Germany ID card photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) for the Germany ID card, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Germany ID card photo?
The German identity card (Personalausweis) uses the same biometric standard as the passport: the face, measured from chin tip to the top of the head, takes up 70 to 80% of the picture height, with a neutral look, open eyes and a single-coloured background. When you apply in Germany, the citizens' office either photographs you itself or downloads your picture with a code from a registered photographer. Only German missions abroad that have no camera accept a 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) print.
Every German aged 16 or over who is registered in Germany must hold a valid identity card, although a valid passport also meets that duty. The card is the size of a credit card and stores your photo and two fingerprints on a contactless chip; its online ID function is switched off for applicants under 16. It is issued by the identity card authority, in practice the citizens' office where you are registered, or by a German mission if you live abroad. Cards are valid for ten years, or six years for applicants under 24.
Section 9 of the Identity Card Act (Personalausweisgesetz) sets out how the picture is made since 1 May 2025, and section 7 of the Identity Card Regulation, with Section 2 of its Annex 3, says what it must look like. That annex has the same wording as the passport annex, so a photo that is right for one is right for the other. The image format the office receives is fixed by the BSI technical guideline TR-03121.
In Germany you choose between two routes: a commercial photo provider takes the picture and transmits it to the office over a secure channel, or the office takes it with its own certified equipment. A print cannot replace either. German missions abroad cannot receive provider uploads and many have no camera yet, so they may still ask for prints.
Germany ID card photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) print, only at missions abroad that cannot take the photo; none in Germany |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Sent by the photographer or office camera at 1244 x 1600 pixels; applicants cannot upload |
| Head height | 70 to 80% of the image height from chin tip to top of head; children 50 to 80% |
| Background | Single colour, no shadows, clear contrast to face and hair; BSI recommends grey, missions accept light or white |
| Colour | Colour image (24-bit sRGB) for digitally delivered photos |
| Photo age | Must be current; London asks for prints no older than 3 months |
| Print quality | Prints abroad only: 45 x 35 mm portrait, no border, quality paper at 600 dpi or more |
| 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:
A change to the photograph is permitted only in accordance with this Act or with regulations issued under this Act. (translated from German)
Key requirements
- Two lawful routes in Germany
Section 9(3) of the Identity Card Act lets you choose: a service provider makes the picture electronically and transmits it by a secure procedure, or the identity card authority makes it with its own equipment, if it has some. Nothing else is listed, so a print or a file you bring along cannot be used.
- Head size as a percentage
Annex 3 measures the face from the point of the chin to the upper end of the head and wants it to occupy 70 to 80% of the photo's height. Both sides of the face must be clearly recognisable, and the head belongs straight and in the middle of the frame.
- Background and lighting
Stand in front of a single-coloured surface with no shadow on it, in clear contrast to your face and hair. The face needs even light so that it does not shine, red eyes are to be avoided, and the whole face must be in focus with good contrast.
- Neutral look
Keep a neutral face with lips closed and your gaze straight into the lens. Smiling with an open mouth, shut or narrowed eyes and pulling faces are listed as faults.
- Natural colour, no retouching
Skin tones must look real and digital photos must be in colour. Retouching, filters and soft-focus effects count as faults. Under the BSI guideline a studio may only rotate, crop and downscale the image and correct white balance, brightness and colour across the whole picture.
- Photo in front of staff
If the office doubts that the picture shows you, or suspects it has been edited in a way that is not allowed, it can require a new photo taken on its premises in the presence of an employee.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Choose a photo provider that uploads to the authorities, or use the terminal at your citizens' office.
- Bring the provider's code, printed or on your phone, to the appointment.
- Look straight into the lens with your lips closed.
- Make a religious reason for a head covering credible when you first apply.
- Bring your child to the appointment, even a newborn.
Don't
- Do not expect the Bürgeramt to accept a paper photo.
- Do not send a picture you took yourself.
- Do not use beauty filters, smoothing or background replacement.
- Do not wear sunglasses or tinted lenses.
- Do not let a shadow fall on the background or across your face.
Sample photos
How a Germany ID card 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
Spectacles are fine provided your eyes are clear and uncovered. Among the refused examples in Annex 3 are a frame crossing the eyes, lenses that are too dark and reflections on the glass. Hair falling over the eyes is also a fault.
German missions abroad that still take prints use the older sample board, which also excludes sunglasses and tinted lenses and says the edge of the lenses or the frame must not cover the eyes.
Headwear and religious dress
Section 7(3) of the Identity Card Regulation requires a photo without a head covering, without anything over the eyes and without uniform items. The authority can allow a head covering for religious reasons and can waive the other requirements for lasting medical reasons.
Berlin asks applicants whose religious community requires them to cover their head in public to show this credibly when they first apply. The face must then be visible from the bottom edge of the chin to the forehead, with no shadow on it.
