Poland passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl) for the Poland passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Poland passport photo?
A Polish passport needs one colour photo of 35 x 45 mm, taken no more than six months before you apply. It shows your whole head and the top of your shoulders, with your face filling 70% to 80% of the picture, against an evenly lit white background. Keep a natural expression with your mouth closed, and no dark glasses or headwear. The online route, open only to children under 12, takes a file of at least 768 x 1004 pixels and up to 2.5 MB.
Polish passports are issued by the voivode (wojewoda) in Poland and by Polish consuls abroad, under the Act on Passport Documents of 27 January 2022. The photo rules are written into Article 41 of that Act, and the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MSWiA) explains them on gov.pl, together with an illustrated photo instruction. The Polish ID card uses the same wording, so the two documents take an identical 35 x 45 mm photo.
Adults apply in person, either at a passport point in Poland or at a Polish consulate abroad. An official fills in the application electronically, you confirm it on a signature pad, and fingerprints are taken from everyone aged 12 or over. You hand in one printed colour photo. If it is missing or falls short of the statutory rules, the passport authority does not accept the application and tells you so in writing.
Children under 12 are the exception: a parent can apply for their passport online through a gov.pl e-service and attach a digital photo instead of a print.
Poland passport 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), one colour print |
|---|---|
| Digital size | Online, children under 12 only: at least 768 x 1004 pixels, in 35 x 45 proportions |
| Head height | Face fills 70-80% of the photo; whole head from the crown down to the top of the shoulders |
| Background | White and evenly lit, with no shadows or decorative elements (gov.pl); the Act says a uniform light background |
| Colour | Colour |
| Photo age | Taken no earlier than 6 months before you apply |
| File size | Online, children under 12 only: up to 2.5 MB |
| Print quality | Glossy photographic paper, or glossy photo paper for printers, at high resolution; sharp, no creases or damage |
| 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:
Zdjęcie do dowodu lub paszportu
Key requirements
- Face 70-80% of the frame
Show the whole head from its very top down to the upper part of the shoulders, framed so that the face takes up 70% to 80% of the photo. MSWiA checks head size against a template marking where the chin and the eyes should sit. Hair may run past the edge of the photo, and your ears do not have to show.
- Camera level with your face
Face the lens square on, with the camera at a height between your nose and your eyes. MSWiA rejects both the bird's-eye and the frog's-eye view. Keep your head upright without any tilt, and do not turn into half-profile.
- Natural expression, mouth closed
No facial gestures: a natural look with your mouth closed. Your eyes must be naturally open and looking into the lens, with the pupils visible, the eyebrows fully uncovered and no red-eye effect.
- White, evenly lit background
Only you may appear in the picture, against white that is lit evenly, without shadows or decorative elements. Light on the face must be even as well: reflections that leave white patches on skin or hair, and shadows across the face, are faults.
- Sharp print, true colour
The image must be sharp, with no visible pixels, natural contrast and neutral colour, and must show your natural skin tone without being too light or too dark. The outline of the head must stay clear, so a background that burns out around the hair is not accepted. Prints cut to size may have slightly rounded corners.
- Beard and jewellery
Facial hair is allowed if it does not make you hard to recognise, and jewellery if it neither covers the oval of the face nor disturbs the plain background. To avoid problems, gov.pl suggests a photo without either.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Use a photo taken within the last six months.
- Frame your head from the crown to the top of the shoulders.
- Stand against an evenly lit white background.
- Hold the camera level between your nose and eyes.
- Print on glossy photo paper at high resolution.
- Bring a disability certificate if you must wear dark glasses.
Don't
- Do not wear a hat or head covering unless your faith requires it.
- Do not let hair cover your eyes or eyebrows.
- Do not tilt your head or turn into half-profile.
- Do not include other people, toys or objects in the frame.
- Do not hand in a pixelated, creased or washed-out print.
- Do not reuse a photo older than six months.
Sample photos
How a Poland 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 keep corrective glasses on if your eyes are clearly visible, the frames do not cover your eyebrows and the lenses show no reflections. MSWiA's photo instruction goes further and suggests taking glasses off to avoid glare. Contact lenses are fine only if they keep the natural colour and shape of your eyes.
Dark glasses are allowed for a congenital or acquired eye condition. In that case the Act on Passport Documents requires a disability certificate (orzeczenie o niepełnosprawności, or o stopniu niepełnosprawności) with the application, and MSWiA adds that the dark lenses must not show any reflections either.
Headwear and religious dress
The passport photo must show you without a head covering. If your religion requires one, you may wear it as long as your face is fully visible, and you must submit a certificate confirming that you belong to a religious community registered in Poland. gov.pl adds that the whole oval of the face and the line of the ears must be uncovered.
