Poland ID card photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl) for the Poland ID card, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Poland ID card photo?
For a Polish ID card (dowód osobisty) applied for at a municipal office, bring one colour print of 35 x 45 mm on photographic paper. Online and mObywatel applications take a colour file of at least 492 x 633 pixels and no more than 2.5 MB, in 35:45 proportions. Either way the photo must be under six months old and show your head and upper shoulders, face filling 70-80%, on a plain light background without dark glasses or headwear.
The Polish identity card, the dowód osobisty, is issued by the municipal authority (organ gminy). Adults apply once they turn 18, and anyone younger can have one too, for example to travel to other EU and Schengen countries without a passport. Every card issued since 4 March 2019 is an e-dowód with an electronic layer, and cards for people aged 12 or over now also hold fingerprints.
There are three ways to apply, and each takes the photo in a different form. At any municipal office in Poland, whatever your registered address, you hand over a print. Online, or in the mObywatel app, you attach a digital file and then visit an office within 30 days to give fingerprints and a signature sample. If illness or disability keeps you at home, the office can take the application where you are staying.
Applications cannot be made at a consulate abroad: Poles living outside Poland apply while they are in the country. The photo rules are set out in Article 29 of the Act on Identity Cards and a 2025 regulation, and are the same as those for a Polish passport.
Poland ID card photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl):[1]
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in), colour print on photographic paper, for office applications |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Online and mObywatel: at least 492 x 633 pixels, in 35 x 45 proportions |
| Head height | Face 70-80% of the photo, showing the head from its top to the upper shoulders |
| Background | Uniform and light (the Act); gov.pl specifies white, evenly lit, without shadows or decoration |
| Colour | Colour, in both print and digital form |
| Photo age | No earlier than 6 months before the application |
| File size | Online and mObywatel: up to 2.5 MB |
| Print quality | Photographic paper; MSWiA asks for glossy paper, high resolution, sharp, no pixelation or creases |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- One photo, two formats
At the office the photo is a 35 x 45 mm colour print on photographic paper. Online it is a colour file of at least 492 x 633 pixels and up to 2.5 MB that keeps the 35:45 shape. The MSWiA regulation of 23 July 2025 on ID cards sets both formats.
- Head, shoulders and a 70-80% face
The Act on Identity Cards asks for a frontal image from the top of the head to the upper part of the shoulders, vertically symmetrical, with the face taking up 70% to 80% of the photo. Hair may reach beyond the frame and your ears do not have to show.
- Eyes, brows and pupils in view
Look straight ahead with your eyes naturally open, pupils visible and eyebrows uncovered. Hair must not fall over the eyes, and red eye is not accepted.
- Plain light background, even light
Use a uniform light background; the gov.pl guide asks for white without shadows or decorative elements. Light your face evenly, with no bright reflections on skin or hair and no shadows. The mObywatel camera tool does not check the background, so that part is up to you.
- True to life
Keep a natural expression with the mouth closed. The image must be sharp, with natural contrast and true skin colour, neither too light nor too dark, and must show your face in a way that leaves no reasonable doubt about who you are.
- The office decides
An official makes the final decision on your photo. If an online photo falls short, the office asks you to supplement the application, and the Act requires the card to be refused when a photo sent electronically does not meet the statutory rules.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Stand in front of a plain, light wall with even lighting.
- Keep the file at 492 x 633 pixels or more and under 2.5 MB.
- Keep the 35:45 width-to-height shape when you crop.
- Attach a religious-community certificate if you cover your head for your faith.
- Visit the office within 30 days after applying online.
- Bring a print on photographic paper to an office application.
Don't
- Do not use a photo taken more than six months ago.
- Do not wear dark glasses without a disability certificate.
- Do not let shadows or reflections fall on your face.
- Do not open your mouth or pull a facial expression.
- Do not use a patterned or decorated background.
- Do not plan to apply at a consulate; applications are made in Poland.
Sample photos
How a Poland ID card 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
Corrective glasses can stay on for the ID card photo when your eyes are easy to see, no part of the frame covers the eyebrows and the lenses do not reflect light. Contact lenses are acceptable if they change neither the natural colour nor the shape of your eyes.
Dark lenses are allowed only for people with a congenital or acquired sight defect who hold a disability certificate: an orzeczenie o niepełnosprawności for those under 16, or an orzeczenie o stopniu niepełnosprawności from 16 on. Attach it to the application. Online, add it as an electronic document signed by the issuer, or as a scan, in which case you show the original when you collect the card.
Headwear and religious dress
The ID card photo is taken without a head covering. Someone who covers their head in line with their religion may wear it if the face is fully visible, and must present a certificate of membership of a church or religious association registered in Poland. The gov.pl guide adds that the whole oval of the face and the line of the ears must stay uncovered.
A head covering is also allowed if you make it plausible that you need it after medical treatment or an accident. When applying online or in mObywatel, add the certificate as a file; the Ministry of Digital Affairs reminds app users of this when they take the photo.
