Hungary passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo) for the Hungary passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Hungary passport photo?
If you are 12 or older, you do not bring a photo for a Hungarian passport (útlevél): the government window (kormányablak) or consulate captures your face digitally, together with your fingerprints and signature. Children under 12 need not attend, so a parent hands in one printed photo. Hungarian guidance asks for a colour print 35-40 mm wide, face filling 70-80% of the frame, on a plain light background, taken within six months. Several consulates specify 35 x 45 mm on white.
Hungarian citizens apply for an ordinary passport (magánútlevél) in person at any government window (kormányablak) or district office in Hungary, or at a Hungarian embassy or consulate abroad. The office checks your identity and citizenship, records your facial image and signature and, from the age of 12, your fingerprints, then sends the application electronically to the central passport authority, which produces the passport. Passports issued within 24 hours or 3 days are handled only by the Central Document Office (Központi Okmányiroda) in Budapest. Consulates accept applications in the normal procedure only.
Because the image is taken on the spot, most applicants never need a paper photo. A print matters when the applicant is not there in person. The passport act exempts children under 12 from attending, since their passports hold no fingerprints or signature, and the implementing decree states that an application made without the applicant present must include an ID photo (igazolványkép). The same goes for a representative applying for someone whose health, certified by a doctor, prevents attendance. A few consulates, including Bern, Tel Aviv and Canberra, ask every applicant to bring a photo, so read your mission's own page before the appointment.
A Hungarian passport is valid for 3 years if the holder is under 6 when applying, 5 years between 6 and 18, and 10 years for adults.
Hungary passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo):[1]
| Print size | 35-40 mm wide (Hungarian guidance); Bern and Tel Aviv ask for 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: from age 12 the office captures your image; under-12 applications take a printed photo |
| Head height | Face fills 70-80% of the photo, framed a little above the head and shoulders |
| Background | Light and uniform; most consulates ask for white, London for white or light grey |
| Colour | Colour, colour-neutral, natural skin tones |
| Photo age | No older than 6 months (Tel Aviv: no older than 1 month) |
| Print quality | Sharp, high resolution, free of marks and creases; London and Bern want a professionally taken photo |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Photo taken at the office from age 12
Applicants aged 12 and over must attend in person so the official can record the facial image, signature and fingerprints electronically. The New York consulate puts it plainly: you do not need to bring a photo.
- One print for a child under 12
A child under 12 does not have to come. The parent brings one passport photo of the child instead; Washington, Edinburgh and Canberra ask for a white background.
- Face 70-80% of the frame
Hungarian photo guidance asks for a close-up with a little space above the head and the shoulders, the face filling 70% to 80% of the picture and centred, with both sides of the face visible.
- Plain light background, even light
The background should be light and uniform. Light the face evenly, with no shine, shadows or red-eye, and keep brightness and contrast natural.
- Neutral face, eyes open
Look straight into the camera with a neutral expression and closed mouth. Keep hair away from the eyes and do not tilt your head or turn to one side.
- Nobody else in the picture
Only the applicant may appear in the photo: no other person and no objects, such as a toy held near a baby's face.
- Recent photo
Hungarian guidance and the London embassy set a limit of six months; Tel Aviv accepts photos no older than one month.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Book a government window appointment through the 1818 line or the online booking system
- Bring valid ID, or one that expired less than a year ago, and your address card
- For a child under 12, bring one recent colour photo on a white or light background
- Check your consulate's page for its own size or background rule
- Keep your face centred with both edges visible
- Wear thin-framed glasses if you need them, with no reflections
Don't
- Do not pay for prints for an adult application in Hungary; the image is taken during the appointment
- Do not wear tinted lenses or let frames cover your eyes
- Do not wear a hat or cap; headwear is for religious reasons only
- Do not include toys, hands or another person in a child's photo
- Do not hand in a creased, smudged or low-resolution print
- Do not ask a consulate for an urgent passport; urgent procedures run only in Hungary
Sample photos
How a Hungary 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 may be worn if the eyes stay clearly visible. Hungarian photo guidance rules out tinted lenses and reflections on the lenses, and says the frame must not cover any part of the eyes; avoid heavy frames and use thin ones if you have them.
Tel Aviv goes further and asks for photos with no glasses at all and with the ears visible, so follow your mission's page if it is stricter than the general guidance.
Headwear and religious dress
Head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons. Even then the face must be clearly visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead, with both edges of the face showing. The Hungarian guidance shows a hat and a cap as examples of unacceptable photos.
Babies and children
A child under 12 is exempt from attending because the passport holds no fingerprints and no signature. A parent or guardian applies, normally with both parents present; one parent is enough if the other has made a consent statement, which can be used only within 15 days of being made.