The Act also allows headwear when you show that you need it as a consequence of medical treatment or an accident. Hats, caps and other coverings worn for any other reason must come off.
Babies and children
For a child under 5, the photo may break the expression rules: closed eyes, an open mouth or an unnatural expression are acceptable. The face must still be uncovered, not hidden by hair or a toy, the head held straight, and the background light and uniform with nobody else in the frame. MSWiA's template leaves the chin-to-eyes distance free for this age group.
At a passport office, a child under 5 does not have to come along, while an older child must attend the application but not the collection. Parents of children under 12 can also apply online, attaching a digital photo instead of a print; in that case a child over 5 must be present when the passport is collected. Passports for children under 12 are valid for 5 years and are issued without fingerprints.
Printed and digital photos
Almost every passport application uses a print. You hand one colour 35 x 45 mm photo to the passport point or consulate. MSWiA asks for glossy photographic paper, or glossy photo paper designed for printers, printed at high resolution. gov.pl suggests having the photo taken by a photographer, but it also publishes a guide for people who take it themselves.
The digital route exists only for children under 12 whose parent applies online. The file must be in colour, at least 768 x 1004 pixels, no larger than 2.5 MB, and keep the proportions of a 35 x 45 mm photo. A digital photo can be cropped and resized to that pixel size, or printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter for an office application.
Where to submit the photo
In Poland you can apply at any passport point, whatever your registered address; the voivodeship offices list their passport points on their websites. Abroad, you apply in person at a Polish consulate and book the visit through the e-Konsulat system. Either way you collect the passport where you applied.
Online applications for children under 12 go through the gov.pl e-service after you log in with a trusted profile (profil zaufany), an e-ID card or a qualified electronic signature. Since 1 January 2026 this service works only through an e-Doręczenia (e-delivery) mailbox. During the application you choose the passport point or consulate where the passport will be collected.
How to get your Poland passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Poland passport: 35 × 45 mm print, 768 × 1004 px digital file, white and evenly lit background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: face 70-80% of the frame; camera level with your face; natural expression, mouth closed; white, evenly lit background.
- Prepare a print or digital file. Almost every passport application uses a print. You hand one colour 35 x 45 mm photo to the passport point or consulate.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Poland you can apply at any passport point, whatever your registered address; the voivodeship offices list their passport points on their websites. Abroad, you apply in person at a Polish consulate and book the visit through the e-Konsulat system.
Poland passport photo FAQ
It is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high (1.38 x 1.77 in), in colour. The frame runs from the top of your head to the top of your shoulders, and your face should take up 70% to 80% of it. For an online application for a child under 12, the digital file must be at least 768 x 1004 pixels.
Yes. Corrective glasses are allowed when your eyes are clearly visible, the frames stay clear of your eyebrows and the lenses do not reflect light. MSWiA suggests removing them to avoid glare. Dark glasses need a disability certificate for an eye condition.
No. The Act asks for a natural expression with the mouth closed, and gov.pl rules out facial gestures. Exceptions apply to children under 5 and to people whose disability or health prevents them from meeting these rules.
Yes. gov.pl recommends a photographer but links to its own guide for people who want to take the photo themselves. The result must still meet every rule: an evenly lit white background, sharp focus and natural colour, and for a print, glossy photo paper at high resolution.
One. Both the adult and the child passport services on gov.pl ask for a single current colour photo taken no earlier than six months before the application. An online application for a child under 12 takes one digital file instead.
Yes. Consuls issue passports under the same Act, and their pages point to the gov.pl photo guide. Consulates in Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium warn that if the photo is missing or does not meet the rules, the consul issues a notice that the application has not been accepted.
Only for religious or medical reasons. For religion, you need a certificate showing that you belong to a religious community registered in Poland, and your face must be fully visible, with the oval of the face and the line of the ears uncovered. Headwear needed after medical treatment or an accident is allowed if you show that need.
Related photo specifications
Other Poland documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
Passports nearby
- Belarus passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Bulgaria passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Czech Republic passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Hungary passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Romania passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Russia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Ukraine passport photo 100 × 150 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
- Passports: 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 the Interior and Administration. Instrukcja wykonywania zdjęć do dokumentów paszportowych oraz dowodów osobistych (PDF) gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl). Uzyskaj paszport – usługa dla osoby dorosłej gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl). Uzyskaj paszport dla dziecka gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Sejm of the Republic of Poland. Ustawa o dokumentach paszportowych, consolidated text (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 196) api.sejm.gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dublin. Paszport dla osoby pełnoletniej gov.pl. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior and Administration (gov.pl). Photo for a driving licence 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 passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/poland/passport-photo