Babies and children
Anyone under 18 can have an ID card, and a parent, guardian or curator applies for them. For a child under 5, the photo does not have to meet the expression rules, so closed eyes, an open mouth or an unnatural expression are accepted. The face must still be free of hair and toys, the head straight, and the background light and plain with no one else in view.
A parent can apply online or in mObywatel for a child, with the same digital photo specification as for adults. Children aged 12 and over must then visit the office within 30 days to give fingerprints and a signature sample. At an office, children over 5 must be present when the application is made. A card issued to a child under 12 is valid for 5 years.
Printed and digital photos
At a municipal office, bring one colour photo printed on photographic paper at 35 x 45 mm. MSWiA's instruction asks for glossy photographic paper, or glossy photo paper designed for printers, at high resolution and without creases or damage. Corners may be slightly rounded after cutting.
An online or mObywatel application takes no print. You attach a colour file of at least 492 x 633 pixels and no more than 2.5 MB, cropped so that it keeps the proportions of a 35 x 45 mm photo. Since September 2025 the mObywatel app can take the photo with your phone camera, showing an oval for the face and guide lines for the eyes, and it checks a ready-made file in the same way. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to the required pixel size. Once the application is sent you cannot edit it or replace the attachment.
Where to submit the photo
In person: any municipal office (urząd gminy) in Poland, regardless of where you are registered. The official prepares an electronic application from your details and the PESEL register, takes your fingerprints and records your signature on a pad. You collect the card from the same office, within 30 days of the application.
Online: log in with a trusted profile, an e-ID card or a qualified certificate, or use the mObywatel app, which has accepted ID card applications since 1 July 2025. Choose the office where you will finish the application; there you give fingerprints and a signature within 30 days, or the application is left unprocessed. Since 1 January 2026 the online service works through an e-Doręczenia mailbox. Consulates neither accept ID card applications nor hand out cards.
How to get your Poland ID card photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Poland ID card: 35 × 45 mm print, 492 × 633 px digital file, uniform and light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one photo, two formats; head, shoulders and a 70-80% face; eyes, brows and pupils in view; plain light background, even light.
- Prepare a print or digital file. At a municipal office, bring one colour photo printed on photographic paper at 35 x 45 mm. MSWiA's instruction asks for glossy photographic paper, or glossy photo paper designed for printers, at high resolution and without creases or damage.
- Submit the photo with your application. In person: any municipal office (urząd gminy) in Poland, regardless of where you are registered. The official prepares an electronic application from your details and the PESEL register, takes your fingerprints and records your signature on a pad.
Poland ID card photo FAQ
For an office application, a colour print of 35 x 45 mm (1.38 x 1.77 in) on photographic paper. Online or in mObywatel, a colour file of at least 492 x 633 pixels, up to 2.5 MB, with the same 35:45 proportions. In both cases the face fills 70% to 80% of the frame.
Yes, when you apply in the mObywatel app. Since September 2025 the app lets you take the photo yourself, guides your face into an oval and flags errors before you attach it. It does not check the background, so stand in front of a plain, light wall. The office still makes the final decision.
The Act on Identity Cards asks for a uniform light background, and the gov.pl photo guide specifies white, evenly lit and free of shadows and decorative elements. Only you may appear in the picture.
Yes, clear corrective glasses are fine if your eyes are clearly visible, the frames do not cover your eyebrows and nothing reflects in the lenses. Dark glasses need a disability certificate for a sight defect, attached to the application.
Not at a consulate. gov.pl says Polish citizens who live abroad can apply only while they are in Poland, and the card cannot be collected at a consulate either. Abroad, a Polish consulate can issue a passport instead.
The office asks you to supplement the application with a correct photo. For applications sent electronically, the Act on Identity Cards says the card is refused if the attached photo does not meet the statutory rules, so check the file against the gov.pl guide before you send it.
Yes. Every application needs a photo taken no earlier than six months before you apply, so an older picture, such as the one on your current card, cannot be used.
Related photo specifications
Other Poland documents
- Passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
Identity cards nearby
- Bulgaria ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Czech Republic ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Moldova ID card photo 100 × 150 mm
- Romania ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- Slovakia ID card photo 30 × 35 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 Poland photo specifications
- Identity cards: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl). Zdjęcie do dowodu lub paszportu – informacje gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of Digital Affairs (gov.pl). Uzyskaj dowód osobisty gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of Digital Affairs (gov.pl). Uzyskaj dowód osobisty dla dziecka lub podopiecznego gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl). Dowód osobisty – informacje gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of Digital Affairs. Zdjęcie do dowodu osobistego ze smartfona – praktyczne narzędzie teraz w mObywatelu gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Sejm of the Republic of Poland. Ustawa o dowodach osobistych, consolidated text (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1753) api.sejm.gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Sejm of the Republic of Poland. Rozporządzenie MSWiA z dnia 23 lipca 2025 r. w sprawie wzoru dowodu osobistego (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1031) api.sejm.gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior and Administration. Instrukcja wykonywania zdjęć do dokumentów paszportowych oraz dowodów osobistych (PDF) gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Poland ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/poland/id-card-photo