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Belgium residence permit photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by FPS Foreign Affairs, FPS Home Affairs and Immigration Office, Belgium for the Belgium residence permit, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 8 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Belgium residence permit photo?

Belgian residence cards for foreign nationals use the same 35 x 45 mm photo standard as Belgian identity cards: head 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, light plain background, no older than six months, neutral face with the mouth closed. You apply at your commune, which issues the card under the rules of the Immigration Office. Some communes photograph you at the counter, but opening a residence file may still require printed photos.

Foreign nationals who live in Belgium hold an electronic residence card. The rules on these cards and residence documents fall under the Immigration Office of the FPS Home Affairs, while you apply for and collect the card at the commune where you live. The Flemish government lists 14 card types for EU and non-EU nationals aged 12 and over, among them the A, B, K, L, EU, EU+, F, F+, H, I, J, M and N cards.

The photo standard is shared with Belgian documents. The 2016 photo matrix, drawn up by the FPS Foreign Affairs and the FPS Home Affairs together with the Immigration Office, applies to passports, the Kids-ID, Belgians' eID cards and residence documents for foreigners, so the measurements and background match the Belgian eID. For the card itself, the Flemish government asks for one recent colour passport photo, no more than six months old, unless your commune takes the photo for you.

Since 15 January 2024, foreign children under 12 who are registered and entitled to stay in Belgium receive an electronic card instead of a paper identity document. Paper documents already issued stay valid until they expire.

Belgium residence permit photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by FPS Foreign Affairs, FPS Home Affairs and Immigration Office, Belgium:[1]

Print size35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), width x height
Digital sizeNo upload: hand in a print, or the commune takes it at the counter where it uses live enrolment
Head height31 to 36 mm from chin to crown (70 to 80% of the photo height)
BackgroundLight, plain and without shadow; uniform, with no colour gradient
ColourColour asked for on the card application; the 2016 matrix also accepts black and white
Photo ageNo more than 6 months old
Print qualityUndamaged, not a copy, not edited; smooth high-quality photo paper, at least 400 dpi
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm31–36 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 31–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: light.

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)

Voorschriften voor de foto's (fotomatrix, 2016)[2]

Key requirements

  • The commune issues, the Immigration Office sets the rules

    The FPS Home Affairs states that the rules on electronic cards for foreigners and on residence documents are a matter for the Immigration Office. The commune takes your application, captures your photo and hands over the card, and production and activation problems go to the National Register's Belpic helpdesk.

  • Printed photos for opening a file

    A counter camera does not cover every residence procedure. Welkenraedt, for example, still requires a traditional photo for arrival declarations, annexes 15 and 49, registration certificates, 9bis applications and EUROPA files, and Rijkevorsel says a paper photo may be needed for non-Belgians depending on the document and the situation.

  • Colour is the safe choice

    The 2016 matrix lists black and white as acceptable for every document except the passport, but the Flemish government page for the residence card asks for a colour photo. Bring colour to avoid being sent back.

  • Neutral face, looking at the lens

    The face must be clearly visible. Look straight into the lens with a neutral expression, the mouth closed and no smile, as the ICAO-based standard requires.

  • Same frame as the Belgian eID

    The print is 35 x 45 mm with the head 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, complete and centred, on a light background that contrasts with your head. Even lighting without shadows or reflections is part of the same matrix.

  • A child's card needs the child

    For a foreign child under 12, the parents or those with parental authority apply together with the child, who must be present so the photo can be compared. When collecting the card, a child aged 6 or over must come too.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Ask your commune whether it takes residence card photos at the counter.
  • Bring printed photos when you first register or open a residence file.
  • Use a recent colour photo, no more than six months old.
  • Look straight into the lens with your mouth closed.
  • Bring your passport or ID card and your annex to the appointment.
  • Take the PIN letter with you when you collect the card.

Don't

  • Do not reuse the photo from an expired card.
  • Do not smile or open your mouth.
  • Do not hand in a photocopy or a damaged print.
  • Do not cover your face, except as allowed for religious or medical reasons.
  • Do not wear tinted glasses.

Sample photos

How a Belgium residence permit 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.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Glasses follow the shared photo matrix: they are accepted when your eyes are fully visible through completely transparent lenses, the frame covers no part of the eyes, and there are no disturbing reflections or shadows. If reflections cannot be avoided, the matrix says the glasses must come off.

