Finland residence permit photo requirements
The 36 × 47 mm photo rules set by Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) for the Finland residence permit, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Finland residence permit photo?
A Finnish residence permit application needs an official passport photo no more than six months old, added either as a photo-shop retrieval code in Enter Finland or as a paper photo at a service point or Finnish mission. Migri follows the police photo instruction: 36 x 47 mm on paper, a head of 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin, and a plain, light, neutral background. The residence permit card's chip stores your facial image and two fingerprints.
Residence permits are granted by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). If you get one, you receive a residence permit card, which proves your right to live in Finland but is not an identity document. Its chip holds biometric identifiers, a facial image and two fingerprints, which is why the card has to be renewed every five years even when the permit itself lasts longer.
Most people apply online in Enter Finland and then prove their identity in person: at a Migri service point in Finland, or abroad at a Finnish embassy or consulate, or at a VFS Global centre where Finland uses one. Paper applications are handed in at the same places. Fingerprints are taken from every applicant over the age of six when the application is submitted.
Migri does not publish its own photo specification. It asks for an official passport photo from a photo shop that takes them, and refers applicants to the police passport photograph instruction for the requirements.
Finland residence permit photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Finnish Immigration Service (Migri):[1]
| Print size | 36 x 47 mm (1.42 x 1.85 in) paper photo, following the police instruction |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload by you: Enter Finland takes the retrieval code of a photo-shop picture |
| Head height | 32 to 36 mm crown to chin under the police instruction, hair and beard excluded |
| Background | Plain light background, one flat and neutral colour; light grey preferred |
| Colour | Colour or black and white under the police instruction |
| Photo age | No more than 6 months old |
| Print quality | Police standard: high-quality photo paper, clean, without scratches or creases |
| Pixels when printed | 425 × 555 px at 300 dpi · 850 × 1110 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Enter the code before you submit
In Enter Finland, type the retrieval code for your digital passport photo into the Passport photo field on the first page of the form. If you leave it out, or add it only after submitting, you will have to visit a service point to prove your identity.
- A fresh photo each time
The photo added to a residence permit application may be no more than six months old. When it is older, get a new one before you apply.
- Codes come from photo shops
Migri's renewal instructions say the retrieval code for your digital passport photo is given to you by the photo shop. Migri describes no way to upload a file you took yourself, so the alternatives are the code or a paper photo.
- Fingerprints from age six
Everyone over six who applies for a residence permit must give fingerprints when submitting the application. Long distances or cost are not accepted as reasons to skip it. You cannot renew the card by post, because new fingerprints are needed.
- Renew online to avoid a visit
You can renew a residence permit card in Enter Finland without a service point visit if you log in with strong identification (Finnish online banking credentials, a mobile certificate or a citizen certificate), add the photo retrieval code and pay before sending. Enter Finland then tells you whether a visit is still needed.
- Police measurements apply
Because Migri points to the police instruction, the head must measure 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin, with 4 to 6 mm above the crown and 7 to 9 mm below the chin. The face must be sharp, evenly lit and shown with a neutral expression and closed mouth.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Get the photo at a photo shop that takes passport photos.
- Add the retrieval code on the first page of the online form.
- Bring a paper photo or the code to your service point visit.
- Bring your passport and the originals of your documents.
- Use a photo taken within the last six months.
- Log in with strong identification when renewing the card.
Don't
- Do not submit the online application without the retrieval code.
- Do not reuse a photo older than six months.
- Do not post a card renewal application.
- Do not choose a background that matches your hair or clothes.
- Do not wear tinted glasses without a medical reason.
Sample photos
How a Finland residence 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.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
Migri follows the police photo instruction, so glasses are fine if your eyes are completely visible. Frames must not cover the eyes or be thick enough to obscure your features, and there must be no reflections in the lenses. Tinted glasses or an eye patch are accepted only for medical reasons. You can always remove your glasses for the photo.
Headwear and religious dress
Under the police instruction, a headscarf or other covering is accepted when religion or an established tradition requires it, or for health or medical reasons. It must not cover too much of the face or cast shadows on it; the police instruction shows a scarf covering the entire forehead as incorrect.