Babies and children
Parents apply for children under 16, and the child has to attend, newborns and toddlers included; from 16 a young person can apply alone. No fingerprints are taken from children under six, and a child signs the card from the age of ten. A card issued to anyone under 24 is valid for six years.
The photo rules relax for young children. The face may take 50 to 80% of the height, minor deviations are accepted until the 10th birthday, and under six the head position, expression and eyes may deviate as long as the picture is frontal. Office terminals have limits: Stuttgart says its terminals are not yet suitable for children up to about four, and three of its offices can only photograph people taller than about 1.40 m, so use a certified studio in those cases.
Printed and digital photos
With a photographer, the image goes encrypted to a certified cloud service and you receive a code; the office retrieves the picture with it. The cloud deletes the picture after retrieval, or at the latest six months after receiving it. With the office's own terminal, the picture is taken on the spot for a nationally uniform fee. Stuttgart keeps terminal photos for 72 hours and points out that they cannot be used for an electronic residence permit.
Applications at German missions abroad are the exception. Section 7(2) of the Identity Card Regulation allows a current 45 x 35 mm portrait print without a border where the mission cannot capture the picture electronically; the register then records the photo source as not verifiable. A digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter for that purpose.
Where to submit the photo
In Germany you apply to the identity card authority for your place of residence, which is the Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro. Berlin accepts applications only in person at a citizens' office, and the applicant, minors included, must be there.
Germans living abroad apply at their embassy or consulate general, or at an honorary consul that accepts applications, by appointment. In London you can apply for a passport and an ID card at the same appointment, with one print for each document, and young people from 16 can apply for an ID card without their parents' consent.
How to get your Germany ID card photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Germany ID card: 35 × 45 mm print, 1244 × 1600 px digital file, single colour background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: two lawful routes in Germany; head size as a percentage; background and lighting; neutral look.
- Prepare a print or digital file. With a photographer, the image goes encrypted to a certified cloud service and you receive a code; the office retrieves the picture with it. The cloud deletes the picture after retrieval, or at the latest six months after receiving it.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Germany you apply to the identity card authority for your place of residence, which is the Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro. Berlin accepts applications only in person at a citizens' office, and the applicant, minors included, must be there.
Germany ID card photo FAQ
The requirements are identical, so a photo that meets one meets the other. When you apply abroad, the London embassy asks for one print for each document you apply for at the same appointment, so bring two prints for a passport and an ID card.
No. Since 1 May 2025 photos for identity cards in Germany must reach the office electronically from a photo provider or be taken with the office's own device. Bring the provider's code, or plan time to use the terminal if your office has one.
No. There is no upload for applicants. The image must be made by a commercial photo provider and transmitted securely, or taken by the authority, and the BSI guideline states that selfies must not be used for provider uploads.
The office checks each image with certified quality software and staff can refuse it. If the office doubts that the photo shows you, or suspects editing that is not permitted, it can order a new photo taken at the office in front of an employee.
From 16, if you are registered in Germany or live mainly there, unless you hold a valid passport, which also fulfils the obligation. Parents can apply for a card for a younger child, and the child must come to the appointment.
Yes, if the authority accepts a religious reason; Berlin asks you to make it credible at your first application. Your face must remain visible from the lower edge of the chin to the forehead, and the scarf must not cast shadows on it.
Not before the sixth birthday. From six, two fingerprints are stored on the chip, as for adults. Children also sign the card themselves from the age of ten.
Related photo specifications
Other Germany documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- Driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
Identity cards nearby
- Austria civil engineer ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Austria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Belgium ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Belgium Kids-ID photo 35 × 45 mm
- France ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Netherlands ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Switzerland ID 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 Germany photo specifications
- Identity cards: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de). Personalausweisgesetz, § 9 Ausstellung des Ausweises gesetze-im-internet.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de). Personalausweisgesetz, § 1 Ausweispflicht; Ausweisrecht gesetze-im-internet.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de). Personalausweisgesetz, § 6 Gültigkeitsdauer gesetze-im-internet.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de). Personalausweisverordnung, § 7 Qualitätssicherung des Lichtbildes gesetze-im-internet.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de). Personalausweisverordnung, Anlage 3 (Abschnitt 2: Anforderungen an das Lichtbild) gesetze-im-internet.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de). Personalausweisverordnung (full text: §§ 5a, 5b, 6a) gesetze-im-internet.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Technical Guideline TR-03121-3.2, Biometrics: German Identity Documents, version 7.1 bsi.bund.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Land Berlin, Service-Portal. Personalausweis beantragen service.berlin.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart. Digitales Lichtbild für Personalausweise und Reisepässe stuttgart.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- German Embassy Vienna. Reisepass/Personalausweis wien.diplo.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- German Embassy London. Applications for adult passports and for ID cards for persons aged 16 and over uk.diplo.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- German Embassy London. Applications for children's passports and for ID cards for persons under 16 uk.diplo.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
- German Missions in India. Passports and ID cards india.diplo.de. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Germany ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/germany/id-card-photo