Bring one passport photo of the child. Consulates describe it differently: Washington, Edinburgh and Canberra want a white background, London a white or light grey one taken by a professional photographer within six months, and New York simply a good quality passport photo. The child must be alone in the picture, looking at the camera with eyes open and mouth closed, with no toy near the face.
From 12, children attend with their parents and have their photo and fingerprints taken on site. In the UK, under-12 applications can also be lodged at the honorary consuls in Belfast, Cardiff, Sheringham and Torquay, then posted to London together with the photo.
Printed and digital photos
There is no online photo upload for a Hungarian passport. In Hungary and at consulates the facial image is recorded digitally during the appointment, so the only photo you might hand in is a print.
Where a print is needed, Hungarian guidance gives a width of 35 to 40 mm and no fixed height. The Bern consulate asks for a 3.5 x 4.5 cm ICAO-compliant colour photo and warns against self-made photos, and London wants a photographer's print. Where your consulate accepts it, a digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
Where to submit the photo
In Hungary, apply at any government window or district office by appointment, booked through the 1818 phone line (from abroad +36 1 550 1858) or the government's online booking system. The Central Document Office in Budapest takes 24-hour, 3-day and 5-day passport applications without an appointment.
Abroad, apply at a Hungarian embassy or consulate after booking through the consular booking system. The passport is made in Hungary and can be collected at the mission or posted to you. If illness prevents you from attending, a representative can apply for you with a certificate from your treating doctor.
How to get your Hungary passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Hungary passport: 35 × 45 mm print, light and uniform background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: photo taken at the office from age 12; one print for a child under 12; face 70-80% of the frame; plain light background, even light.
- Prepare a print or digital file. There is no online photo upload for a Hungarian passport. In Hungary and at consulates the facial image is recorded digitally during the appointment, so the only photo you might hand in is a print.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Hungary, apply at any government window or district office by appointment, booked through the 1818 phone line (from abroad +36 1 550 1858) or the government's online booking system.
Hungary passport photo FAQ
Not if you are 12 or older. Your facial image, signature and fingerprints are recorded electronically at the government window or consulate during the appointment. Some consulates still ask for one: Bern and Tel Aviv want 35 x 45 mm, and Canberra accepts a standard Australian passport photo. Check the page of the mission where you apply.
Hungarian photo guidance asks for a print 35 to 40 mm wide, with the face filling 70% to 80% of the picture. Where a consulate gives an exact size, it is 35 x 45 mm. Use a white or light background and a photo taken in the last six months.
No. Children under 12 are exempt from attending because their passports contain no fingerprints or signature. The parents apply on the child's behalf and bring one passport photo of the child, the child's Hungarian birth certificate and their own ID.
Yes, if your eyes are clearly visible. Tinted lenses and reflections are not allowed, and the frame must not cover any part of your eyes. Some consulates, such as Tel Aviv, ask for photos without glasses.
No. Hungarian photo guidance asks for a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes open and looking straight into the camera. The guidance shows a baby with an open mouth as an unacceptable example, so the rule covers young children too.
No. Consulates accept passport applications only in the normal procedure. Passports within 24 hours or 3 days are issued only by the Central Document Office in Budapest, which also handles these applications at weekends.
Three years if the holder is under 6 when applying, five years from 6 to 18, and ten years for adults. The consular service adds that validity also depends on whether good-quality fingerprints could be recorded.
Yes. The passport act lets a representative apply when the applicant's health, certified by the treating doctor, does not allow attendance. Because you are not there, the application must then include your ID photo.
Related photo specifications
Other Hungary documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Belarus passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Bulgaria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Czech Republic passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Poland passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Romania passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Russia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Ukraine passport photo 100 × 150 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 Hungary photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo). Útlevél (passport applications at Hungarian missions) konzinfo.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Nemzeti Jogszabálytár (National Legislation Database). 1998. évi XII. törvény a külföldre utazásról (Act XII of 1998 on travelling abroad) njt.jog.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Nemzeti Jogszabálytár (National Legislation Database). 101/1998. (V. 22.) Korm. rendelet (passport implementing decree) njt.jog.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Nemzeti Jogszabálytár (National Legislation Database). 414/2015. (XII. 23.) Korm. rendelet (ID card and uniform facial image capture) njt.jog.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, London. Passport for children under 12 london.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, London. Criteria for passport photos (Fénykép minősége leaflet) london.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of Hungary, New York. Passport applications newyork.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Washington. Passport Application washington.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Bern. Permanent private passport bern.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Tel Aviv. Passport Application - first/renewal telaviv.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of Hungary, Canberra. Passport canberra.mfa.gov.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Budapest Government Office. Mi intézhető a Központi Okmányirodában (Central Document Office services) kormanyhivatalok.hu. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Konzinfo) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Hungary passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/hungary/passport-photo