Denmark photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 5 documents issued in Denmark, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Most Danish documents use a 35 x 45 mm photo. The passport, the plastic ID card (legitimationskort) and the driving licence all set a head height of 30 to 36 mm and a light background, and Borgerservice in each kommune handles them. Visas and residence permits from Danish missions often ask for one 35 x 45 mm print as well as biometrics taken in person. The seafarer's discharge book takes a digital photo that follows the passport rules.
Overview
A Danish passport photo is a 35 x 45 mm print, in colour or black and white, with the head 30 to 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the hair against a plain light background such as light blue or light grey; there is no digital upload, so you hand in the print or have Borgerservice or an embassy take the photo.
Five Danish documents need a photo, and several authorities handle them. Borgerservice in each kommune issues passports, the voluntary plastic ID card and the driving licence; all three use the same 35 x 45 mm format with a 30 to 36 mm head, and some kommuner photograph you at the counter. For the driving licence you arrange the photo yourself or have it taken at Borgerservice for a fee, and Færdselsstyrelsen sets the rules. Danish embassies photograph passport applicants aged 12 and over themselves.
The Danish Maritime Authority issues the seafarer's discharge book online only and asks for a life-like digital photo that meets the passport rules. Visas go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its missions and VFS Global, and residence permits through the Danish Immigration Service and SIRI; for both, your face and fingerprints are recorded in person, and many missions also ask for a printed photo no older than six months.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain, uniform light colour such as light blue… |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | Light background |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 35 × 45 mm | — | Light background with no shadows or other motifs |
Driving licences
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving licence | 35 × 45 mm | — | Uniform light colour, with no shadows or motifs |
Other documents
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seafarer's discharge book | 35 × 45 mm | — | Uniform background |
Frequently asked questions
The passport, the ID card, the driving licence and most visa checklists use 35 x 45 mm. For the passport, ID card and driving licence the head must measure 30 to 36 mm in height, and the Embassy in Islamabad uses the same range for visas.
Some kommuner offer it. Copenhagen photographs passport applicants for a fee and takes the ID card photo at the appointment, with the photo included in the card fee. Several municipalities also take driving licence photos. Ask your own Borgerservice before you get a print made.
The seafarer's discharge book. The Danish Maritime Authority takes applications only online, with a life-like digital photo on a uniform background that follows the passport regulations, and its My Maritime app can take the picture.
The police publish a single guide for passport and driving licence photos, so the same photo rules apply to both, and Færdselsstyrelsen lets you bring either a licence photo or a passport photo. Copenhagen charges for one photo if you order both at the same location within 30 days.
The municipalities do, at Borgerservice, under rules set by Færdselsstyrelsen. You supply a 35 x 45 mm photo with the application or have one taken there for a fee.
No. The police guide for passport and driving licence photos accepts colour or black and white. Visa checklists are different: the Embassy in Islamabad, for example, asks for a colour photo on a light background.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Northern Europe:
- Åland Islands
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- Guernsey
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Norway
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Official sources
- Danish Police (Rigspolitiet). Krav til pas- og kørekortfoto politi.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Danish Police (Rigspolitiet). Foto pas og kørekort (illustrated photo guide, PDF) politi.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Justice, via Retsinformation. Bekendtgørelse om pas m.v. (BEK nr. 2693 af 28/12/2021) retsinformation.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Færdselsstyrelsen (Danish Road Traffic Authority). Foto og dokumentationskrav fstyr.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- borger.dk (Danish Agency for Digital Government). Pensionistbevis og legitimationskort af plastik borger.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Danish Maritime Authority. Discharge book dma.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. How to apply for a visa um.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Denmark photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/denmark