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Norway photo specifications

Photo sizes and rules for 2 documents issued in Norway, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.

Based on 2 official sources · last checked Official sources

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At a glance

Norwegian passports and ID cards: the police or an embassy photograph you, so no print is needed except for an emergency passport (35 x 45 mm in Ottawa, about 36 x 47 mm at several other embassies). Norway visas and residence permits: UDI says the photo is taken when you apply, though some embassy checklists ask for one 35 x 45 mm print on a white background.

Overview

An ordinary Norwegian passport or ID card needs no photo from you, because the police take the picture at your appointment, babies included; a print you bring matters only for an emergency passport and for embassy visa checklists, which ask for about 35 x 45 mm on a white or light background, with no digital upload. Two authorities handle Norwegian ID photos. The police (politiet) issue passports and national ID cards to Norwegian citizens and photograph every applicant in a biometric booth at the passport and ID office, and Norwegian embassies do the same for citizens abroad. The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and the foreign service missions handle visas and residence permits for foreign nationals, with VFS Global receiving most applications abroad.

Both rest on the same quality standard: the face shown from the front, both eyes, eyebrows and ears visible, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, even lighting and no glasses. A print you bring yourself matters mainly for a Norwegian emergency passport and for embassy visa checklists that still list a photo.

Photo specifications by document

Passports

Norway Passports
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Passport35 × 45 mm—Evenly lit

Visas and travel authorisations

Norway Visas and travel authorisations
DocumentPrint sizeDigital sizeBackground
Visa35 × 45 mm—White

Frequently asked questions

No size applies when the authority takes the photo itself. Where a print is requested, embassy visa checklists in Amman and Nairobi state 35 x 45 mm, the Ottawa embassy uses 35 x 45 mm for emergency passports, and several other embassies ask for about 36 x 47 mm.

No. The passport regulation and UDI's photo requirements both say glasses must not be worn. Headwear is allowed only for religious or medical reasons, and it must leave the whole face uncovered.

UDI decides residence permits, and the police take the photo and order the residence card. If you live in Norway, you go to the police or the Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA) for this.

You bring your own print, as the police list it as the one exception to the office photo. In Norway it must come from a photographer or photo booth. Abroad the embassy sets the format: Ottawa asks for a 35 x 45 mm colour photo with the face filling 70 to 80% of the height, other embassies about 36 x 47 mm, and most want it under three months old.

Nearby countries

Other countries in Northern Europe:

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Official sources

  1. Norwegian Police (Politiet). Huskeliste: Dette må du ha med til pass- og ID-kontoret politiet.no. Checked 3 November 2026.
  2. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). Photo/passport photo udi.no. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page

"Norway photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/norway

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