European Union passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union for the European Union passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the European Union passport photo?
There is no single EU passport photo. Each member state issues its own passport under a common EU security standard built on ICAO Doc 9303, which recommends a 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) portrait taken within 6 months. Germany and France ask for that size with the face 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown. Spain uses 26 x 32 mm on white, France bans white backgrounds, German offices take only digitally sent photos, and Sweden takes the photo itself.
An EU passport is really a national passport. Each member state issues its own, and Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 only sets the common floor: minimum security standards, a data page laid out under ICAO Document 9303 with the portrait built into the page, and a chip holding a facial image and fingerprints. The Regulation says nothing about photo size or background colour. Those rules, and the way the photo reaches the authority, are set by each country's passport office.
ICAO Doc 9303 supplies the shared technical baseline. A submitted portrait should measure 45 x 35 mm (height x width), be captured within the last six months, and never be digitally altered to change how the holder looks; issuers are advised not to accept portraits more than three months old. Germany, France and Ireland all work from a 35 x 45 mm frame, and the German and French rules put the face at 32 to 36 mm, which is 70 to 80% of the height.
Check your own country's rules before you take a picture. Spain sets 26 x 32 mm on a white background, France forbids white, Ireland accepts light grey, white or cream, Germany no longer takes paper photos for applications made in Germany, and Sweden photographs you at the passport office.
European Union passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) in most member states; Spain: 26 x 32 mm; Ireland prints: 35 x 45 to 38 x 50 mm |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Set nationally; Ireland online: at least 715 x 951 pixels |
| Head height | Face 70 to 80% of the height; Germany and France: 32 to 36 mm, chin to crown |
| Background | Plain, light-coloured; colour set nationally (France bans white, Spain requires white) |
| Colour | Colour in most countries; Ireland recommends black and white prints for paper forms |
| Photo age | Captured within the last 6 months (ICAO Doc 9303) |
| File size | Ireland online: up to 9 MB |
| File format | Ireland online: JPEG |
| Print quality | Photo-quality paper, no ink marks or creases; ICAO: at least 35 mm wide, eyes at least 10 mm apart |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
Digital enhancements or changes are not acceptable.
Key requirements
- Your country sets the photo rules
EU law harmonises passport security, not passport photos. Regulation 2252/2004 requires a facial image on the chip and a portrait integrated into the data page, and leaves the photo specification and the application process to each member state.
- The ICAO baseline
ICAO Doc 9303 recommends a submitted portrait of 45 x 35 mm, height by width, at least 35 mm wide with the eyes at least 10 mm apart. It must be captured within six months, printed on photo-quality paper without creases or ink marks, and resized only by cropping, never by stretching.
- Background colour varies
France forbids a white background and recommends a plain light colour such as light blue or light grey. Spain's passport decree requires a plain, uniform white background. Ireland accepts completely plain light grey, white or cream with enough contrast.
- Some countries take the photo for you
Sweden photographs every applicant at the police passport office. In Germany a studio photo is accepted only if it is sent electronically, or the office takes it on site. France requires a photo from an approved professional or an approved booth.
- Spain uses a smaller size
Spain's Royal Decree 896/2003 asks for a recent colour photo of 32 x 26 mm, height by width, on a plain white background, taken from the front without dark glasses. A Spanish consulate note adds that the width may go up to 40 mm.
- No edited photos
ICAO Doc 9303 says the passport portrait must not be digitally altered or enhanced to change the holder's appearance. Ireland's rules for online and paper photos both rule out digital enhancements or changes.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Read your own passport office's photo page before booking a photographer.
- In Germany, have the studio send the photo electronically or have it taken at the office.
- In France, use an approved photographer or booth and a light blue or light grey background.
- For a Spanish passport, ask for a 32 x 26 mm print on plain white.
- For an Irish online application, ask someone else to take the photo.
- Keep your mouth closed and your expression neutral.
Don't
- Do not assume one size fits every EU passport.
- Do not use a white background for a French passport.
- Do not take paper photos to a passport office in Germany.
- Do not take a selfie for an Irish online application.
- Do not wear tinted, dark or reflective lenses.
- Do not use filters, retouching or face-smoothing apps.
Sample photos
How a European Union passport 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
Most member states allow ordinary glasses as long as your eyes stay completely visible. France says you do not have to wear them; if you do, the frames must not be thick or hide your eyes, and the lenses must not be tinted, coloured or reflective. Ireland allows glasses if the frame covers no part of the eyes and there is no glare on the lenses, but dark glasses are not permitted.
Spain's passport decree rules out dark glasses and anything else that could prevent identification. Germany's sample board for biometric photos refuses reflections on the lenses, tinted glasses, sunglasses and frames that cross the eyes.
Headwear and religious dress
France requires a bare head: no hat, scarf or headband. Ireland allows a head covering worn for religious or medical reasons if your full facial features remain visible, and bans head accessories for any other reason.
Germany's sample board says passport applicants must generally be photographed without headwear, though the passport authority can make exceptions, especially for credible religious reasons; the face must then be visible from the chin to the forehead. A Spanish consulate note accepts a veil worn for religious reasons provided the whole face is clearly shown.
Babies and children
Babies and children need a passport and a photo of their own. Ireland suggests photographing an infant who cannot sit up lying on a plain white surface, with no hands or arms of the person supporting the child in view and no soother. Its online service may ask you to frame the face of a child under 36 months with a cropping tool.
A Spanish consulate note gives similar advice: lay the baby on a white sheet so no supporting hands appear. In Sweden, children and teenagers must come to the police passport office in person like adults, and the photo is taken there.
