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Estonia aliens passport photo requirements

The 40 × 50 mm photo rules set by Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) for the Estonia aliens passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Estonia aliens passport photo?

For an Estonian alien's passport (välismaalase pass) you supply a digital colour photo, not a print: at least 1300 x 1600 pixels, a JPEG between 1 MB and 5 MB, unedited and taken within six months. Head and shoulders show, chin to crown takes up 70 to 80% of the height, and the background is flat, light and of one colour. A photo from the PPA booth at a service office or an upload in the self-service portal both work.

The alien's passport is a travel document the Republic of Estonia issues to certain foreigners. It goes to people who hold a valid Estonian residence permit or right of residence and who can show that they have no travel document from a foreign country and cannot obtain one. It is valid for up to 10 years, and applicants aged 12 and up give fingerprints, which become part of the passport.

Applications are handled by the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). Since September 2020, renewals and children's passports can be requested in the PPA self-service portal, where the form is largely pre-filled and you add a document photo under six months old. You can also apply at a PPA service office, alone or together with a residence permit card.

The photo must meet the same Minister of the Interior regulation as Estonian citizens' documents. It is digital: you take it in a service office booth, upload your own file, or email it to the PPA.

Estonia aliens passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Police and Border Guard Board (PPA):[1]

Print sizeDigital photo, no print size (40 x 50 mm prints were required until April 2019); paper only in justified cases
Digital sizeAt least 1300 x 1600 pixels
Head height70 to 80% of the photo height from chin to top of head
Eye lineBetween 50% and 70% of the height, measured from the bottom edge
BackgroundPlain light colour, flat and contrasting with face and hair; light grey, light blue, beige or light brown suggested
ColourColour
Photo ageUnder 6 months old (up to 12 months at the PPA's discretion)
File size1 to 5 MB
File formatJPEG (.jpg or .jpeg)
Pixels when printed472 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm50 mm35–40 mm
40 × 50 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 35–40 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain light colour.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

The photograph must be a colour photograph and unedited

Requirement and instructions for the document photo[5]

Key requirements

  • Contrast with your face and hair

    The background has to be flat, of one tone and light, and it must contrast with the colour of your face and hair. The regulation suggests light grey, light blue, beige or light brown. Patterns and stray objects behind you are not allowed.

  • Ear to ear, jaw to forehead

    Head and shoulders must be in the picture. Your face must be clearly visible from the lower jaw to the lower part of the forehead and from the right ear to the left ear, with only minimal shadows.

  • Piercings may show

    Nose and eyebrow rings and other facial decorations may appear if they do not stop you being identified. Hair and decorations must not hide the face or throw shadows on it.

  • Eyes fully open to view

    The iris and pupil of each eye must be clearly visible. Eyebrows must not shade the eye sockets, hair must not cross the eyes, and the line between the centres of the eyes must run parallel to the top and bottom of the photo.

  • Only you in the frame

    No other people or objects may appear. The photo must not be damaged or defective, and a scan of an existing photo is not accepted.

  • Health exceptions

    If a health condition makes a compliant photo impossible, the photo may be older than six months or deviate minimally from the pose and eye rules, but no one else may appear in it. You or your legal representative must prove the condition, and the PPA decides whether the exception is justified.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check that your residence permit is valid for at least six more months before applying online.
  • Pick a background that stands out from your hair and skin.
  • Keep both ears and your jawline clear of hair and shadow.
  • Look straight at the lens with a neutral face.
  • Bring proof if a health condition prevents a standard photo.

Don't

  • Do not let hair or ornaments hide your face.
  • Do not let anyone else appear in the photo.
  • Do not submit a scan of an older picture.
  • Do not wear tinted glasses without a medical reason.
  • Do not edit the image.

Sample photos

How a Estonia aliens passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 50 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

Spectacles are fine when your eyelids, eye openings and irises remain plainly visible and the frames do not hide the face. Make sure the lenses do not pick up reflections from lights or a flash. Toned or tinted lenses need a justified medical reason.

