Belgium passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium for the Belgium passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Belgium passport photo?
A Belgian passport photo measures 35 x 45 mm and must be in colour: black and white is accepted for identity cards but not for passports. The head takes up 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, against a light, plain background, with a neutral face and the mouth shut. It must be no more than six months old and unedited. Many communes, embassies and consulates now take the photo at the counter, so ask before you bring one.
Belgian passports are issued under the authority of the FPS Foreign Affairs. If you are registered in a Belgian commune, you must apply there. Belgians registered with an embassy or consulate can apply at that post, at any other Belgian embassy or consulate, or at a commune in Belgium: the last one where they lived, their birthplace, or a commune of their choice if neither applies. An adult passport is valid for 7 years and a minor's for 5 years.
The FPS warns that passport photos must meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which are stricter than in the past, and that a commune has to refuse a photo that does not comply. The detailed criteria are set out in a photo matrix drawn up by the FPS Foreign Affairs and the FPS Home Affairs, which also governs the eID, the Kids-ID and residence cards. The passport is the one document in that matrix for which a black-and-white photo is not accepted.
You do not always need to bring a photo: the FPS says many embassies, consulates and communes now take the passport photo themselves. The photo and your signature are printed on the identity page, and from age 12 two fingerprints, usually the index fingers, are stored on the chip. None of the FPS passport pages describes uploading a file or a code sent by a photographer.
Belgium passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), width x height, printed |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload or photographer code: bring a print, or the commune, embassy or consulate takes the photo at the counter |
| Head height | 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown (70 to 80% of the photo height), head centred |
| Background | Light-coloured, plain and even, without shadow or colour gradient, contrasting with the head |
| Colour | Colour only; black and white is refused for passports |
| Photo age | No more than 6 months old |
| Print quality | Smooth high-quality photo paper, at least 400 dpi; 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:
The quality is good if: photo no more than 6 months old; in colour; natural rendering; sharp, sufficient contrast and detailed; undamaged; no copy; not edited (translated from Dutch)
Key requirements
- Colour is compulsory
The passport photo must be in colour. The joint photo matrix accepts black-and-white prints for identity cards and residence documents but names passports as the exception, so a black-and-white print that would pass for an eID is refused for a passport.
- The four FPS basics
The FPS sums up the standard in four rules: a neutral expression with the mouth shut and no smile; head and shoulders straight, directly in front of the camera; the face totally uncovered, with forehead, chin and the sides towards the ears visible; and the eyes perfectly visible.
- Head 31 to 36 mm
The face, measured from chin to crown, must be 31 to 36 mm long, which is 70 to 80% of the 45 mm height. The head must appear complete and centred. The matrix accepts that very full hair may not fit entirely inside the frame.
- A real, unedited print
The matrix asks for a natural rendering, sharp detail and enough contrast, on a photo in good condition that is not a copy and has not been edited. It must be printed on smooth, high-quality paper made for photographs, and the 400 dpi minimum is addressed to the photographer, who must judge whether the print reaches it.
- Even light, no glare
Light the face and the background evenly, without under- or overexposure, shadows or red eyes. White spots on the face are refused; the matrix names flash, shiny skin, sweat, glasses and jewellery as typical causes of reflections.
- It must stay a likeness
The FPS says a passport can no longer be used once the photo stops resembling the holder, and flags this as a particular concern for young children. Plan a new passport, with a new photo, when a child has changed a lot.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Ask your commune or consulate whether it takes the photo itself.
- Use a colour photo taken within the last six months.
- Keep your mouth shut and your expression neutral.
- Face the camera with head and shoulders straight.
- Keep both eyes level, on a horizontal line.
- Pick a light, plain background that contrasts with your hair.
- Bring a photo for a toddler who cannot sit still.
Don't
- Do not use a black-and-white photo.
- Do not edit or retouch the photo.
- Do not hand in a photocopy of a photo.
- Do not wear tinted or reflective glasses.
- Do not keep a scarf or thick coat on if it spills into the background.
- Do not smile or show your teeth.
Sample photos
How a Belgium 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
Glasses are allowed if your eyes are perfectly visible. The FPS rules out reflecting and tinted lenses and asks for frames that are neither too large nor too close to the eye line. The matrix adds that the lenses must be completely transparent, that the frame must not hide any part of the eyes, and that the glasses must not cast shadows.
If reflections in the lenses or on the frame cannot be avoided, you must take the glasses off. The FPS goes further and suggests removing them for the photo even if you wear them every day, to avoid any difficulty at the counter. The glasses section of the matrix points to its exceptions for objective physical or medical reasons, which the official may ask a doctor to confirm in writing.
Headwear and religious dress
The standard photo is taken bareheaded. If religious reasons prevent you from appearing without a head covering, the matrix lifts only the "bare head" criterion: everything else still applies, so the whole face must stay visible, including the sides where the ears begin. The ears themselves do not have to show.
