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Estonia resident digital identity card photo requirements

The 40 × 50 mm photo rules set by Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) for the Estonia resident digital identity card, 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 Estonia resident digital identity card photo?

The e-Residency digital ID application takes an uploaded photo only: a colour JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg) between 1300 x 1600 and 6000 x 7380 pixels, from 1.0 MB to 5.0 MB, taken within the last six months. Your face fills 70 to 80% of the picture against a plain light-coloured background. No selfies, no tinted lenses and no changes made with software. The photo is used to verify your identity and is not printed on the card.

The e-resident's digital ID is issued by Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) to foreign nationals with a justified interest in using Estonian e-services. It is a digital document for identifying yourself and signing electronically; it gives no right to live in Estonia. Cards issued since 1 May 2018 are valid for five years. The e-Residency programme, run at e-resident.gov.ee, promotes the scheme and explains the process, but the application and the photo check are handled by the PPA.

You apply entirely online in the PPA e-service. Allow about 30 minutes and have ready a copy of your passport or EU identity card, a digital colour photo, your CV or a link to it, and a Visa or Mastercard card for the state fee. By law you must fill in and submit the application yourself, so agents and service providers cannot apply for you.

There is no paper photo at any stage. The programme recommends ordering a digital passport-style photo from a photographer's studio or a photo booth, though a photo taken at home is also accepted if it follows the PPA's rules for face photos.

Estonia resident digital identity card photo size and specifications

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

Print sizeNo print: upload a digital file only; the photo is not printed on the card (40 x 50 mm prints were dropped in 2019)
Digital size1300 x 1600 to 6000 x 7380 pixels (width x height)
Head heightFace takes up 70 to 80% of the photo
BackgroundPlain light-coloured background, in clear contrast with you
ColourColour
Photo ageNot older than 6 months
File size1.0 MB to 5.0 MB
File formatJPEG only (.jpg or .jpeg); renaming a file from another format is not enough
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-coloured background.

In the official words

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

The photo must be: unaltered by computer software

Rules for face photos[1]

Key requirements

  • A pixel window, not a single size

    The upload must be at least 1300 pixels wide and 1600 pixels tall, and no bigger than 6000 by 7380 pixels. You can check a file's pixels by right-clicking it, opening Properties and looking under Details.

  • JPEG means JPEG

    Only .jpg and .jpeg files are accepted. Changing the extension of a PNG or another format does not convert it; the portal will refuse the file until it has really been converted.

  • Automatic checks on upload

    The portal runs automated checks when you add the photo. You may still proceed with a photo it questions, but a non-compliant photo makes processing take longer, you may be asked for a new one, and it can lead to a refusal to issue the card.

  • No selfies

    A selfie distorts the shape of your head and shows a mirror image of your face. Ask a friend or family member to take the photo, with the camera at the same level as your face.

  • Original file only

    A scanned photo, or a photo of a photo, is not accepted. Photographing your passport photo, for example, does not count. The application asks for an original digital photo of your face.

  • Close-up with contrast

    Frame a clear close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders. Stand out clearly from a plain light background, with no shadows on your face or behind you, no red eye, no other people or objects, and no marks, creases or scratches.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Check the pixel size in the file properties before uploading.
  • Convert the photo properly to .jpg or .jpeg.
  • Have someone else take the picture.
  • Keep your mouth closed and your expression plain.
  • Name your religious community in the application if you wear a religious head covering.

Don't

  • Do not upload a selfie.
  • Do not photograph or scan a printed photo.
  • Do not alter the photo with computer software.
  • Do not upload a file larger than 6000 x 7380 pixels or 5.0 MB.
  • Do not confuse the face photo with the travel document copy, which has its own file rules.

Sample photos

How a Estonia resident digital identity card 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

Glasses are allowed, with conditions. Your eyes must be clearly visible, the frames must not cover them (the PPA suggests avoiding heavy frames), the lenses must show no flash reflection, and tinted lenses are not accepted.

