Denmark seafarer's discharge book photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Danish Maritime Authority for the Denmark seafarer's discharge book, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Denmark seafarer's discharge book photo?
The Danish seafarer's discharge book (søfartsbog) takes a digital photo, not a print. The Danish Maritime Authority asks for a life-like photo against a uniform background that follows the Danish passport photo rules: a 35 x 45 mm portrait format with the head 30 to 36 mm from chin to top of hair, a light background, both eyes visible and the mouth closed. You attach it to the online application or take it in the My Maritime app.
The søfartsbog documents that its holder is a Danish seafarer, in line with ILO Convention No. 108 on seafarers' national identity documents. It is issued by the Danish Maritime Authority (Søfartsstyrelsen) to Danish citizens aged 16 or over, under the executive order on discharge books (no. 1523 of 8 December 2016). Danish seafarers are not obliged to hold one, but the authority recommends it as a record of seagoing service.
It is still a physical book. The order requires the master, at the seafarer's request, to fill in and sign the necessary endorsements, written clearly and without abbreviating the names of ships or towns. The authority posts the finished book to you, normally within a week, and you can give a different delivery address in the application.
Applications are digital only. The order says you apply through the authority's digital application system and attach a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport, driving licence or most recent discharge book, together with a photo that is a good likeness. The fee is paid with the application.
Denmark seafarer's discharge book photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Danish Maritime Authority:[1]
| Print size | No print needed; the photo follows the passport rules, a 35 x 45 mm portrait format |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Digital photo attached online or taken in the My Maritime app; no pixel size is published |
| Head height | Passport rules: 30 to 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the hair |
| Background | Uniform background; the passport rules ask for a light background without shadows |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- A life-like photo
The order asks for a photo that is a good likeness (vellignende billede), and the authority's English page calls it a life-like photo. The scanned page from your passport, driving licence or old discharge book is a separate attachment, so do not reuse that scan as your photo.
- Uniform background
The Danish Maritime Authority asks for a uniform background. Because the photo must also follow the passport regulations, use a plain, light background without shadows, patterns or other people, as the police passport guide shows.
- Passport rules apply
The authority states that the photo must be in accordance with the passport regulations. Those rules call for a straight-on portrait of the face and the top of the shoulders, both eyes visible and looking at the camera, mouth closed, even light and no headwear except for religious reasons.
- Online application only
You apply through the authority's self-service solution, and its page asks you to have your NemID and a credit card at hand. The book is issued after the application is processed, and you are entered in the authority's register of seafarers.
- Photo from the app
In the authority's My Maritime app you can take a picture of yourself and attach it to your profile. Take it in even light, square to the camera, with the phone far enough away to show your shoulders.
- Who qualifies
You must hold Danish citizenship and be at least 16 years old. The authority states that the Danish discharge book is issued only to Danish nationals.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a current, life-like photo of yourself.
- Stand in front of a plain, uniform background.
- Follow the Danish passport photo rules for pose and lighting.
- Scan the photo page of your passport, driving licence or last discharge book.
- Have your payment card ready when you apply online.
Don't
- Do not post a paper photo; the application is digital.
- Do not reuse the scanned passport page as your photo.
- Do not wear a cap or hat in the photo.
- Do not use a patterned or multicoloured background.
Sample photos
How a Denmark seafarer's discharge book 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
The Danish Maritime Authority publishes no glasses rule of its own, so the passport rules apply: lenses must not be tinted or reflect light, and the police guide asks for your eyes to be completely clear of the frame. Coloured lenses and frames across the eyes are shown as faults.
Headwear and religious dress
Under the passport rules the photo is taken without headwear. A head covering is allowed only for religious reasons, with the forehead, chin and cheekbones visible, and the police guide marks caps and hats as wrong.
Babies and children
There is no discharge book for children: the minimum age is 16. Young seafarers aged 16 and 17 use the same online application and the same photo rules as adults.
Printed and digital photos
The søfartsbog is applied for only online, so you need a digital photo file rather than a print. You can photograph yourself in the My Maritime app, or attach a photo you have taken or had taken elsewhere. The authority does not publish pixel dimensions or a file size. If you follow the passport format, crop to 35 x 45 mm proportions with the head 30 to 36 mm tall on that scale, against a plain background.
Where to submit the photo
Apply through the Danish Maritime Authority's self-service portal and pay there. If the authority needs more documents, reply to the email that carries your case number. Seafarers record their seagoing service themselves in self-service, and a record of seagoing service (fartstidserklæring) can be downloaded there or in the app.
If you lose the book, you can order a new one online, but the authority cannot transfer the seagoing service recorded in the old one.
How to get your Denmark seafarer's discharge book photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Denmark seafarer's discharge book: 35 × 45 mm print, uniform background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: a life-like photo; uniform background; passport rules apply; online application only.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The søfartsbog is applied for only online, so you need a digital photo file rather than a print. You can photograph yourself in the My Maritime app, or attach a photo you have taken or had taken elsewhere.
- Submit the photo with your application. Apply through the Danish Maritime Authority's self-service portal and pay there. If the authority needs more documents, reply to the email that carries your case number.
Denmark seafarer's discharge book photo FAQ
The Danish Maritime Authority gives no size of its own but says the photo must follow the passport regulations. The Danish passport format is 35 x 45 mm with the head 30 to 36 mm from chin to top of hair, so crop your digital photo to that shape and framing.
Yes. The authority's My Maritime app lets you take a picture of yourself and attach it to your profile. Stand square to the camera in even light against a uniform background, and check the result against the passport photo rules before you submit.
No. The executive order says applications go through the authority's digital application system, with a scanned identity page and a photo attached. No paper route is described for the søfartsbog.
Yes. The authority posts a physical discharge book, and the order still requires the master to fill in and sign endorsements in it when the seafarer asks. Seafarers also record their seagoing service digitally in the self-service system.
No. The order sets Danish citizenship and a minimum age of 16 as the conditions, and the Danish Maritime Authority states that the discharge book is issued only to Danish nationals.
Danish seafarers are not required to have one, according to the Danish Maritime Authority, but it recommends using a discharge book to document your seagoing service.
Related photo specifications
Other Denmark documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
Other documents nearby
- United Kingdom Blue Badge (disabled parking permit) photo
- United Kingdom PASS proof-of-age card photo 45 × 35 mm
- Austria bicycle passport photo 25 × 30 mm
- Austria e-card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Spain NIE card photo 26 × 32 mm
- Spain TIE card photo 26 × 32 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 Denmark photo specifications
- Other documents: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Danish Maritime Authority. Discharge book dma.dk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Danish Maritime Authority, via Retsinformation. Bekendtgørelse om søfartsbøger (BEK nr. 1523 af 08/12/2016) retsinformation.dk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Danish Maritime Authority, via Retsinformation. Bekendtgørelse om ændring af bekendtgørelse om søfartsbøger (BEK nr. 1068 af 27/09/2024) retsinformation.dk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Danish Police (Rigspolitiet). Krav til pas- og kørekortfoto politi.dk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Danish Police (Rigspolitiet). Foto pas og kørekort (illustrated photo guide, PDF) politi.dk. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Danish Maritime Authority before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Denmark seafarer's discharge book photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/denmark/seafarers-discharge-book-photo