Printed and digital photos
Each country has its own channel. In Germany, since 1 May 2025, citizens' offices no longer take passport and identity card photos on paper: a photographer sends the image through a secure electronic channel, or the office takes it at a terminal on site. Self-made prints, and digital photos you bring on your own storage device, cannot be used. German missions abroad have not introduced digital capture yet and still ask you to bring printed biometric photos.
Ireland's online service takes a digital photo instead of a print: colour JPEG, at least 715 x 951 pixels, no larger than 9 MB, not scanned and not digitally changed. A paper application needs four identical prints between 35 x 45 mm and 38 x 50 mm, two of them signed on the back by your witness. Where prints are accepted, a digital photo can be resized to the national size and printed on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter; the Spanish consulate note asks for photo-quality paper and a high-resolution printer.
Where to submit the photo
You apply to your own country's passport authority, at home or through its embassy or consulate abroad. In Germany that means a citizens' office (Bürgerbüro or Bürgeramt), or a German embassy if you live abroad. Spain requires you to appear in person before the police unit or consulate that issues the passport. In Sweden every applicant, children included, goes to a police passport office, where the photo and fingerprints are taken.
Ireland lets adults apply online through Passport Online with a digital photo, or on paper with printed photos. The chip in every EU passport stores your facial image and fingerprints, so expect fingerprints to be taken when you apply.
How to get your European Union passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the European Union passport: 35 × 45 mm print, 715 × 951 px digital file, plain background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: your country sets the photo rules; the ICAO baseline; background colour varies; some countries take the photo for you.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Each country has its own channel. In Germany, since 1 May 2025, citizens' offices no longer take passport and identity card photos on paper: a photographer sends the image through a secure electronic channel, or the office takes it at a terminal on site.
- Submit the photo with your application. You apply to your own country's passport authority, at home or through its embassy or consulate abroad. In Germany that means a citizens' office (Bürgerbüro or Bürgeramt), or a German embassy if you live abroad.
European Union passport photo FAQ
No. Each member state issues its own passport and sets its own photo rules. EU law requires a facial image on the chip and points to ICAO Doc 9303, which recommends a 45 x 35 mm portrait (height x width). Most countries use 35 x 45 mm, but Spain uses 26 x 32 mm and Ireland accepts prints up to 38 x 50 mm.
Spain. Royal Decree 896/2003 asks for a colour photo of 32 x 26 mm, height by width, on a plain white background, and a Spanish consulate note allows the width to go up to 40 mm. Ireland accepts prints from 35 x 45 mm up to 38 x 50 mm.
It depends on the country. France forbids white and recommends light blue or light grey. Spain requires plain white. Ireland accepts light grey, white or cream. ICAO guidance only asks for a plain, light background with enough contrast.
Only in some countries. Ireland's online service accepts a photo taken at home with a phone or camera, but someone else must take it: no selfies. Germany accepts photos only from studios that send them electronically or from the passport office, France requires an approved photographer or booth, and Sweden takes the photo at the passport office.
Not for applications made in Germany. Since 1 May 2025 citizens' offices accept only photos sent electronically by a photographer or taken on site, and self-made prints cannot be used. German missions abroad have not introduced digital capture yet, so they still ask you to bring printed biometric photos.
In most member states, yes, if the eyes are fully visible with no glare and the frames do not cover them. Tinted, dark or reflective lenses are refused in France, Ireland, Spain and Germany. France notes that you do not have to wear your glasses for the photo.
ICAO Doc 9303 says the portrait must have been captured within the last six months and advises issuers not to accept one more than three months old. France and Ireland both apply the six-month limit.
Lay the baby on a plain white surface so nobody's hands appear in the picture, as Ireland and a Spanish consulate both suggest. The child must be alone in the frame and should not have a soother. In Sweden the photo is taken at the passport office, so babies have to come in person.
Related photo specifications
Other European Union documents
- EU driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
- EU residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Blue card photo 35 × 45 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 European Union photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in International
Official sources
- EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union. Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports eur-lex.europa.eu. Checked 1 November 2026.
- International Civil Aviation Organization. Doc 9303 Machine Readable Travel Documents, Part 3 icao.int. Checked 1 November 2026.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. ICAO photograph guidelines home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 1 November 2026.
- City of Stuttgart. Ab 1. Mai: Fotos für Ausweisdokumente und elektronischen Aufenthaltstitel nur noch digital stuttgart.de. Checked 1 November 2026.
- German Embassy Vienna. Reisepass/Personalausweis wien.diplo.de. Checked 1 November 2026.
- German Embassy Warsaw. Sample photos (German biometric photo requirements) polen.diplo.de. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Service-Public.fr (French government). Photo d'identité pour un document officiel service-public.gouv.fr. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spain). Real Decreto 896/2003 (passport), consolidated text boe.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Spain in Nador. Expedición de pasaportes ordinarios (nota) exteriores.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Swedish Police Authority. Passport and National ID card polisen.se. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland). Photo Guidelines for Passports ireland.ie. Checked 1 November 2026.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Travel and residence documents home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 1 November 2026.
- European Commission. Free movement and residence (ID card security) commission.europa.eu. Checked 1 November 2026.
- European Parliament Legislative Train. Security of ID cards and residence documents europarl.europa.eu. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Your Europe. Travel documents for EU nationals europa.eu. Checked 1 November 2026.
- International Civil Aviation Organization. Doc 9303, Machine Readable Travel Documents icao.int. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Austria BMI. Passbild-Kriterien bmi.gv.at. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Estonia PPA. Requirements for the document photo politsei.ee. Checked 1 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"European Union passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/european-union/passport-photo