Romania passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania for the Romania passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Romania passport photo?
For a Romanian electronic passport (pașaport simplu electronic) you bring no photo: your facial image and fingerprints are captured at the counter when you apply. Prints are needed only for a temporary passport when the holder cannot attend, such as a child under 14. Then you hand in two identical colour photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm), taken from the front on a clear, neutral, light background, head uncovered and eyes open.
Romanian passports are issued by the Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte (DGP, the General Directorate for Passports) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the public community passport services in Romania and through Romania's embassies and consular offices abroad. The standard document is the simple electronic passport. A simple temporary passport exists for urgent cases, and DGP warns in capital letters that it is not issued for tourism.
Photos work differently from most countries. When you lodge an application for an electronic passport, the officer takes your fingerprints and facial image on the spot, so the picture in the passport is made at the counter rather than brought by you. Printed photos come into play only for the temporary passport when the holder is not present: a child under 14, or an adult who temporarily lacks legal capacity or cannot attend for medical reasons. Romanians domiciled abroad receive a passport that records their country of domicile (CRDS), and DGP's list for it asks for prints in the same limited cases.
Romania passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania:[1]
| Print size | 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm, 1.38 x 1.77 in), two identical prints, only where prints are required |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No digital file: the facial image for the electronic passport is captured at the counter |
| Background | Prints: clear, neutral, light-coloured background that lets the outline of the head be identified |
| Colour | Colour photos |
| Photo age | Must show the holder's current appearance |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- No print for the electronic passport
DGP's document list for the simple electronic passport contains no photograph. Instead, the applicant's fingerprints and facial image are taken when the application is lodged, for adults and children alike.
- Prints only when the holder is absent
Two identical colour photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm are required only for a temporary passport requested without the holder at the counter: a child under 14, or a person who lacks legal capacity or cannot attend for medical reasons.
- Current likeness, confirmed at the desk
The person who makes the application confirms the photos in front of the official receiving it. The photos must show the holder as he or she looks now.
- Frontal pose on a light background
Printed photos are taken from the front against a clear, neutral, light-coloured background, so that the outline of the head can be made out.
- Head uncovered, eyes open
In the printed photo the holder must not have the head covered or the eyes closed, and the facial expression should be an ordinary, everyday one.
- Children attend for an electronic passport
A minor must be present when documents for an electronic passport are lodged. Children under 12 give no fingerprints, but their facial image is still captured. From 14, the minor hands in the documents in person.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Book a slot through the online appointment link on the DGP website
- Bring your valid identity card, or the original birth certificate for a child under 14
- Bring your previous passport, if you have one
- For an absent child's temporary passport, bring two identical 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour prints
- Choose a clear, light, neutral background for any printed photo
- Bring the child to the counter for an electronic passport
Don't
- Do not pay for prints for an electronic passport; the image is taken at the counter
- Do not cover your head in a printed photo
- Do not hand in photos with closed eyes
- Do not apply for a temporary passport to go on holiday
- Do not use a photo that no longer shows how the holder looks
Sample photos
How a Romania passport photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Headwear and religious dress
For the printed photos used with a temporary passport, DGP states that the holder must not have the head covered. Its pages publish no exception for religious or medical head coverings, so ask the passport service or consulate before your appointment if this affects you.
For an electronic passport the officer captures your facial image at the counter, and DGP publishes no separate headwear rule for that capture.
Babies and children
For an electronic passport the child must be present when the documents are lodged. Parents of a child under 14 bring the original birth certificate and their own identity documents; if only one parent applies, further papers are needed, such as the other parent's consent, a court decision on parental authority or a death certificate. The child's facial image is captured, while children under 12 are exempt from giving fingerprints.
From 14, the minor lodges the documents personally at the counter, showing his or her own identity card, and both parents give declarations of consent. For a temporary passport, a child under 14 does not have to attend: two identical 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photos can be handed in instead, confirmed in front of the official by the parent making the application.
