Slovakia ID card photo requirements
The 30 × 35 mm photo rules set by Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice for the Slovakia ID card, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Slovakia ID card photo?
You bring no photo for a Slovak identity card (občiansky preukaz). Under Act 395/2019, the police documents office in Slovakia or a Slovak embassy abroad captures your face, fingerprints and signature when you apply in person. The capture is done in civilian clothes, bare-headed and without dark-lens glasses, with exceptions for health and religious reasons. Fingerprints are taken only from age 12.
Slovak identity cards are issued by the Police Force. Inside Slovakia any district directorate of the Police Force accepts the application at its documents department (oddelenie dokladov), and abroad a Slovak embassy does, according to the Interior Ministry. The governing text is Act 395/2019 on identity cards; the version consulted for this guide has been in force since 15 May 2026.
The Act does not ask applicants for a printed photograph. Section 6 obliges the citizen for whom a card is to be issued to undergo the capture of the face image, fingerprints and signature, and the Interior Ministry names the police district directorate, or an embassy abroad, as the place where this happens. The picture on your card is therefore the one the officer takes at the counter, which is why this page is about how to present yourself at the camera rather than about print sizes.
Some citizens never need a face image at all. For children under 15 with permanent residence in Slovakia the Interior Ministry issues a card without a face image (bez podoby tváre) from register data, at birth or when citizenship is granted, and posts it to the permanent address. A standard card with a face image can still be requested for a child, and it is that card, and the adult card, that this page covers.
Slovakia ID card photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice:[1]
| Print size | None: the office captures the face; 3 x 3.5 cm prints belonged to the repealed Act 162/1993 |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No upload: the office records the image digitally at the counter |
| Background | None specified: the face image is captured at the counter and no background rule exists |
| Colour | The card prints the facial image in black and white |
| Photo age | Taken fresh at the application; no age limit applies to a photo |
| Pixels when printed | 354 × 413 px at 300 dpi · 709 × 827 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
In the official words
Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:
The citizen to whom an identity card is to be issued is obliged to undergo the capture of his or her facial image, fingerprints and signature. (translated from Slovak)
Key requirements
- The face is captured at the counter
Section 6 of Act 395/2019 obliges the citizen for whom a card is to be issued to undergo the capture of the face image, fingerprints and signature. The Interior Ministry places this at a police district directorate in Slovakia or at an embassy abroad, together with choosing a six-digit security code (BOK).
- You apply in person
The applicant must attend personally, with one exception: if a bedridden or mentally ill citizen cannot come, another person files the application with a doctor's certificate. The police office then arranges the capture where the citizen stays, by agreement, and an embassy does the same for a citizen who lives permanently in Slovakia. The office or embassy bears the cost.
- Civilian clothes, bare head
Section 3 says the face image is captured in civilian clothing, without a head covering and without glasses with dark lenses. A uniform or costume is therefore out, and so are sunglasses and tinted lenses.
- Health and religious exceptions
In justified cases the face image may be captured with a head covering for health or religious reasons. The covering must not hide the face in a way that makes identification impossible.
- Blind applicants keep dark glasses
A blind citizen who wears dark glasses and asks to be captured with them must present a medical certificate stating that they use dark glasses, or a card for a person with a severe disability who needs a guide, marked "nevidiaci-blind".
- Different limits by age
Fingerprints are not taken from children under 12 or from people whose fingerprints can never be recorded. The signature is not required under 12, and a child aged 6 to 11 may still give one. The face image applies to everyone, whatever the age.
- The clock waits for the capture
The card is made within 30 days of the application, or in 2 working days on request at a police office. The period does not run while the face image, fingerprints or signature are missing, and an urgent card is not available at an embassy or after a capture at the citizen's home.
- Black and white on the card
The register of authentic documents describes the Slovak card issued since 1 December 2022 as showing the facial image in black and white, so a colour photograph is not needed in any case.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Apply in person at a police documents office or a Slovak embassy.
- Book the appointment first if you apply at an embassy.
- Come in everyday clothes and face the camera.
- Take off hats, caps and scarves unless you have a health or religious reason.
- Bring your old card, the supporting documents and proof of the fee.
- Choose your six-digit security code at the counter if you are 15 or older.
Don't
- Do not bring a printed photograph expecting the office to use it.
- Do not wear sunglasses or other glasses with dark lenses.
- Do not cover your face with a scarf or other covering.
- Do not come in uniform or fancy dress.
- Do not send someone else, unless you are bedridden or unable to attend because of mental illness.
Sample photos
How a Slovakia ID card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 30 × 35 mm and background colour.
Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.