Headwear and religious dress

The PPA asks you not to wear headwear or headphones in the photo. If your religion requires a head covering, the regulation allows it provided the face is clear from the lower jaw to the top of the forehead and the covering casts no shadow. Hand in, with the photo, the Ministry of the Interior's written assessment on whether your religious beliefs make wearing it mandatory.

Babies and children

An alien's passport for a child can also be requested in the self-service portal, using the same digital photo rules. The PPA recommends a photographer's studio for children up to seven, since a small child may not keep looking at the booth camera long enough.

The regulation allows for age: the eye line may be as low as 40% of the height for a child under 11, and a baby under one year may deviate minimally from the position, expression and eye requirements where that cannot be avoided. Fingerprints are taken from 12.

A photo taken in the booth at a PPA service office is already digital and can be used for 183 days for applications at any office or in the self-service portal. If you take the photo yourself, upload a colour JPEG of at least 1300 x 1600 pixels and 1 to 5 MB. For an office application you can also email the digital file to the PPA.

Paper prints were the norm until April 2019, when the 40 x 50 mm requirement was replaced. A photo on high-quality paper is now accepted only in justified cases, and only if it still meets the digital limits once digitised.

Where to submit the photo

Self-service portal: available for an adult's renewal and for a child's alien's passport if your residence permit is still valid for at least six months. Sign in with your residence permit card and a card reader, Mobile-ID or internet banking; a name change must already be in the population register.

Service office: bring an identity document and reserve a time if you wish. Every office accepts expedited applications, but those passports can be collected only in Tallinn. Fingerprints are taken at the office. If someone else is to collect the passport, hand in the authorisation together with the application; they will need their own valid Estonian identity document and your old passport.

How to get your Estonia aliens passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Estonia aliens passport: 40 × 50 mm print, 1300 × 1600 px digital file, plain light colour background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: contrast with your face and hair; ear to ear, jaw to forehead; piercings may show; eyes fully open to view.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. A photo taken in the booth at a PPA service office is already digital and can be used for 183 days for applications at any office or in the self-service portal. If you take the photo yourself, upload a colour JPEG of at least 1300 x 1600 pixels and 1 to 5 MB.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Self-service portal: available for an adult's renewal and for a child's alien's passport if your residence permit is still valid for at least six months.

Make this photo online

Estonia aliens passport photo FAQ

A digital colour photo of at least 1300 x 1600 pixels, saved as a JPEG of 1 to 5 MB, taken no more than six months before you apply. Chin to crown fills 70 to 80% of the height, on a flat, light background of one tone.

Yes, through the PPA self-service portal, provided your residence permit is valid for at least another six months. You can renew your own alien's passport or apply for a child's. Otherwise apply at a PPA service office.

A photo taken in a PPA service office booth can be used for 183 days for applications made at any service office or in the self-service portal. A photo you took yourself must be under six months old when you apply.

The regulation allows an older photo or minimal deviations from the pose and eye rules when a health condition makes a standard photo impossible, as long as nobody else appears in it. The condition must be proved, and the PPA decides whether to accept the photo.

Yes. Nose and eyebrow rings and other facial decorations may be visible if they do not prevent your unambiguous identification. They must not cover your face or cast shadows on it.

EU entry rules ask non-EU nationals for a valid travel document and, unless they hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen country, a visa. The alien's passport is the travel document; your Estonian residence permit covers the second part.

Related photo specifications

Other Estonia documents

Residence and work permits nearby

Also 40 × 50 mm

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Official sources

  1. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). Alien's passport for an adult: what is it? politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). Alien's passport for an adult: applying through the self-service portal politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). Alien's passport for an adult: applying at a service office politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). You can now apply for an alien's passport and residence permit card through the self-service portal politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). Requirement and instructions for the document photo politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Riigi Teataja. Isikut tõendava dokumendi väljaandmise taotlemisel fotole esitatavad nõuded (regulation No 62) riigiteataja.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. European Union, Your Europe. Travel documents for non-EU nationals europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Estonia aliens passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/estonia/aliens-passport-photo

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