Headwear and religious dress

Leave your head uncovered unless the covering is worn for religious or medical reasons, and keep anything else off your face. Hair must not fall in front of your eyes.

For a religious head covering, e-Residency applicants have an easier route than other document applicants: instead of a written assessment from the Ministry of the Interior, you state in the application the name of the religious association you belong to. The PPA may still ask for the ministry's assessment.

Everything is digital. The face photo is uploaded in the application and checked against the rules; the e-Residency programme states it will not be printed on your digital ID card. That makes the pixel and file-size limits the whole specification.

Keep the two uploads apart. The face photo must be a JPEG of 1.0 to 5.0 MB, while the copy of your travel document may be JPG, JPEG or PNG but no bigger than 1.3 MB, and PDFs are not accepted. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to fit the pixel window, as long as the result is not otherwise altered.

Where to submit the photo

Apply in the PPA e-service for the e-resident's digital ID and choose where to collect the card: a PPA service office in Estonia, an Estonian embassy, or a mobile pick-up point run by the PPA or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Honorary consuls cannot issue it, because they cannot take fingerprints.

You collect the card in person with a valid foreign travel document, and your fingerprints are taken there. Nobody can collect it for you, the card cannot be posted to your home, and changing the pick-up location afterwards costs an extra fee. Where needed, the PPA may hold a video interview with you before deciding.

How to get your Estonia resident digital identity card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Estonia resident digital identity card: 40 × 50 mm print, 6000 × 7380 px digital file, plain light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: a pixel window, not a single size; jPEG means JPEG; automatic checks on upload; no selfies.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Everything is digital. The face photo is uploaded in the application and checked against the rules; the e-Residency programme states it will not be printed on your digital ID card. That makes the pixel and file-size limits the whole specification.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply in the PPA e-service for the e-resident's digital ID and choose where to collect the card: a PPA service office in Estonia, an Estonian embassy, or a mobile pick-up point run by the PPA or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Make this photo online

Estonia resident digital identity card photo FAQ

A digital file between 1300 x 1600 pixels and 6000 x 7380 pixels, in .jpg or .jpeg format, from 1.0 MB to 5.0 MB. No printed size applies, because you only upload the photo and it is never printed on the card.

The PPA says failed uploads are usually caused by the wrong file format or pixel size. Only real JPEG files between 1300 x 1600 and 6000 x 7380 pixels pass; renaming a PNG to .jpg is not enough. If the file is correct and still fails, try another browser, then contact the PPA with the file attached.

No. The e-Residency programme explains that the photo is used to verify your identity and is not printed on the e-Residency digital ID card. The PPA stores your facial image and fingerprints in Estonia's automated biometric identification system.

Yes, but not as a selfie, which distorts your head and mirrors your face. Ask someone else to take it, follow the PPA rules for face photos, and check the pixel size. The programme recommends a photographer's studio or photo booth to avoid delays.

Yes. Reapplying repeats the full application, including a new face photo and a copy of your travel document. The PPA says digital certificates on cards issued between 10 December 2021 and 16 August 2023 will be revoked on 9 December 2026, and recommends that affected e-residents reapply.

No. Under the Identity Documents Act, the application must be submitted in person through the PPA self-service, so you fill it in and upload the photo yourself. Someone else may pay the state fee for you.

Related photo specifications

Other Estonia documents

Identity cards nearby

Also 40 × 50 mm

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Official sources

  1. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). Rules for face photos eresident.politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). E-Resident's digital ID: what is it? politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). E-Resident's digital ID: applying through e-service politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). E-Resident's digital ID: frequently asked questions politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). E-Resident's digital ID: pick-up politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). E-Resident's digital ID: cards issued until August 2023 politsei.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. e-Residency of Estonia. How to apply for Estonian e-Residency e-resident.gov.ee. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. Riigi Teataja. Isikut tõendava dokumendi väljaandmise taotlemisel fotole esitatavad nõuded (regulation No 62) riigiteataja.ee. 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 resident digital identity card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/estonia/resident-digital-identity-card-photo

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