on the card's chip.
The Personalausweis is Austria's identity card. It is issued by the same passport authorities as the Reisepass, so you apply at a district authority, a city Magistrat or one of Vienna's municipal district offices, whichever is convenient. Some municipalities that are not passport authorities also take applications from people registered there. Austrians abroad apply at the embassy or consulate responsible for their main residence, or at selected honorary consulates for an extra fee. The application must be made in person.
The card has a chip that stores your personal data and the photo, and from the 12th birthday your fingerprints are stored on it as well. An adult's card is valid for ten years. It can replace a passport only where the destination's entry rules accept identity cards, as the BMI points out, while an Austrian driving licence is not a travel document at all.
For the picture, the BMI applies one set of criteria to the passport, the identity card and the residence title. In short: 35 mm wide, 45 mm high, colour, at most six months old, a frontal view with a neutral face and a light, plain background. A print is the usual way to hand it in. Authorities connected to eBild can also retrieve a photo that a registered photographer has uploaded, using the code you are given.
Austria ID card 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 |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload by applicants; a print, or an eBild code from a registered photographer |
| Head height | Roughly 2/3 of the height, never over 36 mm chin to crown (about 30 to 36 mm) |
| Eye line | Looking directly into the camera, eyes open; at least 8 mm between eye centres |
| Background | One light colour, preferably grey, no pattern, no shadows, enough contrast to hair and face |
| Colour | Colour; black-and-white photos are not accepted for the identity card |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 6 months |
| Print quality | Glossy, smooth photo paper with no texture, printed at high resolution, free of creases, stains and stamps |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- One standard for three documents
The BMI publishes a single set of photo criteria for the Reisepass, the Personalausweis and the residence title. A picture that is right for your passport is right for your identity card too, as long as it is still under six months old on the day you apply.
- Colour, never black and white
The BMI states that black-and-white photos cannot be used for the passport, the identity card or the residence title. Colours must look natural, without red eyes or a colour cast.
- Head no taller than 36 mm
From chin tip to crown, the head should cover roughly two-thirds of the photo and stay within 36 mm. The sample board shows heads that are too large, too small or off-centre as faults.
- Gaze and expression
Look directly into the camera with both eyes open and clearly visible. Hair must not cover the eyes, nose or mouth. The picture must be a frontal view with a neutral face and closed mouth; a half profile, a raised gaze or a tilted head is refused.
- Plain light background
Choose a single light colour, preferably grey, that contrasts with your face and hair. The sample board marks a busy background, shadows behind the head and a background that blends into the hair as faults.
- Sharp, evenly lit print
The face must be in focus throughout, evenly lit and free of shadows and reflections. Prints that are blurred, too light, too dark or low in contrast are refused, and so are pixelated prints with too low a resolution.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Reuse a passport photo if it is less than six months old.
- Face the camera head-on with a neutral expression.
- Pick a light grey background that contrasts with your hair.
- Have the photo printed on glossy, smooth photo paper.
- Bring your child to the appointment, even a newborn.
Don't
- Do not use a black-and-white print.
- Do not let hair fall across your eyes or face.
- Do not keep on tinted glasses or sunglasses.
- Do not wear a hat or cap unless for religious or medical reasons.
- Do not include another person, or a parent's hand, in a child's photo.
Sample photos
How a Austria ID card 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 can keep your glasses on for an identity card photo, provided your eyes remain clear and distinct. Glare on the lenses, tinted lenses and sunglasses are not accepted, and neither the frame nor the edge of the lenses may hide any part of your eyes. The BMI sample board shows a lens that is too dark, a reflection and a frame across the eyes as three separate faults.
Headwear and religious dress
Headwear is normally refused on the identity card photo. The BMI makes exceptions for religious and medical reasons, and its summary on the passport and identity card page says head coverings are allowed only for those two reasons.
When an exception applies, the face must remain visible from the lower edge of the chin to the forehead, and the covering must not throw any shadow onto it.
Babies and children
A child can have an identity card from birth. A parent or guardian applies and must prove the right to represent the child, and the child has to attend for identification, even as a baby. A card issued before the second birthday is valid for two years, one issued between the second and 12th birthdays for five years, and one issued from the 12th birthday for ten years. Fingerprints are only taken from age 12.
