Faroe Islands passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Føroya Politi (Faroese Police) for the Faroe Islands passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Faroe Islands passport photo?
A passport photo for a Faroese application is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), with the head 30 to 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the hair. Use a plain, light background, look straight at the camera with your mouth closed, and make sure the picture is no more than 1 year old, a limit the Faroese Police state on their own page. Colour and black and white are both accepted. You hand in a print at a police station.
Residents of the Faroe Islands who are Danish citizens apply for their passport through the Faroese Police (Føroya Politi), not through a municipality. A Danish order for the Faroe Islands, dated 11 October 2012, says the police issue passports to Danish citizens who live in the Faroes and extend the validity of passports. The police application form is headed "Ansøgning om dansk pas", and it contains a box where the police mark the passport type as Faroese or Danish. The pages read here give one set of photo rules and name no separate photo for either type.
The Faroese Police pass page is written in Faroese. It says a passport can be obtained at the police stations around the country and lists what to bring: a completed application, a passport photo, a birth or name certificate and, if relevant, a marriage certificate. If you have held a passport before and have not changed your name, the old passport, a photo and the application are enough.
The same page gives the photo wording that applies in the Faroes: a chest-up picture without headwear, a good likeness, and not older than 1 year. For the measurements it links to the Danish police photo guide, headed "Foto pas og kørekort", which sets the size, the head height and the background. The 2012 order repeats the same size.
Faroe Islands passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Føroya Politi (Faroese Police):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), printed photograph |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital upload is described: hand in a printed photo at a police station |
| Head height | 30 to 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the hair |
| Background | Uniform light colour with no motifs or shadows, for example light blue or light grey |
| Colour | Colour or black and white |
| Photo age | Not older than 1 year (Faroese Police); the photo must be a good likeness |
| Print quality | A photograph, or a print on good-quality photo paper at very high resolution; no holes or stamps |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- One year at most
The Faroese Police write that the photo must not be older than 1 year. The Danish police guide that the page links to sets no age limit, so the Faroese page is the stricter source here and decides how old your photo may be.
- Chest-up, bare head, straight on
The pass page asks for a chest-up picture without headwear that is a good likeness. The police guide and the 2012 order describe the frame as your face and the top of your shoulders, taken straight from the front, with only one person in the picture.
- Eyes open, mouth closed
Both eyes must be fully visible, your gaze directed at the camera and your mouth closed. In the police guide, hair across an eye, closed eyes, a tilted head and an open mouth are all marked as wrong.
- Plain light background
The guide asks for a uniform light colour without motifs and gives light blue and light grey as examples. The 2012 order asks for a light background without shadows or other motifs, and the application form calls it neutral. White or light hair, or a light headscarf, calls for a background in sharp contrast.
- Even light, sharp image
Light must fall evenly, with no shadows on the face or the background. The guide shows a too-bright flash, a too-dark picture, unnatural or washed-out colours, red eyes, blur and a grainy picture as faults.
- Print quality
The picture must be a photograph or a print on good-quality photo paper at very high resolution, free of holes, stamps and other damage. The order adds that it must be durable and suitable for scanning.
- Two photos in one case
If you order a temporary passport and an ordinary passport at the same time, the Faroese Police say they need two photos. Otherwise one photo is enough.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Hand in a printed photo of 35 x 45 mm, not a file.
- Keep the head 30 to 36 mm tall, from chin to top of hair.
- Take the photo within the last year.
- Stand in front of a plain, light, shadow-free background.
- Look into the lens with both eyes fully visible.
- Print on good-quality photo paper at high resolution.
- Book a time with the police for each person applying.
Don't
- Do not wear a cap, hat or other headwear unless it is for religious reasons.
- Do not wear tinted lenses or glasses that reflect light.
- Do not let a glasses frame sit across your eyes.
- Do not use a photo that is more than 1 year old.
- Do not hand in a print with holes, stamps or other damage.
- Do not include another person or an object in the picture.
Sample photos
How a Faroe Islands 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
Glasses are accepted when the lenses are untinted and show no reflections. The police guide adds that your eyes must be completely clear of the frame, and the 2012 order for the Faroe Islands words the lens rule the same way: glasses must not be tinted and must be without reflections.
The guide marks coloured lenses, glare on the lenses and a frame that covers the eyes as wrong. If you cannot avoid glare or a frame across the eyes, take the glasses off for the photo.
Headwear and religious dress
The Faroese pass page asks for a picture without headwear. The application form guidance and the 2012 order let the police allow a head covering if you ask for it on religious grounds. The police guide says head coverings are accepted only for religious reasons and that the forehead, the chin area and the cheekbones must remain visible.
The guide shows a cap, a hat, a covering that hides the face and a covering that casts shadows on the face as wrong.
