Bulgaria photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 4 documents issued in Bulgaria, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Bulgaria photographs its own applicants: for the passport, the identity card and residence permits, the Ministry of Interior or a consulate captures your face at the counter. The legal print standard for these documents is 35 x 45 mm on neutral light grey, used only where no camera is available. Visas are the exception: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for a professional 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm) colour print on a light background.
Overview
Two ministries handle the documents covered here. The Ministry of Interior issues passports and identity cards to Bulgarian citizens through its Bulgarian Identity Documents units, and residence permits and EU family residence cards to foreigners through its Migration Directorate. Embassies and consulates of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accept passport and identity card applications from citizens abroad and issue visas to foreigners.
The Bulgarian Identity Documents Act and its regulation set one photo standard for Bulgarian identity and residence documents: 35 x 45 mm, a face 31.5 to 36 mm tall, a light grey background, matte paper and no retouching. In practice the officer captures the face digitally, so citizens and residents rarely need a print at all. Visa applicants still hand in a printed photo, made professionally, with the face filling 70% to 80% of the frame.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Counter capture: not specified |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | Light-coloured background |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 35 × 45 mm | — | Prints: neutral light grey, 20% grey density… |
Residence and work permits
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence permit | 35 × 45 mm | — | Prints: neutral light grey of 20% grey density |
Frequently asked questions
Visas always do: one 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photo on a light background, professionally made. Passports, identity cards and residence permits are photographed at the counter; a print meeting Annex 5 of the regulation is used for identity cards and residence documents only where no capture equipment exists.
Both use 35 x 45 mm. For a passport, though, no print is used because the official captures your face, while a visa needs a print with the face filling 70% to 80% of the photo.
Annex 5 to the regulation on Bulgarian identity documents sets a neutral light grey background of 20% grey density, allowed between 15% and 25%. Visa photos follow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rule of a light-coloured background instead.
Normally no. Embassies and consulates capture the face, signature and fingerprints digitally. For identity cards the regulation keeps a print option at missions without capture equipment.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Eastern Europe:
Official sources
- Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria, Bulgarian Identity Documents Directorate. Издаване на паспорт (issuing a passport) mvr.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria. Правилник за издаване на българските лични документи (regulation with Annex 5) mvr.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Visa for Bulgaria mfa.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Bulgaria photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/bulgaria