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Luxembourg passport photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Guichet.lu, Luxembourg government for the Luxembourg passport, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Luxembourg passport photo?

In Luxembourg you do not bring a passport photo: it is taken on the spot at your commune's population office or at the passport office (BPVL). A photographer's picture is optional and must meet ICAO standards. Applying from abroad, you supply a recent ICAO-compliant photo. The Madrid embassy asks for 35 x 45 mm in colour, with the face 32 to 36 mm high on a plain light background that is not white.

Luxembourg passports are travel documents issued by the State. The central authority is the passport office, the Bureau des passeports, visas et légalisations (BPVL), part of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. You apply at the population office of your commune of residence, at the BPVL itself, or abroad through a Luxembourg embassy or consulate-general. Belgian missions also take applications on Luxembourg's behalf where Luxembourg has no mission of its own.

In Luxembourg you do not have to bring a photograph. Communes have devices that capture the face image, the fingerprints and the signature digitally and pass them electronically to the passport register, and the Guichet.lu portal says the ID photo can be taken at the commune or at the BPVL. For a non-resident applying at either place, the photo is also taken on the spot. A picture made by a professional photographer is listed as optional and must meet the ICAO standards.

The position is different abroad. When the application is made at a mission, Guichet.lu asks for a recent photo that complies with the ICAO standards, and the ministry links a guideline sheet for it. Embassies add their own details: the Madrid embassy lists 35 x 45 mm in colour, with a face 32 to 36 mm high, while the ministry sheet describes a bright, plain background, ideally neutral grey.

Luxembourg passport photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Guichet.lu, Luxembourg government:[1]

Print sizeNo print in Luxembourg: the photo is taken on site. From abroad: 35 x 45 mm (Madrid and San José embassies)
Digital sizeNo file format or pixel size is published; an optional photographer's photo must meet the ICAO criteria
Head height32 to 36 mm from chin to crown (70 to 80% of the photo height)
Eye lineEyes open and clearly visible, looking into the camera; head neither tilted nor turned
BackgroundPlain light colour, ideally neutral grey; Madrid embassy: light but not white
ColourColour (Madrid embassy); neutral colour and natural skin tones (ministry sheet)
Photo ageRecent photo (Guichet.lu); no age limit is stated
Print qualityHigh-quality paper, print resolution of at least 600 dpi, no creases or impurities (ministry sheet)
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm32–36 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 32–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: plain light colour.

In the official words

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

uni et de couleur claire, mais pas blanc

Demande de passeport biométrique luxembourgeois (Madrid, PDF)[5]

Key requirements

  • The photo is taken on the spot

    At a commune's population office or at the BPVL, the ID photo is taken directly at the counter. Guichet.lu repeats this for non-residents who apply at the BPVL or at a commune.

  • A photographer's picture is optional

    For adults, Guichet.lu lists a photo made by a professional photographer in line with ICAO standards among the documents to produce as optional (it says "éventuellement"). For minors, it lists a recent photo that meets the ICAO criteria in the same way.

  • Abroad, supply a recent ICAO photo

    If the application is submitted abroad, for an adult or for a minor, you must provide a recent photo that complies with the ICAO standards. Check with the embassy whether it wants a print or a file.

  • Face 32 to 36 mm, centred

    The face must clearly show the features from the tip of the chin to the crown of the head. It takes up 70 to 80 percent of the photo, which corresponds to 32 to 36 mm, and it must be centred.

  • Plain, bright background

    The ministry sheet asks for a one-colour, bright background, ideally neutral grey, in a colour that contrasts with the face and hair. The Madrid embassy adds that it must be light but not white.

  • Neutral expression, eyes visible

    The expression is neutral with the mouth closed and the person looking directly into the camera. The head is neither at an angle nor turned, and the eyes are open and not covered by hair.

  • Fingerprints are separate

    Biometric data for the chip are the face image, the left and right index fingerprints and the signature. Children under 12 and people physically unable to give fingerprints do not have to.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Go to your commune or the BPVL and let them take the photo.
  • Ask the embassy whether it wants a print or a file if you apply from abroad.
  • Use a recent photo that meets the ICAO criteria for any applicant abroad.
  • Keep your face between 32 and 36 mm high and centred.
  • Look straight into the camera with a neutral expression and your mouth closed.
  • Use a plain, bright background that contrasts with your face and hair.

Don't

  • Do not bring a photo to the counter in Luxembourg unless you want to use a photographer's picture.
  • Do not use a white background if your embassy says it must not be white.
  • Do not wear tinted glasses, sunglasses or glasses that reflect the light.
  • Do not let hair or frames cover your eyes.
  • Do not use a print with creases or impurities.

Sample photos

How a Luxembourg 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.

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

The ministry sheet says the eyes must be clearly recognisable: reflections from glasses, tinted glasses and sunglasses are not permitted. The edge of the glasses or the frame may not cover the eyes, and the eyes may not be covered by hair or spectacle frames either.