Glasses
The Act names only glasses with dark lenses, which are not allowed, and it does not describe other glasses. A blind citizen who uses dark glasses is captured wearing them, after presenting a medical certificate or the disability card with the note blind.
Headwear and religious dress
The face image is captured without a head covering. For justified health or religious reasons a covering may stay on, provided it does not hide the face so that the person cannot be identified. The Act gives no further detail on what counts as hiding the face.
Babies and children
The child must be captured too, since the face-image duty applies to every citizen, but fingerprints are exempt under 12 and a signature under 12 is optional from age 6. A legal guardian files the application for a child under 15, except that a citizen turning 15 applies personally, from 30 days before the birthday.
Validity follows age: 2 years under 6, 5 years from 6 to 14 and 10 years from 15, according to the Act and the register of authentic documents. A card for a child with a face image can serve as a travel document within the EU, the Paris embassy page notes.
Printed and digital photos
There is no print or upload to prepare. The image is recorded digitally by the officer, which is why the Act speaks of the capture of the face rather than a photograph. The 3 x 3.5 cm size comes from the 2002 to 2004 text of the repealed Act 162/1993, which asked for two sharp, unretouched colour or black-and-white photographs on smooth glossy paper, with a face at least 13 mm from chin to crown. The current Act 395/2019 contains no such requirement.
Where to submit the photo
In Slovakia: any district directorate of the Police Force, at its documents department (oddelenie dokladov). Abroad: any Slovak embassy, where the Paris page says an appointment is essential and the fee is paid in cash. Embassies cannot issue the card in 2 working days, and the 30-day production period does not include delivery to the embassy, so plan well ahead.
How to get your Slovakia ID card photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Slovakia ID card: 30 × 35 mm print. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: the face is captured at the counter; you apply in person; civilian clothes, bare head; health and religious exceptions.
- Prepare a print or digital file. There is no print or upload to prepare. The image is recorded digitally by the officer, which is why the Act speaks of the capture of the face rather than a photograph.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Slovakia: any district directorate of the Police Force, at its documents department (oddelenie dokladov). Abroad: any Slovak embassy, where the Paris page says an appointment is essential and the fee is paid in cash.
Slovakia ID card photo FAQ
No. The police documents office, or a Slovak embassy abroad, captures your face, fingerprints and signature when you apply. Act 395/2019 makes the capture a duty of the applicant, and the Interior Ministry says it is done at the district directorate or at the embassy.
There is no photo size to meet. The officer records the image at the counter. The 3 x 3.5 cm figure is found in the 2002 to 2004 text of the repealed Act 162/1993, not in the current Act 395/2019.
Only glasses with dark lenses are named, and they are not allowed. A blind citizen who uses dark glasses can be captured with them by presenting a medical certificate or the severe-disability card with the note blind.
In justified cases, yes. The Act allows the face image to be captured with a head covering for health or religious reasons, as long as the covering does not hide the face so that identification becomes impossible. Otherwise the head must be bare.
Children under 15 with permanent residence in Slovakia receive a card without a face image automatically. A card with a face image can be requested by the legal guardian at a police office or embassy, and the child is captured there. Fingerprints are not taken under 12.
At a Slovak embassy, in person. The Paris page says an appointment is needed and that an urgent card in 2 working days is not possible there. The 30-day production period does not include the delivery to the embassy.
No. The register of authentic documents describes the facial image on the card issued since 1 December 2022 as black and white. You do not provide a colour photograph in any case, since the office captures the image.
Related photo specifications
Other Slovakia documents
- Visa photo 30 × 35 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
- Poland ID card photo 35 × 45 mm
- Romania ID card photo 30 × 40 mm
- All Slovakia photo specifications
- Identity cards: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 30 × 35 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice. Zákon č. 395/2019 Z. z. o občianskych preukazoch (version effective from 15 May 2026) static.slov-lex.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. Prijatie žiadosti o vydanie občianskeho preukazu minv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. Občianske preukazy bez podoby tváre minv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Central Public Administration Portal slovensko.sk. Vybavujem občiansky preukaz slovensko.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Central Public Administration Portal slovensko.sk. Prvý občiansky preukaz slovensko.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Paris. Občiansky preukaz (Paris embassy, captured 28 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Madrid. Občiansky preukaz (Madrid embassy, captured 29 March 2025) mzv.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Council of the European Union. PRADO: SVK-BO-06001, Identity card issued from 1 December 2022 consilium.europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.
- Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice. Zákon č. 162/1993 Z. z. o občianskych preukazoch (repealed; version 2002 to 2004) static.slov-lex.sk. Checked 2 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Slov-Lex, Slovak Ministry of Justice before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Slovakia ID card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/slovakia/id-card-photo