Netherlands passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Government of the Netherlands for the Netherlands passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Netherlands passport photo?
A Dutch passport photo is a printed colour photo of 35 x 45 mm. From age 11 the head must measure 26 to 30 mm from chin to crown and the face 16 to 20 mm across; up to age 10 the minimum height drops to 19 mm. Use a plain light grey, light blue or white background, look straight into the camera with your mouth closed, and do not edit it. Print on smooth photo paper at 400 dpi or more, no more than six months before you apply.
Dutch passports are issued by the municipality (gemeente) where you are registered, and you must apply in person, children included. Dutch nationals abroad apply at a Dutch embassy or consulate-general, at a VFS Global centre in countries where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs uses one, or at one of 15 border municipalities in the Netherlands, including the municipal counter at Schiphol airport. A passport is valid for 10 years from age 18 and for 5 years below that.
The photo rules come from the National Office for Identity Data (RvIG), part of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Its Photo Specification Guidelines 2020, known in Dutch as the fotomatrix, list every acceptance criterion, and a photo is approved only if it meets all of them.
There is no upload. You bring a printed colour photo to the appointment, where staff assess it and take two fingerprints and your signature. The photo is reproduced in black and white on the passport and stored in colour on the chip, and RvIG warns that weak contrast leaves a vague image on the document. RvIG is working towards a digital photo, taken at the counter or sent securely by a professional photographer, but says the law has to change first.
Netherlands passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Government of the Netherlands:[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), width x height, printed |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: bring a printed photo to the counter (a digital photo is planned but needs a change in the law) |
| Head height | 26 to 30 mm chin to crown from age 11; 19 to 30 mm up to age 10; face 16 to 20 mm wide |
| Background | Light grey, light blue or white; plain, one colour, no gradient, contrasting with the head |
| Colour | Colour only; black-and-white photos are not allowed |
| Photo age | No more than 6 months old when you apply |
| Print quality | High-quality smooth photo paper, at least 400 dpi; undamaged, not a copy, unaltered by software |
| 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:
unaltered by computer software
Key requirements
- Head 26 to 30 mm from chin to crown
From age 11 the head, measured from the chin to the top of the skull, must take up 26 to 30 mm of the 45 mm height. The face must be 16 to 20 mm wide, measured without the ears, and the whole head must be shown and centred. Only a very high hairstyle may be partly cut off at the top. Municipalities can order a transparent overlay from RvIG to check the position on your print.
- Light grey, light blue or white
The background must be light grey, light blue or white, plain, all one colour and one shade, with no gradient and no shadow. It must also contrast enough with your head, because weak contrast makes the photo on the document vague. Pick whichever of the three colours stands apart from your hair.
- Even light without white spots
Light the face and the background evenly, without over- or underexposure. Shadows on the face, especially around the eyes, are not accepted, and neither are reflections. The guidelines name the usual causes of white spots: flash, shiny skin, sweat, glasses and jewellery, and say accessories such as hairbands or earrings must not reflect.
- Neutral, square and mouth closed
Face the camera with head and shoulders square, eyes on a horizontal line and the head not tilted backwards, forwards or sideways. Look straight into the lens with a neutral expression and your mouth closed. A broad smile or an open mouth is refused, though RvIG adds that this does not mean you have to look sad or grumpy.
- A real print, untouched
The photo must be undamaged, not a reproduction and unaltered by computer software. It must be printed on high-quality, smooth paper made for photographs, without raised texture or other irregularities that could distort your appearance. RvIG addresses the 400 dpi minimum to whoever prints the photo, who must judge whether the print reaches that resolution.
- Recent, and ideally new
The photo may be no more than six months old on the day you apply and must be a true likeness. Reusing the photo from your previous passport is discouraged: the official table of what is allowed answers that question with "preferably not".
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Bring a printed colour photo to your appointment.
- Check that the head measures 26 to 30 mm from chin to crown.
- Choose light grey, light blue or white for the background.
- Light your face evenly from the front.
- Print on smooth, high-quality photo paper.
- Take the RvIG photo matrix with you to a photographer abroad.
Don't
- Do not retouch or edit the photo with software.
- Do not hand in a copy of a photo.
- Do not smile broadly or open your mouth.
- Do not wear a cap or hat.
- Do not reuse the photo from your previous passport.
- Do not use a photo taken more than six months ago.
Sample photos
How a Netherlands 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
You may wear glasses. Your eyes must be completely visible, the lenses fully transparent, and neither frame nor lens may cover any part of the eyes. Reflections in the lenses or on the frame should be avoided as far as possible; if a disturbing reflection cannot be prevented, you must take the glasses off.
If you wear glasses only now and then, you decide for yourself whether to keep them on for the photo. Sunglasses and tinted lenses fail the rule that lenses be fully transparent.
Headwear and religious dress
Caps and hats are not allowed, because the guidelines ask for an uncovered head. There are two exceptions: a head covering worn for religious or philosophical reasons, and a covering chosen by someone who has lost their hair through illness or medical treatment. In both cases it must be plain, one colour, and contrast with the background, and the face must stay fully visible, including both sides.
Ears do not have to show as long as the full width of the face can be seen. Beards, wigs, a new hairstyle, make-up, facial piercings and tattoos, and earrings are all accepted. A long fringe is fine only if it leaves the eyes and face fully visible.
Babies and children
A child needs their own passport or ID card to travel abroad, and a child's passport is valid for five years. For children up to and including 10, the head may be smaller: 19 to 30 mm from chin to crown. Babies and children under 6 do not have to meet the position and expression rules, so their eyes need not be level, the head may tilt and they may smile slightly or have their mouth open. A child with closed eyes is refused.