Babies and children
A child under 18 who applies with a parent must visit the service point together with that parent, with the child's passport and application form. Fingerprints are taken from children over six. The photo rules are the same as for adults, except that a small child's mouth may be slightly open, and you may support a small child as long as no part of you shows.
When renewing a child's card in Enter Finland, the guardian fills in the application, attaches the retrieval code for the child's digital passport photo and gives the child's customer number. If the guardian uses strong identification, the child may not need to visit a service point.
Printed and digital photos
Migri accepts either form of the same photo. Online, the retrieval code from the photo shop attaches the digital version to your Enter Finland application, and it is the code that lets you avoid a service point visit when you renew a card. On paper, you bring a printed passport photo to the service point or mission, together with your passport.
Whichever you use, the photo must meet the police instruction: 36 x 47 mm, a plain light background, even lighting and no edits that change your appearance. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter for a paper application.
Where to submit the photo
In Finland, book an appointment at a Migri service point; bring your passport, a passport photo or a retrieval code from a photo shop, and the originals of your documents, plus copies and a filled-in form if you apply on paper. Abroad, contact the Finnish embassy or consulate to arrange your visit; where Finland uses VFS Global, you may prove your identity at a VFS application centre instead.
If you also apply for a D visa, which lets you travel as soon as the permit is granted, you leave your passport at the mission or application centre so the visa sticker can be attached.
How to get your Finland residence permit photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Finland residence permit: 36 × 47 mm print, plain light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: enter the code before you submit; a fresh photo each time; codes come from photo shops; fingerprints from age six.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Migri accepts either form of the same photo. Online, the retrieval code from the photo shop attaches the digital version to your Enter Finland application, and it is the code that lets you avoid a service point visit when you renew a card.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Finland, book an appointment at a Migri service point; bring your passport, a passport photo or a retrieval code from a photo shop, and the originals of your documents, plus copies and a filled-in form if you apply on paper.
Finland residence permit photo FAQ
Migri asks for an official passport photo meeting the police instruction, which means 36 x 47 mm on paper, a head of 32 to 36 mm from crown to chin, and a plain, light, neutral background. The photo may be no more than six months old.
It is a code the photo shop gives you for your digital passport photo. You enter it in the Passport photo field on the first page of the Enter Finland form before you submit. Without it, you have to visit a service point to prove your identity.
Migri's instructions describe two ways to supply the photo: a retrieval code from a photo shop, or a paper passport photo handed in at the service point or mission. They do not describe uploading a photo file of your own.
Yes. When renewing in Enter Finland you add the retrieval code for a digital passport photo, and at a service point you bring a passport photo no more than six months old or a code. The card is renewed every five years because its chip holds your facial image and fingerprints.
Fingerprints are taken at the Finnish embassy or consulate, or at a VFS Global centre where Finland uses one, when you prove your identity. For the portrait, bring a passport photo or the photo shop's retrieval code.
Yes, if you wear it for religious reasons or an established tradition, or for health reasons. Your face must stay clearly visible and the scarf must not cast shadows on it.
Related photo specifications
Other Finland documents
- Passport photo 36 × 47 mm
- Visa photo 36 × 47 mm
- ID card photo 36 × 47 mm
- Driving licence photo 36 × 47 mm
- Firearms permit photo 36 × 47 mm
Residence and work permits nearby
- Estonia aliens passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Ireland employment permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Ireland irish Residence Permit (IRP) card photo
- Austria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Belarus residence permit photo 40 × 50 mm
- Belgium residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Bulgaria residence permit photo 35 × 45 mm
- Moldova work permit photo 50 × 60 mm
Also 36 × 47 mm
- Åland Islands passport photo 36 × 47 mm
- Albania eVisa photo 36 × 47 mm
- Albania visa photo 36 × 47 mm
- All Finland photo specifications
- Residence and work permits: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 36 × 47 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Applying for a residence permit migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Visiting a service point migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Identification migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Renewal of a residence permit card migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Residence permit card migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Frequently asked questions: The residence permit card migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). D visa migri.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Police of Finland. Passport photograph instructions by the police (PDF) poliisi.fi. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Finland residence permit photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/finland/residence-permit-photo