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Greece passport photo requirements

The 40 × 60 mm photo rules set by Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center for the Greece passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 9 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Greece passport photo?

A Greek passport photo must be a recent colour photo taken within the last six months, in civilian clothing. In Greece it reaches the passport office as a digital file through the gov.gr myPhoto service, uploaded by a professional photographer: JPEG, 1280 x 1600 pixels (4:5), up to 3 MB. Applicants abroad can instead bring a 40 x 60 mm print on photographic paper. The background is plain and light, grey preferred and white accepted.

A Greek passport photo is a recent colour image on a plain, light background, grey preferred and white accepted: in Greece a professional photographer uploads it to myPhoto as a 1280 x 1600 pixel JPEG of up to 3 MB, while applicants abroad may instead bring a 40 x 60 mm print on photographic paper.

Greek passports are issued under the Hellenic Police procedure. You apply in person at the passport office for your place of residence in Greece, or at a Greek consular authority if you live abroad. The office checks your supporting documents and sends them electronically to the National Passport and Secure Documents Center, which issues the passport. One of those documents is a recent colour photograph that follows ICAO document 9303 and shows you in civilian clothing.

How the photo travels depends on where you apply. At a passport office in Greece it must be submitted digitally through myPhoto, a gov.gr service, and the office stopped taking printed photos after 31 January 2026. The upload to myPhoto is made exclusively by a professional photographer, so a photo you take at home cannot enter that route. Abroad, the rules are wider: you can upload the photo yourself to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular platform, bring a print, or be photographed by consular staff where the equipment exists.

The size depends on the format. The printed photo is 40 x 60 mm without a frame, and the passport authority still quotes 40 x 60 mm in its list of required documents. The digital file has a different shape: 1280 x 1600 pixels, a 4:5 ratio. Both come from the passport authority and the myPhoto specification, which differ in some details, so the sections below say which rule belongs to which format.

Greece passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center:[1]

Print sizePrint (abroad): 40 x 60 mm (1.57 x 2.36 in), without frame. The online file is 4:5
Digital sizemyPhoto file: 1280 x 1600 pixels (4:5, width to height)
Head heightChin to crown 31 to 35 mm on the 40 x 60 mm print (chin to top of forehead 50 to 60% of the photo)
Eye lineEyes 30 to 39 mm above the bottom edge of the print
BackgroundUniform and light: grey RGB (190;190;190) +/-10 preferred, white accepted for the myPhoto file
ColourColour, natural face tones, civilian clothing
Photo ageTaken within the last six months before the application date
File sizeUp to 3 MB (myPhoto)
File formatJPEG (.jpeg), quality 100%
Print qualityPrint: white photographic paper, at least 1200 dpi, not ink-jet or laser
Pixels when printed472 × 709 px at 300 dpi · 945 × 1417 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
40 mm60 mm31–35 mm
40 × 60 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 31–35 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: uniform and light: grey RGB.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

printed on analog photographic paper, without the use of household ink-jet or laser technology

Passport Photograph[1]

The photograph must not have undergone compression or resizing from the camera image to the final image. ICAO allows only cropping of the image, not changing its size. (translated from Greek)

Οδηγίες φωτογραφίας (digital photography guidelines, PDF)[7]

Ωστόσο, γίνονται αποδεκτές και φωτογραφίες με λευκό φόντο

Προδιαγραφές Ψηφιακών Αρχείων myphoto (March 2026)[8]

Key requirements

  • In Greece a photographer uploads it

    The passport office wants the photo as a digital file in myPhoto. The myPhoto specification says the upload is made exclusively by a professional photographer, who enters your mobile number or e-mail address. You receive a code, log in with your Taxisnet codes, tax number (AFM) and that code, preview the files and approve them. Files you do not link to your AFM are deleted within two weeks.

  • Three routes abroad

    Applicants abroad may upload the photo themselves to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs platform for consular applications, hand in a print on photographic paper, or be photographed at the consulate where it has suitable equipment. The passport authority publishes no separate file rules for the consular upload.

  • Frontal pose, neutral face

    Look straight into the lens with a neutral expression and a closed mouth. Eyes must be open, not wide open. Head rotation must stay under 5 degrees in every direction, and the shoulders must be straight. Portrait-style photos, with the face turned over one shoulder, are not accepted.