The child must be alone in the photo, with the face fully visible and the eyes open. The official criteria on oesterreich.gv.at allow departures from the rules only where a person's stage of development or physical condition does not permit anything else, which in practice concerns babies and toddlers.
Printed and digital photos
Most applicants hand in one printed photo at the appointment. It must be on high-quality, glossy, smooth paper without a surface pattern and printed at a high resolution, because the authority uses it to produce the card. A digital photo can be printed at exactly 35 x 45 mm on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
The eBild system offers an electronic route through professional photographers. The photographer uploads the image, you receive a code, and the authority fetches the file with it. The operator's information sheet, published by the City of Linz, says eBild serves the authorities that issue photo ID and has been available at Austrian authorities since 1 January 2020; check with your passport authority if you plan to use it for an identity card.
The card's photo can also save you a trip later: if you hold an Austrian Personalausweis, the social insurance system can take the photo for your e-card from it, so you do not have to bring one.
Where to submit the photo
Apply at any passport authority in Austria, regardless of where you live: a district authority, the Magistrat of a city with its own statute or a municipal district office in Vienna. Some municipalities accept identity card applications too, provided you are registered as living there. Bring the photo, an eBild code if your authority uses it, and the documents listed for your situation.
From abroad, apply at the Austrian embassy or consulate responsible for your main residence. Selected honorary consulates also accept applications, for an additional fee. In every case the application has to be made in person.
How to get your Austria ID card photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Austria ID card: 35 × 45 mm print, one light colour background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one standard for three documents; colour, never black and white; head no taller than 36 mm; gaze and expression.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Most applicants hand in one printed photo at the appointment. It must be on high-quality, glossy, smooth paper without a surface pattern and printed at a high resolution, because the authority uses it to produce the card.
- Submit the photo with your application. Apply at any passport authority in Austria, regardless of where you live: a district authority, the Magistrat of a city with its own statute or a municipal district office in Vienna.
Austria ID card photo FAQ
Yes. The BMI applies the same photo criteria to the Reisepass, the Personalausweis and the residence title, and oesterreich.gv.at lists the same 35 x 45 mm colour photo, no older than six months, for both the passport and the identity card.
35 mm wide by 45 mm high, in portrait format. Within that frame the head should take up about two-thirds of the height and must not measure more than 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the head.
Yes, from the 12th birthday. The fingerprints are recorded when you apply and stored on the card's chip together with your personal data and photo. Younger children's cards carry no fingerprints.
No. The BMI requires children to appear alone in the photo, with the whole face visible and the eyes open. If you hold a baby up, make sure no part of you is in the picture.
No. The BMI states that black-and-white photos cannot be used for the passport, the identity card or the residence title, and the official criteria require a colour photo with natural skin tones.
It can be. The e-card service says that if you have an Austrian Personalausweis, a photo is usually available from it, so you do not need to bring one for your e-card. Its online check shows whether a usable photo is on file.
Yes. Apply in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate responsible for your main residence; some honorary consulates also take applications for an extra fee. You need the same 35 x 45 mm colour photo, no older than six months.
Related photo specifications
Other Austria documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Civil engineer ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Driving licence 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
Identity cards nearby
- Austria civil engineer ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Belgium ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Belgium Kids-ID photo 35 × 45 mm
- France ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Germany ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Netherlands ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Switzerland ID card 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
- Identity cards: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Personalausweis oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Personalausweis für Minderjährige oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Ausstellung eines Personalausweises (im Ausland) oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt). Passbildkriterien (Lexikon) oesterreich.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI). Passbild-Kriterien bmi.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI). Fotomuster für Ausweisdokumente (sample board, version 14.04.2022) bmi.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI). Reisepass bmi.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Dachverband der Sozialversicherungsträger (chipkarte.at). e-card: Foto bringen chipkarte.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Magistrat Linz (sheet by the operator, Asgard Technology). Informationsblatt zum eBild System linz.at. Checked 1 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 ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/austria/id-card-photo