Lithuania passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania for the Lithuania passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Lithuania passport photo?
Lithuanian embassies photograph adults and children over 2 at the visit, so you normally bring no photo. A print is needed for children under 2 and for a temporary travel document. The Migration Department's print standard is a 40 x 60 mm sheet with at least 3 identical photos, cut to 35 x 45 mm, the face 70 to 80 percent of the height, on a very light, plain background, with no retouching.
Lithuanian passports and national ID cards are issued by the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior to citizens living in Lithuania, and by Lithuanian embassies and consular offices to citizens living abroad. You apply in person. A citizen who lives abroad and travels to Lithuania can use a Migration Department branch instead, and the embassy pages for Athens and Tel Aviv say the same.
The photo is mostly taken for you. The embassies in London, Dublin, Washington and Tel Aviv say they photograph adults themselves, and the procedure order for issuing the documents (text of 2019) has the face image scanned with biometric registration equipment. It accepts a printed photo only if the equipment cannot be used, if the applicant asks for the image to be taken from a photo, or for a child under one who does not attend. Embassy pages ask for prints for children under 2.
The standard for any print is the Minister of the Interior's order on photographs for personal documents (order No. 569 of 2002, rewritten in 2006), which the Migration Department publishes with example pictures. It binds applicants, the offices that accept applications and photographers alike, so its framing, background and expression rules apply whenever you do hand in a print.
Lithuania passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm photo, cut from a 40 x 60 mm sheet of at least 3 identical prints, only where a print is needed |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload: the face image is scanned at the office; a printed photo is used only in exceptions |
| Head height | 31 to 35 mm from crown to chin (70 to 80% of the photo height) |
| Eye line | Line through both pupils parallel to the top edge; top edge to crown 2-4 mm, chin to bottom edge 8-10 mm |
| Background | Very light, plain and even, no shadows; about 18% grey instead if the hair is very fair |
| Colour | Black and white is recommended for passport and ID card prints, because the photo is laser-engraved |
| Photo age | Recommended: taken no more than six months before submission |
| Print quality | Thin, high-quality photo paper with a smooth surface; no stains, scratches, white corners or self-developing paper |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- Adults are photographed at the visit
The embassies in London, Dublin, Washington and Tel Aviv photograph adults themselves, and Washington and Tel Aviv do so for children over 2. Children under 2 need prints, and a temporary travel document at the Washington embassy needs 2 passport photos.
- Print sheet and cut size
A print is a 40 x 60 mm sheet carrying at least 3 identical photos, taken so that the office can cut out 35 x 45 mm rectangles. The face from chin to crown takes 70 to 80 percent of the height, 31 to 35 mm.
- Margins and centring
After cutting, the distance from the top edge to the crown is 2 to 4 mm and from the chin to the bottom edge 8 to 10 mm. The face is equally far from the left and right edges.
- Straight on, natural expression
You sit straight in front of the lens, looking into it, with shoulders level and the head neither turned nor tilted. The expression must be natural: grimaces, laughing, an open mouth and frowning are unsuitable, and hair must not cover the face.
- Very light, even background
The background is very light, single-coloured and even, with no shadows. If your hair is very fair, it should be darker (about 18 percent grey) so that it contrasts with your head.
- No retouching, natural colours
The face may not be retouched or altered by computer so that features or hair colour change or disappear. The face must be sharp, with natural colours and no red-eye.
- Glasses and headwear
People who wear glasses regularly are photographed in them, but not with tinted lenses, and headwear is allowed only in the religious cases the order describes.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Book the embassy appointment and let the embassy take the photo if you are an adult.
- Print a 40 x 60 mm sheet with at least 3 identical photos if a print is needed.
- Look straight into the lens with a natural expression and level shoulders.
- Light your face evenly from the front, above and the sides.
- Wear everyday clothes and keep your hair away from your face.
- Keep the whole face, both eyes and the tops of both shoulders in the picture.
Don't
- Do not smile broadly, grimace or open your mouth.
- Do not wear glasses with tinted or coloured lenses or with reflections.
- Do not retouch your face or change your hair colour on the picture.
- Do not print on self-developing or chemically active paper.
- Do not include other people or objects in the picture.
Sample photos
How a Lithuania 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 are allowed if you wear them regularly: the order says people who wear glasses all the time are photographed in them (translated from Lithuanian). The lenses may not be tinted or coloured, the frames must not cover the eyes and preferably are not thick, and the lenses may not show reflected light.
If the lenses show reflected light, the photo does not meet the order. The order asks for the face to be lit evenly from the front, from above and from the sides, so that no shadows form.
Headwear and religious dress
The general rule is clothing without headwear. Members of traditional religious communities and of other religious communities and associations recognised by the Lithuanian state may be photographed with a head covering and with clothing they must wear all the time, as long as the eyes, eyebrows, cheeks and chin are visible (translated from Lithuanian).
The office that issues the document also needs a letter of intercession from the spiritual leadership of the religious community, association or centre saying that the person must wear the headwear permanently. Members of communities registered abroad need a letter from their own community or from a recognised Lithuanian one, translated into Lithuanian.
Babies and children
Children over 2 must attend the embassy and are photographed there. For children under 2 the embassies ask for prints: Washington and New York for 2 photos similar to US passport photos, Tel Aviv for at least 2 identical black and white photos on one page, Athens for two recent passport-sized colour photos (4 x 6 cm), and Rome for at least 2 identical 40 x 60 mm photos on the same page when a passport is issued to a child under five.