  • Head and shoulders in frame

    The picture runs from the base of your shoulders to the top of your hair, and that part should fill 70 to 75% of the photo. Within it, the chin to the top of the forehead takes 50 to 60% of the height. On the 40 x 60 mm print the 2018 specification adds a face 20 to 25 mm wide.

  • Plain, light background

    The background must be uniform, with no patterns, shadows or objects. The authority prefers grey with an RGB value of (190;190;190) plus or minus 10, and the myPhoto specification adds that white backgrounds are also accepted. Light must fall evenly on the face, without hot spots or shine.

  • Whole face clear

    The face must be visible from the jaw to the forehead and from ear to ear. Hair must not cover the eyes, eyebrows or any part of the face. The myPhoto specification refuses coloured contact lenses, heavy make-up and anything else that hides facial features, and asks you to avoid large earrings, shiny necklaces and white clothing.

  • Natural colour, sharp focus

    The photo must be clear and render natural face colours without saturation. Unnatural coloured light and red eyes are not allowed, and over- or under-exposure is refused. The image must be sharp from the nose to the ears and from the chin to the hair.

  • Photographs that cannot comply

    If a medical condition stops you meeting the technical specifications exactly, you submit a medical certificate or opinion with the application, signed by a doctor of the relevant specialty. The authority says people with mobility or other health problems should be photographed as well as possible.

  • Crop only, no resizing

    The authority's digital photography guidelines, a PDF in Greek, say the image must not be compressed or resized between the camera and the final file. ICAO allows only cropping. The newer myPhoto file specification sets the final size, so a photographer produces the 1280 x 1600 pixel JPEG.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Have the photo taken within six months of applying.
  • Look straight at the camera with a closed mouth.
  • Keep hair away from your eyes, eyebrows and face.
  • Wear civilian clothing, not a uniform.
  • Use a plain, light, evenly lit background.
  • Ask the photographer to upload the file to myPhoto if you apply in Greece.
  • Take a medical certificate if you cannot meet the specifications.

Don't

  • Do not smile or show teeth.
  • Do not wear sunglasses or tinted lenses, except for medical reasons.
  • Do not print an abroad photo on a home ink-jet or laser printer.
  • Do not let glasses frames cover your eyes.
  • Do not wear coloured contact lenses or heavy make-up.
  • Do not include other people, toys or chair backs.

Sample photos

How a Greece passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 40 × 60 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

If you normally wear glasses, the current photo page says you should keep them on for the photo. The lenses must be clean and transparent so that the iris and pupil are clearly visible, the frame must not cover the eyes or other facial features, and there must be no reflection on the lenses; setting the light at 45 degrees or more to the camera axis usually avoids it. Lenses that darken in light should be photographed so that they stay clear, and taken off only when that cannot be done. The 2018 print specification, which governs prints made abroad, recommends leaving glasses off where possible.

Sunglasses and lenses with colour, such as Photo Gray or Photo Brown, are prohibited. Dark glasses are accepted only for medical reasons, and eye bandages only for health reasons. The myPhoto specification also refuses thick frames, or frames placed so that they split the eye, and glasses pushed up on the head.

Headwear and religious dress

No head cover is allowed, except for religious reasons, for example a headscarf. Even then the face must be fully visible from the jaw to the forehead and from one ear to the other. The myPhoto specification lists scarves, hair bands, ribbons and hats as not permitted.

For health reasons, covering some facial features is allowed when a medical certificate backs it.

Babies and children

Children use the same two routes. Since June 2024, myPhoto can also hold a minor's photo, which an adult links to the child's file when the custody relationship is confirmed in the public registers, using the child's social security number (AMKA). Where that check fails, for example for guardians of children in care facilities, the adult links the photo at a Citizen Service Centre (KEP), and the minor must be present.

For a child under 12, the passport office also needs one printed colour photo in addition to the digital one. It is attached to the birth certificate so that the child's identity can be verified. The authority's 2018 print specification adds that for children under 12 and infants, the face measurements may reasonably be smaller than an adult's and must be accepted.

In Greece, only the digital file counts. The file is a JPEG of 1280 x 1600 pixels, a 4:5 ratio, saved at quality 100% and no larger than 3 MB, in colour. A photographer uploads it, so a 4x6 inch print cannot replace it. Citizens who cannot use myPhoto themselves, such as Greeks abroad, older people without a mobile phone and people without digital skills, can link the photographer's upload to their tax number at a KEP.

