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Finland firearms permit photo requirements

The 36 × 47 mm photo rules set by Police of Finland for the Finland firearms permit, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 5 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Finland firearms permit photo?

Two Finnish firearms documents need a portrait. The European Firearms Pass needs 2 passport photos, except when only its validity is extended, and the firearms handling permit needs a passport photo or a photo retrieval code. Both follow the police photo instruction: 36 x 47 mm on paper or 500 x 653 pixels on the photo server, a head of 32 to 36 mm, a plain light background and an age of no more than six months. The police list no photo for an ordinary acquisition permit.

Firearms permits in Finland are granted by the police departments, while the National Police Board's Firearms Administration licenses firearms businesses. You apply for an acquisition or possession permit either online in the police e-services, using strong electronic identification, or verbally at a police station, where an officer enters the application in the firearms database. The police checklist for that application asks for identification, written grounds and supporting documents, but not for a photo.

A portrait is needed for two related documents. The European Firearms Pass (EFP), which lets hunters and target shooters take a firearm to another EU country for an event, requires two passport photos. The firearms handling permit (aseenkasittelylupa), which employees of a firearms business need in order to transport, store or otherwise handle firearms and ammunition at work, requires a passport photo or a retrieval code for one.

The police say their passport photograph instruction applies to all facial photographs used on the passports, identity cards and permits they grant, so these photos are held to the passport standard.

Finland firearms permit photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Police of Finland:[1]

Print size36 x 47 mm (1.42 x 1.85 in) passport photo; the EFP needs two prints
Digital sizeHandling permit only: photo server file of 500 x 653 pixels, attached by retrieval code
Head height32 to 36 mm from crown to chin (445-500 px on the photo server), excluding hair and beard
BackgroundPlain light background, single-coloured and flat, neutral in tone; light grey is the best choice
ColourColour or black-and-white
Photo ageUnder 6 months old, as for a passport photo
File sizePhoto server limit: 250 KB
File formatPhoto server: JPEG only, not JPEG2000
Print qualityClean print on high-quality photographic paper, no scratches, stains or creases
Pixels when printed425 × 555 px at 300 dpi · 850 × 1110 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
36 mm47 mm32–36 mm
36 × 47 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 32–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain light background.

Key requirements

  • Two photos for the EFP

    Bring two passport photos when you apply for a European Firearms Pass, together with proof of your possession permit, firearm permit or parallel permit and your passport or identity card. No photos are needed when you only extend the validity of an existing pass.

  • Photo or code for a handling permit

    For a firearms handling permit, take a passport photo or a photo retrieval code to the police department, along with your passport or identity card, your employer's business ID and firearms business licence number, and an employment contract or other certificate of the work the permit is for.

  • Passport framing

    The head must measure 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin. Leave 4 to 6 mm above the crown and 7 to 9 mm below the chin, and centre the face to within 1.5 mm. Hair and beard do not count towards the head size and need not be fully in the picture.

  • Phone pictures are for documents

    The firearm e-service lets you photograph attachments such as a hunting card or a shooting instructor's certificate with a smartphone and attach them, ideally as PDF. That tip is for supporting documents only. The police photo instruction warns that phones and tablets at short range distort the face, so the portrait itself must meet passport quality.

  • Light, focus and colour

    Use even, natural-coloured light with no shadows on the face or behind it, no overexposed patches and no red-eye. The face must be sharp from the ears to the tip of the nose, without blur, grain or colour defects.

  • Neutral and unaltered

    Keep a neutral expression, mouth closed and eyes open. The photo must not be edited in a way that changes any detail of your appearance or casts doubt on its authenticity, and digital make-up is not allowed.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Take two identical passport photos to an EFP appointment.
  • Ask the studio for a retrieval code if you apply for a handling permit.
  • Book the police department appointment online in advance.
  • Bring proof of the permits the EFP is to cover.
  • Use photos no more than six months old.
  • Face the camera squarely with your shoulders level.