Tinted lenses appear among the rejected examples, so sunglasses are not an option. Physical or medical reasons can justify a departure from the criteria; where there are serious doubts about them, you may be asked for a statement signed by a doctor.

Headwear and religious dress

A head covering worn for religious reasons is allowed: the matrix keeps every other criterion and lifts only the requirement for a bare head. The face must stay fully visible, and the sides of the face must be uncovered enough to see where the ears begin, though the ears themselves need not show.

The Flemish government page for the card stresses the same point: your face must be clearly visible. Outside the religious and medical exceptions the matrix requires a bare head, so a cap or hat has to come off.

Babies and children

Since 15 January 2024, foreign children under 12 receive an electronic residence card rather than a paper certificate. It is valid for up to three years, possibly less if the child's right of residence is temporary, and it cannot run beyond the residence permit of the parent or legal representative.

The child's photo must be a recent colour passport photo, no more than six months old, meeting ICAO standards, with the face clearly visible and a neutral expression. The photo matrix relaxes the pose and expression rules for children under 6, and some communes ask for a printed photo rather than a counter photo for that age group. If the parents are separated, bring the custody order, or a signed authorisation if the person applying does not have custody.

Residence cards have no upload route. In most communes you hand in a print, which is scanned into the card application. Communes with live enrolment can photograph you at the counter: Welkenraedt offers it for residence cards since 24 April 2026, and Rijkevorsel lists the electronic residence card among the documents it photographs free of charge.

Because some procedures for foreigners still need a traditional photo, keep a few prints when you first register. 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

Apply at the population or foreigners' service of the commune where you live. For a renewal, bring your current residence card, or a certificate if it was lost or stolen. The FPS Home Affairs then sends the PIN code to your home address, and you collect the card where you applied.

In the City of Brussels, for example, the EU card for EU citizens, valid for five years, is applied for at the foreigners' office counter with a valid ID card or passport and Annex 8ter or Annex 19, and must be collected at the same place.

How to get your Belgium residence permit photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Belgium residence permit: 35 × 45 mm print, light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the commune issues, the Immigration Office sets the rules; printed photos for opening a file; colour is the safe choice; neutral face, looking at the lens.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Residence cards have no upload route. In most communes you hand in a print, which is scanned into the card application.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply at the population or foreigners' service of the commune where you live. For a renewal, bring your current residence card, or a certificate if it was lost or stolen.

Make this photo online

Belgium residence permit photo FAQ

One recent colour photo of 35 x 45 mm, no more than six months old, with your head 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown on a light plain background. It must meet the same ICAO-based matrix as Belgian identity card photos.

In some communes, yes. Those using live enrolment photograph you at the counter for residence cards, and the Flemish government says you only need to bring a photo if your commune does not take it. Ask when you book.

Some residence procedures still use a traditional photo even where the commune has a counter camera. Welkenraedt lists arrival declarations, annexes 15 and 49, registration certificates, 9bis applications and EUROPA files as examples.

No. The 2016 photo matrix covers all residence documents for foreigners, so the size, head height and background are the same whichever letter your card carries.

Yes. Since 15 January 2024 foreign children under 12 get an electronic card, and you must bring a recent colour photo of the child that meets ICAO standards. The child must attend the application.

Yes, for religious reasons, provided your whole face is visible, including the sides where the ears begin. All other photo criteria still apply.

Related photo specifications

Other Belgium documents

Residence and work permits nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. FPS Foreign Affairs, FPS Home Affairs and Immigration Office, Belgium. Exigences pour les photos (matrice photo, 2016) diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. FPS Foreign Affairs, FPS Home Affairs and Immigration Office, Belgium. Voorschriften voor de foto's (fotomatrix, 2016) diplomatie.belgium.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. FPS Home Affairs, National Register. Elektronische vreemdelingenkaart ibz.rrn.fgov.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Flemish Government. Elektronische vreemdelingenkaart vlaanderen.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Flemish Government. Electronic residence card for a non-Belgian child vlaanderen.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. City of Brussels. EU / EU+ / F residence card brussels.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Commune de Welkenraedt. Nouveau Live Enrollment : photo prise au guichet welkenraedt.be. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Gemeente Rijkevorsel. Pasfoto's nodig? rijkevorsel.be. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with FPS Foreign Affairs, FPS Home Affairs and Immigration Office, Belgium before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Belgium residence permit photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/belgium/residence-permit-photo

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