If a young child has to be held up, the support must not show; RvIG suggests hiding the supporting hand under the child's clothing. Children must attend the appointment, and parents or guardians with authority must consent until the child is 18. Town hall photo booths do not suit every child: Heemstede, for example, says its booth works from a height of 1.40 m and advises a professional photographer for children under 6.
Printed and digital photos
Every Dutch passport channel still uses a paper photo. You hand it in at the counter, the office scans it, and the image goes onto the data page in black and white and onto the chip in colour. There is no way to send a file yourself, in the Netherlands or abroad.
RvIG is working out two digital routes: live enrolment, where the issuing office takes the photo at the counter or in a kiosk, and a secure transfer from a professional photographer, similar to what the RDW already uses for driving licences. RvIG tested live enrolment cameras at several municipalities in early 2024, but the change needs new legislation and new ICT links before it can start.
Until then, a digital photo can be cropped to 35 x 45 mm and printed on a 4 x 6 inch sheet at a photo counter. The print still has to meet the paper, resolution and no-editing rules above.
Where to submit the photo
In the Netherlands, book an appointment with the municipality where you are registered and bring the photo and every travel document you hold. Most applicants have the photo made beforehand; some town halls, such as Heemstede, have a self-service photo booth. Counter staff assess the photo against the photo matrix.
Abroad, apply at a Dutch embassy or consulate-general, at a VFS Global centre where one is used, or at one of 15 border municipalities, among them the Schiphol counter run by Haarlemmermeer. A passport photo that meets Dutch requirements is on the list of documents you always need. Haarlemmermeer warns that photos taken abroad often fail the requirements and assesses them at the appointment, and NetherlandsWorldwide lists photographers in many countries who know the Dutch rules.
If your trip cannot wait, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee issues emergency passports at desks such as Schiphol and Rotterdam The Hague Airport. It too asks for a recent photo that meets the same requirements.
How to get your Netherlands passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Netherlands passport: 35 × 45 mm print, light grey background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: head 26 to 30 mm from chin to crown; light grey, light blue or white; even light without white spots; neutral, square and mouth closed.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Every Dutch passport channel still uses a paper photo. You hand it in at the counter, the office scans it, and the image goes onto the data page in black and white and onto the chip in colour.
- Submit the photo with your application. In the Netherlands, book an appointment with the municipality where you are registered and bring the photo and every travel document you hold. Most applicants have the photo made beforehand; some town halls, such as Heemstede, have a self-service photo booth.
Netherlands passport photo FAQ
It is 35 x 45 mm, width by height. From age 11 the head must measure 26 to 30 mm from chin to crown and the face 16 to 20 mm across, without the ears. For children aged 10 and under the head may measure 19 to 30 mm.
No. RvIG asks for a neutral expression, eyes looking straight into the camera and the mouth closed. A broad smile or open mouth is refused, though you do not have to look grim. Children under 6 are exempt from the expression rules and may smile slightly.
Not as a rule. You bring a printed colour photo that meets the requirements, and staff check it. Some town halls have a self-service photo booth. RvIG is preparing live enrolment, where the counter takes a digital photo, but that needs a change in the law first.
The guidelines judge the photo, not who took it: a photo is approved only if it meets every acceptance criterion. Those criteria include a sharp, evenly lit colour image, no software editing, and a print on smooth, high-quality photo paper at 400 dpi or more. A photocopy fails.
Yes, if your eyes are fully visible, the lenses are fully transparent and there is no disturbing reflection or shadow. If a reflection cannot be avoided, take them off. People who wear glasses only occasionally may choose either way.
Light grey, light blue or white. The background must be plain, one colour and one shade, without a gradient or shadow, and contrast enough with your head.
NetherlandsWorldwide lists, for many countries, photographers who know the Dutch requirements. Otherwise print the RvIG photo matrix 2020, available in English, French and Spanish as well as Dutch, and take it to any photographer. The Schiphol counter for Dutch nationals abroad notes that photos taken abroad often fail.
It is printed in black and white on the passport itself and stored in colour on the chip. That is one reason the guidelines insist on enough contrast between your head and the background.
Related photo specifications
Other Netherlands documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Driving licence photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Austria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Belgium passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- France passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Germany passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Luxembourg passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Monaco passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Switzerland 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 Netherlands photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Government of the Netherlands. Requirements for photos government.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. Eisen aan de pasfoto voor paspoort of ID-kaart rijksoverheid.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- National Office for Identity Data (RvIG). Photo specification guidelines 2020 government.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rijksdienst voor Identiteitsgegevens (RvIG). Fotomatrix rvig.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rijksdienst voor Identiteitsgegevens (RvIG). Introductie digitale pasfoto rvig.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. Hoe kan ik een paspoort of identiteitskaart aanvragen? rijksoverheid.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- NetherlandsWorldwide, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo requirements for Dutch passports and identity cards netherlandsworldwide.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- NetherlandsWorldwide, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Which documents do I need to apply for a Dutch passport or ID card from abroad? netherlandsworldwide.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- NetherlandsWorldwide, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What do I need to consider when applying for a Dutch passport or ID card for my child or baby abroad? netherlandsworldwide.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- NetherlandsWorldwide, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Having Dutch passport photos taken in the United States of America netherlandsworldwide.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Koninklijke Marechaussee. Noodpaspoort marechaussee.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Gemeente Haarlemmermeer. Paspoort of identiteitskaart voor Nederlanders in het buitenland haarlemmermeergemeente.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Gemeente Heemstede. Paspoort heemstede.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. Requirements for the passport or ID card photo rijksoverheid.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. Fotomatrix 2020 (brochure) rijksoverheid.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
- RDW. Supplying driving licence photos digitally rdw.nl. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Government of the Netherlands before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Netherlands passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/netherlands/passport-photo