Babies and children
The same photo rules apply to children, babies included, because the police guide says all rules also apply to children. Anyone under 18 needs consent from the person holding parental authority, including at renewal. The Faroese Police say you can print the application form and complete it at home, so both parents do not have to come to the station.
The child must come along when the passport is ordered: height is measured, children over 5 sign, and children over 12 give fingerprints. For a child who has not been named yet, the birth notification must be brought to the station, and a new passport is ordered once the child has a name.
Printed and digital photos
The Faroese pass page and the application form both speak of a photo you bring, and neither describes uploading a file. The 2012 order says the applicant hands the police a completed form together with a photograph. A digital picture can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed at a photo counter, as long as the print is a photograph or on good-quality photo paper at very high resolution.
The police guide sets no other print requirement. When you apply for a temporary passport and an ordinary passport together, bring two prints.
Where to submit the photo
Apply in person at a police station in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese Police list four: Tórshavn (Húsagøta 3), Klaksvík (Við Sandin 2), Tvøroyri (Kirkjubrekkan 11) and the station at Vágar Airport in Sørvágur (Flogvøllurin 6). The station page also says which islands each covers. For example, Klaksvík covers Borðoy, Viðoy, Svínoy, Fugloy, Kunoy and Kalsoy, and Tvøroyri covers Suðuroy and Lítla Dímun.
The pass page links an online booking for the police citizen service in Tórshavn and says one time must be booked for each person. Bring the form, the photo, a birth or name certificate and a marriage certificate if relevant. Someone who has had a passport and has not changed name needs only the old passport, a photo and the form. The police may also ask for other proof of identity.
How to get your Faroe Islands passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Faroe Islands passport: 35 × 45 mm print, uniform light colour with no motifs or… background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one year at most; chest-up, bare head, straight on; eyes open, mouth closed; plain light background.
- Prepare a print or digital file. The Faroese pass page and the application form both speak of a photo you bring, and neither describes uploading a file. The 2012 order says the applicant hands the police a completed form together with a photograph.
- Submit the photo with your application. Apply in person at a police station in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese Police list four: Tórshavn (Húsagøta 3), Klaksvík (Við Sandin 2), Tvøroyri (Kirkjubrekkan 11) and the station at Vágar Airport in Sørvágur (Flogvøllurin 6).
Faroe Islands passport photo FAQ
It is 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), and the head measures 30 to 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the hair. The same size appears in the 2012 Danish order for the Faroe Islands and in the police photo guide linked from the Faroese pass page.
The Faroese Police say the photo must not be older than 1 year, and it must be a good likeness of you. The Danish police guide gives no age limit, so follow the Faroese wording and use a fresh photo.
The pages read give no difference. The police application is for a Danish passport and has a box where the police mark the type as Faroese or Danish, but neither the form nor the pass page sets another photo for either type. The 1-year limit comes from the Faroese pass page.
No page says who has to take it, so your own photo works if it meets every rule: 35 x 45 mm, head 30 to 36 mm, even light, a plain light background and a good-quality print. The pass page lists a photo among the things you bring and mentions no photo service at the stations.
The rules ask for a uniform light colour without motifs or shadows and name light blue and light grey as examples. Neither the guide nor the order mentions white either way. If your hair is white or light, or you wear a light headscarf, the guide requires a background in sharp contrast.
Yes, if the lenses are untinted and free of reflections and the frame stays clear of your eyes. Remove them if the flash causes glare or the frame crosses your eyes.
One photo is enough for a normal application. The Faroese Police ask for two only when you order a temporary passport and an ordinary passport at the same time.
The pass page describes handing in the application, photo and papers at a police station, and the online link there is only for booking a time. The 2012 order requires the applicant to hand in the form and photograph personally to the police.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Åland Islands passport photo 36 × 47 mm
- Denmark passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Estonia passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Finland passport photo 36 × 47 mm
- Guernsey passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Iceland passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Ireland irish Passport Card photo
- Ireland passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Isle of Man passport photo 35 × 45 mm
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Also 35 × 45 mm
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- Algeria work permit photo 35 × 45 mm
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- All Faroe Islands photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Føroya Politi (Faroese Police). Pass politi.fo. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Føroya Politi (Faroese Police). Vegleiðing til passmyndir (Foto pas og kørekort, PDF) politi.fo. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Føroya Politi (Faroese Police). Umsókn um pass (Ansøgning om dansk pas, PDF) politi.fo. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Føroya Politi (Faroese Police). Politistøðirnar politi.fo. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Justice, via Retsinformation. Bekendtgørelse for Færøerne om pas m.v. (BEK nr. 994 af 11/10/2012) retsinformation.dk. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Føroya Politi (Faroese Police) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Faroe Islands passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/faroe-islands/passport-photo