In Luxembourg you are photographed at the counter, so the staff apply this when they take the image. If you supply a photo from abroad, take it without glare on the lenses.

Headwear and religious dress

Generally speaking, headwear is not permitted, according to the ministry sheet, which allows exceptions especially for religious reasons. In those cases the face must be visible from the lower tip of the chin to the forehead, and no shadows should be visible on the face.

The sheet adds that the passport applicant must generally be photographed without any headwear and that the passport authority can permit exceptions, especially for credible religious reasons.

Babies and children

Children get their own passport. In Luxembourg, a recent photo that meets the ICAO criteria is listed as possibly needed for a minor, and the commune or the BPVL can take the picture. If the application for a minor is submitted to a Luxembourg diplomatic mission, a recent ICAO-compliant photo is required.

The San José embassy asks for a recent colour photograph of the child, 35 x 45 mm, with a face of 32 to 36 mm. Fingerprints are not taken from children under 12. The passport is valid for 2 years for a minor under 4 and 5 years for a minor aged 4 to 18.

Guichet.lu does not say whether a photographer's photo should be a print or a file, and the ministry publishes no pixel size. Its sheet speaks of printing: high-quality paper with a print resolution of at least 600 dpi, neutral colour, natural skin tones and no creases. At 600 dpi, 35 x 45 mm works out at about 827 x 1063 pixels.

Embassies handle documents differently. Madrid asks you to email your documents first, then fixes an appointment for the originals, fingerprints and signature. San José asks you to bring an ID photo that follows the ministry guideline. A photo cropped to 35 x 45 mm can be printed at a photo counter.

Where to submit the photo

In Luxembourg, apply at the population office of your commune or at the BPVL, 6 rue de l'Ancien Athénée in Luxembourg City. Guichet.lu says you no longer need an appointment at the BPVL to apply for or collect a passport. A non-resident who can travel to Luxembourg can apply at the BPVL as well.

Abroad, apply in person at a Luxembourg embassy or consulate-general, or at a Belgian mission acting for Luxembourg, which issues a one-year temporary passport and does not take fingerprints. In Belgium you can book the Luxembourg consulate general in Brussels online. Outside the EU, EU rules give you the right to seek consular protection from another EU country if yours has no embassy there.

How to get your Luxembourg passport photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Luxembourg passport: 35 × 45 mm print, plain light colour background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the photo is taken on the spot; a photographer's picture is optional; abroad, supply a recent ICAO photo; face 32 to 36 mm, centred.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Guichet.lu does not say whether a photographer's photo should be a print or a file, and the ministry publishes no pixel size.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Luxembourg, apply at the population office of your commune or at the BPVL, 6 rue de l'Ancien Athénée in Luxembourg City. Guichet.lu says you no longer need an appointment at the BPVL to apply for or collect a passport.

Make this photo online

Luxembourg passport photo FAQ

Not in Luxembourg. The photo can be taken at your commune or at the passport office (BPVL), and for a non-resident it is taken on the spot. A professional photograph is optional. Abroad you must supply a recent photo that complies with the ICAO standards.

Guichet.lu publishes no size. The Madrid embassy asks for 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), and San José asks for 35 x 45 mm for a child. The face must be 32 to 36 mm high, which is 70 to 80 percent of the photo.

The ministry sheet asks for a one-colour, bright background, ideally neutral grey, contrasting with the face and hair: medium grey for light hair, light grey for dark hair. The Madrid embassy says light but not white. Check your embassy.

None is published. The commune or the BPVL captures the image digitally at the counter. The ministry sheet asks for a print resolution of at least 600 dpi, and 35 x 45 mm at 600 dpi is about 827 x 1063 pixels.

Only if your eyes stay clearly recognisable. The ministry sheet does not permit reflections from glasses, tinted glasses or sunglasses, and the frame may not cover the eyes.

Headwear is generally not permitted, but exceptions are possible, especially for religious reasons. The face must stay visible from the chin to the forehead with no shadows on it.

Each child has their own passport. In Luxembourg the photo can be taken at the commune or BPVL, and a recent ICAO photo is listed as possibly needed. At a diplomatic mission a recent ICAO photo is required.

Yes. Guichet.lu lists a photograph by a professional photographer that meets the ICAO standards among the documents to produce, as optional. It says nothing about print size or file type, so ask the commune or BPVL which they prefer.

Related photo specifications

Passports nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Guichet.lu, Luxembourg government. Demander un passeport – résident guichet.public.lu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Guichet.lu, Luxembourg government. Applying for a passport – non-residents guichet.public.lu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg. Passeport & Carte d'identité mae.gouvernement.lu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg. New ISO/ICAO photo guidelines (PDF) mae.gouvernement.lu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Embassy of Luxembourg in Madrid. Demande de passeport biométrique luxembourgeois (Madrid, PDF) madrid.mae.lu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Embassy of Luxembourg in San José. Demande de délivrance de passeports (San José, PDF) sanjose.mae.lu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Your Europe, European Union. How expired or lost passports can be replaced europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Guichet.lu, Luxembourg government before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

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

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