The order relaxes the pose and expression rules for children under 6 and for people with disabilities. A child under one may be held, lie down or sit in a chair, provided the background stays light, plain and even. Where distortion cannot be avoided with small children, the face may be smaller, but chin to crown must still be more than 25 mm. Only the applicant may be visible in a print, a rule the order lifts for children under one.
Printed and digital photos
No digital photo is described for a Lithuanian passport. At the office the face image is scanned on the spot, and the 2019 procedure order allows an image to be formed from a printed photo only in the exceptions described above. In the United Kingdom you can also apply at a VFS Global centre in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, where you give your documents and biometric data after submitting an e-application in the MIGRIS system.
A print should be on thin, high-quality photographic paper with a smooth surface, and the order says it must not be on chemically active or self-developing paper. The office cuts the photos out of the sheet with special equipment, so hand the sheet in uncut. A photo counter can print the sheet on photo paper.
Where to submit the photo
In Lithuania, apply at a branch of the Migration Department. Abroad, book a consular visit through the electronic registration system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and attend in person; everyone over 2 must be present at the Washington and New York offices, and a child under 16 comes with a parent or guardian. Some embassies require your residence abroad to be declared first, which you can do at the visit.
The three UK VFS Global centres have taken ID card applications since 20 February 2024, and passport applications only when made together with an ID card and when your personal data has not changed. They do not take passport-only applications, temporary passports or repatriation certificates. Washington's temporary travel document is valid only for the return to Lithuania and usually for no longer than 15 days.
How to get your Lithuania passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Lithuania passport: 35 × 45 mm print, very light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: adults are photographed at the visit; print sheet and cut size; margins and centring; straight on, natural expression.
- Prepare a print or digital file. No digital photo is described for a Lithuanian passport. At the office the face image is scanned on the spot, and the 2019 procedure order allows an image to be formed from a printed photo only in the exceptions described above.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Lithuania, apply at a branch of the Migration Department.
Lithuania passport photo FAQ
Adults and children over 2 normally do not: the embassies in London, Dublin, Washington and Tel Aviv take the photo at the visit. You need prints for children under 2 and for a temporary travel document. In the UK, the VFS Global centres take your biometric data.
The standard is a 40 x 60 mm sheet with at least 3 identical photos, cut by the office into 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) rectangles. The face from chin to crown takes 70 to 80 percent of the height, 31 to 35 mm, and the crown sits 2 to 4 mm below the top edge.
Yes, if you wear them regularly. The lenses may not be tinted or coloured, the frames must not cover the eyes, and no light may reflect in the lenses. Thick frames are discouraged.
A very light, single-coloured, even background without shadows. It is not required to be pure white. If your hair is very fair, the order asks for a darker background, about 18 percent grey, so the head stands out.
No, but it is recommended. The Migration Department says documents with laser-engraved photos, such as the ID card and passport, are better served by a black and white print. It is a recommendation, not a stated ban on colour.
No broad smile. The order asks for a natural expression and lists laughing, grimacing, an open mouth and frowning as unsuitable. Look into the lens with shoulders level and the head neither turned nor tilted.
Washington and New York ask for 2 photos for children under 2, Tel Aviv for at least 2 identical black and white photos, and Athens for two colour photos of 4 x 6 cm. A baby may be held, lie down or sit in a chair if the background is light, plain and even.
Only partly. VFS Global centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh accept ID card applications, and a passport together with an ID card if your personal data has not changed. Passport-only applications, temporary passports and first documents for children still go to the embassy.
Not in a way that changes the face. The order says the image may not be retouched or adjusted by computer so that features or hair colour change or disappear. It also asks for natural colours and no red-eye, so choose a sharp, evenly lit photo.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Åland Islands passport photo 36 × 47 mm
- Denmark passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Estonia passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Faroe Islands passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Finland passport photo 36 × 47 mm
- Guernsey passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Iceland passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Ireland irish Passport Card photo
- Ireland passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Isle of Man passport 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 Lithuania photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania. Nuotraukų asmens dokumentams pavyzdžiai migracija.lrv.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania, via e-Seimas. Nuotraukų asmens dokumentams reikalavimai (order No. 569, as amended by order 1V-340 of 24 August 2006) e-seimas.lrs.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, via e-Seimas. Asmens tapatybės kortelės ir paso išdavimo tvarkos aprašas (order 1V-574/V-195, 2019 text) e-seimas.lrs.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania. Asmens tapatybės kortelė 2021 m. migracija.lrv.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the United Kingdom. Lithuanian passport and ID card uk.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the United Kingdom. Asmens tapatybės kortelė ir pasas Išorės paslaugų centruose uk.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Ireland. Lithuanian passport and ID ie.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the United States. Lithuanian Passport and ID card usa.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the United States. Temporary Travel Document usa.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in New York. Lithuanian Passport and ID card ny.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Israel. Lithuanian passport and ID card il.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Italy. Lithuanian passport it.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Greece. Lithuanian passport and ID card gr.mfa.lt. Checked 2 November 2026.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Lithuania: who does what in migration home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Lithuania passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/lithuania/passport-photo