Printed and digital photos
There is no photo upload and, for the electronic passport, no print either. The image in the passport is taken live at the counter, together with the fingerprints.
Prints survive only for the temporary passport requested without the holder present. They must be two identical colour photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm, which is 35 x 45 mm or 1.38 x 1.77 inches. A digital photo that meets the rules can be cropped to this size and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter.
The CRDS list for Romanians domiciled abroad names the same 3.5 x 4.5 cm photos, again only for a temporary passport for a child under 14 or for a person who lacks legal capacity or cannot express their will for medical reasons.
Where to submit the photo
In Romania, adults and married minors lodge applications in person at the public passport service for the area of their domicile or residence. If they cannot get there, they may apply at the nearest public passport service instead. Abroad, applications go to Romania's diplomatic missions and consular offices. With a CRDS application, you name the passport service, mission or consular office where you want to collect the passport.
People who temporarily lack legal capacity, or who for medical reasons cannot express their will or come to the office, can have a temporary passport application lodged for them by a legal representative or by Romanian or foreign medical authorities, without attending. These are the cases where printed photos are used.
How to get your Romania passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Romania passport: 35 × 45 mm print, prints: clear background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: no print for the electronic passport; prints only when the holder is absent; current likeness, confirmed at the desk; frontal pose on a light background.
- Prepare a print or digital file. There is no photo upload and, for the electronic passport, no print either. The image in the passport is taken live at the counter, together with the fingerprints. Prints survive only for the temporary passport requested without the holder present.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Romania, adults and married minors lodge applications in person at the public passport service for the area of their domicile or residence. If they cannot get there, they may apply at the nearest public passport service instead.
Romania passport photo FAQ
Not for the simple electronic passport. DGP's document list contains no photograph, because your fingerprints and facial image are captured when you lodge the application. Prints are needed only for a temporary passport requested without the holder present, for example for a child under 14.
Where prints are required, they measure 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm, 1.38 x 1.77 in), in colour, and you hand in two identical copies. DGP asks for them only for a temporary passport when the holder is not at the counter.
Only a temporary passport. For a child under 14 you can hand in two 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photos instead of bringing the child. An electronic passport needs the child at the counter, where the facial image is taken. Temporary passports are not issued for tourism.
Yes. Applications are lodged in person at Romania's diplomatic missions and consular offices. Romanians domiciled abroad receive a passport that mentions their country of domicile (CRDS); DGP's document list for it asks for printed photos only for a temporary passport for a child under 14 or a person lacking legal capacity.
DGP lists urgent cases: a minor who must travel for studies, official competitions or vital medical treatment with no time to obtain the other parent's consent; Romanians abroad without valid travel documents who must continue their journey or settle their stay; and urgent situations when there is no time to issue an electronic passport. It is not issued for tourism.
For printed temporary-passport photos, DGP says the holder must not have the head covered, and it publishes no exception. For an electronic passport the officer captures the facial image at the counter; if you cover your head for religious reasons, ask the passport service in advance.
Not under 12. DGP exempts children under 12 from giving fingerprints, though their facial image is still captured at the counter. Anyone for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible is also exempt.
Related photo specifications
Other Romania documents
- Visa photo 35 × 45 mm
- ID card photo 30 × 40 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
- Poland 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 Romania photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania. Documente necesare pentru pașaport simplu electronic (documents for the simple electronic passport) pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania. Documente necesare pentru pașaport simplu temporar (documents for the simple temporary passport) pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania. Documente necesare pentru pașaport cu menționarea statului de domiciliu (CRDS) pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania. Depunerea cererii pentru eliberare pașaport simplu electronic (where to apply) pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania. Depunerea cererii pentru eliberarea pașaportului simplu temporar (where to apply) pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania. Întrebări frecvente (frequently asked questions) pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Electronic identity card (official site) carteadeidentitate.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Electronic identity card. About carteadeidentitate.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Electronic identity card. Useful information and FAQ carteadeidentitate.gov.ro. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Direcția Generală de Pașapoarte, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Romania passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/romania/passport-photo