Don't

  • Do not bring new photos just to extend an EFP's validity.
  • Do not use the smartphone attachment tip for your portrait.
  • Do not wear a hat unless religion, tradition or health requires a head covering.
  • Do not wear tinted lenses without a medical reason.
  • Do not accept a photo with shadows behind your head.
  • Do not retouch the photo to change how you look.

Sample photos

How a Finland firearms permit photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 36 × 47 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

Firearms photos follow the police rule on glasses. Your eyes must be clearly visible, with no edge of the frame over them and no glare in the lenses. Frames so thick that they obscure the shape of your face are a fault. Tinted glasses or an eye patch are accepted only for medical reasons, and taking your glasses off is always allowed.

Headwear and religious dress

Head coverings are not part of an ordinary firearms photo. A scarf or other covering is accepted only when religion or an established tradition requires it, or for health or medical reasons, and even then it must not cover too much of the face or shade it. A cap or hunting hat must come off.

The European Firearms Pass is a print route: the pass is applied for verbally at a police department, and you hand over two paper passport photos there. Each must be 36 x 47 mm on high-quality photographic paper. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut into identical prints.

For the firearms handling permit you can bring either a paper photo or a retrieval code. The code lets the official attach the file a studio sent to the police photograph server, which must be exactly 500 x 653 pixels, in JPEG format and no larger than 250 KB.

Where to submit the photo

Firearm services are offered at police stations around Finland, but not every station provides all of them, so check your local police department first and book an appointment online. Ordinary permit applications can also go through the police e-services; you must still visit a station for your first permit, or if more than 10 years have passed since the last one, and applicants under 18 are always interviewed.

The EFP is granted by a police department and is valid for as long as the firearm permits it covers, but for no more than five years; its validity can be extended. The handling permit is applied for at a police department by booking a time in the electronic booking service.

How to get your Finland firearms permit photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Finland firearms permit: 36 × 47 mm print, 500 × 653 px digital file, plain light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two photos for the EFP; photo or code for a handling permit; passport framing; phone pictures are for documents.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. The European Firearms Pass is a print route: the pass is applied for verbally at a police department, and you hand over two paper passport photos there. Each must be 36 x 47 mm on high-quality photographic paper.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Firearm services are offered at police stations around Finland, but not every station provides all of them, so check your local police department first and book an appointment online.

Make this photo online

Finland firearms permit photo FAQ

The police list no photo for an ordinary firearm acquisition or possession permit: you bring identification, written grounds and supporting documents. A photo is needed for the European Firearms Pass, which takes two passport photos, and for the firearms handling permit, which takes a passport photo or a photo retrieval code.

Two passport photos for a new pass. If you are only extending the validity of an existing pass, the police do not ask for photos. Bring proof of the permits the pass will cover and your passport or identity card as well.

Finnish passport size, 36 x 47 mm, because the police apply their passport photograph instruction to every facial photo on the permits they grant. The head must measure 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin against a plain, light background.

Yes for the firearms handling permit, where the police accept a passport photo or a retrieval code. For the European Firearms Pass, the police page asks for two passport photos, so bring prints.

The e-service suggests a smartphone only for photographing supporting documents. For the portrait, the police warn that phones and tablets used at short distance enlarge the nose and other central features, and photos taken by non-professionals are often rejected for poor lighting. A studio photo is the safer choice.

Employees of a licensed firearms business who transport, store or handle firearms, firearm components, cartridges or particularly dangerous projectiles at work, and people who do so temporarily in their job. You must be at least 18, and under 20s get conditions on the permit.

Related photo specifications

Other Finland documents

Licences and permit cards nearby

Also 36 × 47 mm

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Official sources

  1. Police of Finland. European Firearms Pass poliisi.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Police of Finland. Aseenkäsittelylupa (firearms handling permit, Finnish) poliisi.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Police of Finland. Applying for a firearm permit poliisi.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Police of Finland. Firearm e-services poliisi.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Police of Finland. Passport photograph instructions by the police (PDF) poliisi.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Police of Finland before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Finland firearms permit photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/finland/firearms-permit-photo

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