Prints apply abroad and in rare exceptions. They must measure 40 x 60 mm without a frame, on high-quality white photographic paper, not ink-jet or laser output and with no visible dots. Photos taken with a digital camera must be printed at 1200 dpi or more, and the paper should show no grey spots (Newton rings) when pressed on glass. A digital photo can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo lab and cut to 40 x 60 mm. The authority also allows a 4 x 5 cm print in one narrow case: a Greek citizen abroad who applies in Greece and has neither a tax number nor a social security number.

Where to submit the photo

In Greece, apply in person at the passport office for your place of residence. The finished passport is sent by secure post to the competent police authority for delivery to you, and a passport office employee can collect the documents from a person who cannot attend for serious health reasons shown by a public hospital certificate. Abroad, apply at the competent Greek consular authority; the passport arrives there through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

You also show a valid Greek identity card or its digital version in the Gov.gr Wallet app. From 3 August 2026, the authority no longer accepts an identity card that fails Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1208.

How to get your Greece passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Greece passport: 40 × 60 mm print, 1280 × 1600 px digital file, uniform and light: grey RGB background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: in Greece a photographer uploads it; three routes abroad; frontal pose, neutral face; head and shoulders in frame.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. In Greece, only the digital file counts. The file is a JPEG of 1280 x 1600 pixels, a 4:5 ratio, saved at quality 100% and no larger than 3 MB, in colour. A photographer uploads it, so a 4x6 inch print cannot replace it.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Greece, apply in person at the passport office for your place of residence.

Make this photo online

Greece passport photo FAQ

A printed photo is 40 x 60 mm (1.57 x 2.36 in) without a frame. The digital file for myPhoto is 1280 x 1600 pixels, which is a 4:5 ratio. In Greece you submit the file; the print applies to applications abroad and rare exceptions.

Not for an application in Greece. The myPhoto upload is made exclusively by a professional photographer. Abroad you may upload your own photo to the consular platform or bring a print on photographic paper, and some consulates photograph you themselves.

A uniform, light background without patterns, shadows or objects. The authority prefers grey with an RGB value of (190;190;190) plus or minus 10, and the myPhoto specification says white is also accepted. A 2018 print specification names white or cream.

Yes, if you normally wear them. The lenses must be clean and transparent, with no reflection, and the frames must not cover your eyes. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are accepted only for medical reasons.

It must be taken within the last six months before you apply, according to the current passport authority pages. A 2018 print specification and an FAQ answer still say the photo should be a month old, so a fresher photo is the safer choice.

No. Printed photos must be on analog photographic paper, without household ink-jet or laser technology, at 1200 dpi or more when taken with a digital camera. A photo lab can print a digital file on photographic paper.

For a child under 12, yes. The passport office needs the digital photo and one printed colour photo, which is attached to the birth certificate for identity verification.

Not as a rule. The passport authority says printed photos were accepted in Greece until 31 January 2026, and that the photo must now be submitted digitally through myPhoto. Paper stays for applications abroad and for exceptional technical reasons.

One recent colour photo: the digital file in Greece, or one upload or print abroad. For a child under 12 the office also needs one printed colour photo, attached to the birth certificate. Older embassy pages that still ask for two prints no more than a month old are out of date.

Related photo specifications

Passports nearby

Also 40 × 60 mm

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Official sources

  1. Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center. Passport Photograph passport.gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  2. Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center. Φωτογραφία προσώπου (Greek version, with KEP and exceptional print rules) passport.gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  3. Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center. Supporting Documents passport.gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  4. Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center. Instructions passport.gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  5. Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center. Questions about the supporting documents, fees etc passport.gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  6. Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center. Τεχνικές προδιαγραφές φωτογραφίας για τα νέα ελληνικά διαβατήρια (printed photo, PDF, 2018) passport.gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  7. Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center. Οδηγίες φωτογραφίας (digital photography guidelines, PDF) passport.gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  8. General Secretariat of Information Systems for Public Administration. Προδιαγραφές Ψηφιακών Αρχείων myphoto (March 2026) gsis.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.
  9. Ministry of Digital Governance (gov.gr). Use myPhoto (for citizens) gov.gr. Checked 3 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Hellenic National Passport and Secure Documents Center before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Greece passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/greece/passport-photo

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