Objective physical or medical reasons can also justify a photo that does not meet every criterion. If the official has serious doubts about the reason given, you may be asked for a statement signed by a doctor or an approved medical institution. The French version of the FPS photo page also asks you to take off scarves and heavy winter coats, which can intrude on the background.
Babies and children
For babies and children under 6 the matrix relaxes two groups of criteria. The eyes need not be on a horizontal line and the head and shoulders need not be straight, and the child need not keep a neutral expression, look straight into the lens or close the mouth. Every other rule still applies, and any hand holding the child must not be visible: the matrix suggests hiding it under the clothes or behind the head.
Children sign the passport from age 6, once they can write their name, and give two fingerprints from age 12. For young children who cannot sit still and look ahead, the FPS recommends bringing a photo rather than relying on the counter camera. Abroad, a child has to appear in person at the embassy or consulate only from the age of 6.
Printed and digital photos
Your photo reaches the passport in one of two ways. Either you bring a printed photo, which the official checks against the photo matrix and scans, or the commune, embassy or consulate photographs you at its own counter. The FPS pages read in November 2026 describe no file upload and no code that a photographer sends electronically.
Communes are adding counter cameras one by one. Welkenraedt, for example, started on 24 April 2026 for identity cards, residence cards and passports, and still accepts photos that people bring themselves. If you bring a print, have it made on smooth photo paper rather than plain paper. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
Where to submit the photo
In Belgium, apply at the passport service of the commune where you are registered. A very urgent procedure counter in Brussels handles reapplications made under that procedure. Abroad, apply at the embassy or consulate where you are registered or at any other Belgian embassy or consulate; an application lodged elsewhere is passed on to your own post, which can lengthen delivery.
Embassies and consulates can register your biometrics free of charge in advance, after which you have one year to apply through your own post without another visit. You can also ask for the biometric data to be kept for seven years, which allows a duplicate after a production error, loss or theft without appearing in person. Several posts run mobile biometric kits that visit areas with large Belgian communities.
How to get your Belgium passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Belgium passport: 35 × 45 mm print, light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: colour is compulsory; the four FPS basics; head 31 to 36 mm; a real, unedited print.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Your photo reaches the passport in one of two ways. Either you bring a printed photo, which the official checks against the photo matrix and scans, or the commune, embassy or consulate photographs you at its own counter.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Belgium, apply at the passport service of the commune where you are registered. A very urgent procedure counter in Brussels handles reapplications made under that procedure.
Belgium passport photo FAQ
It is 35 x 45 mm, width by height. The head must measure 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, which is 70 to 80% of the photo height, and sit in the centre. The eID, Kids-ID and residence cards use the same dimensions.
Not always. Many communes, embassies and consulates take the passport photo themselves, so check before your appointment. If you bring one, it must be a recent colour photo that meets the ICAO-based matrix, or the commune has to refuse it.
No. The joint photo matrix accepts black-and-white photos for identity cards and residence documents, but not for passports. Bring a colour print taken within the last six months.
No. Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed: the matrix forbids a broad smile or an open mouth, even slightly open, and your teeth must not show. Only children under 6 are exempt from this rule.
Yes, if your eyes are fully visible through clear lenses, with no glare or shadow and a frame that does not sit on the eye line. Tinted lenses are refused. The FPS suggests taking glasses off for the photo to avoid problems.
Not according to the FPS Foreign Affairs and FPS Home Affairs pages read in November 2026. They describe only a printed photo that you bring or a photo taken at the counter by the commune, embassy or consulate.
In practice, yes. The FPS says a passport becomes unusable once the photo no longer resembles the holder and points out that this matters especially for young children, whose features change quickly within the 5-year validity.
Related photo specifications
Other Belgium documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Kids-ID photo 35 × 45 mm
- Driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
- Residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Austria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- France passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Germany passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Luxembourg passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Monaco passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Netherlands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Switzerland 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 Belgium photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium. Quality requirements for the photo diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium. Qualité exigée pour votre photo diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium. Ordinary passport diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium. Biometrics and passport applications for Belgians living abroad diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium. Biometrics and European regulations diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- FPS Foreign Affairs and FPS Home Affairs, Belgium. Voorschriften voor de foto's (fotomatrix, 2016) diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- FPS Foreign Affairs and FPS Home Affairs, Belgium. Exigences pour les photos (matrice photo, 2016) diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Commune de Welkenraedt. Nouveau Live Enrollment : photo prise au guichet welkenraedt.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- IBZ. Photo matrix ibz.rrn.fgov.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- IBZ. FAQ on photos ibz.rrn.fgov.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- IBZ. eID ibz.rrn.fgov.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- IBZ. Kids-ID ibz.rrn.fgov.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- City of Aalst. Electronic identity card (eID) aalst.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Municipality of Steenokkerzeel. Passport photo standards steenokkerzeel.be. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Belgium passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/belgium/passport-photo