Slovenia passport photo requirements
The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Government of the Republic of Slovenia (gov.si) for the Slovenia passport, with the official wording and sources.
Quick answer
What size is the Slovenia passport photo?
Since 2 April 2026 a Slovenian passport application needs the reference number of a digital photo taken by a registered e-photographer, not a file of your own. A paper photograph is accepted only as an exception, for example at a mission abroad: white glossy photographic paper, 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm), face from chin to hairline 70 to 80 percent of the height (32 to 36 mm), plain light background with neutral grey recommended.
Slovenian passports are applied for at any administrative unit (upravna enota) in Slovenia, or at a Slovenian diplomatic mission or consulate abroad. The interior ministry (Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve in javno upravo) is the institution behind the service. In Slovenia you no longer arrive with a photo. Since 2 April 2026 the applicant submits the reference number of a digital photograph, and only an authorised e-photographer may produce it.
An e-photographer is a person the ministry has entered in its register of e-photographers. The photographer saves the digital photo in the electronic photo repository for personal documents and gives you a certificate with the reference number of the photograph. The official at the administrative unit then collects the photo from the repository. The photo is kept there for six months, and the photographer must delete it from their own devices and storage media by the next working day. The photographer must also make sure that the face is not digitally corrected or changed.
A photo already on file can be used again if it still shows your true likeness, which as a rule means one not older than a year. In that case the official copies it from the official records and you submit no certificate. A paper photo is the exception, and the national rulebook sets one standard for it, which this page explains together with the face rules that every Slovenian passport photo follows.
Slovenia passport photo size and specifications
The requirements as published by Government of the Republic of Slovenia (gov.si):[1]
| Print size | 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm) for a paper photo; no size published for the digital photo |
|---|---|
| Digital size | No file from you: a registered e-photographer saves it and gives you a reference number |
| Head height | 70 to 80% of the photograph height from chin to hairline (32 to 36 mm) |
| Eye line | Eye height 50 to 70% of the photograph height, measured from the bottom edge |
| Background | Plain light colour, neutral grey recommended; no patterns or shadows |
| Colour | Colour or black and white; colour-neutral with clearly expressed colour tones |
| Photo age | No age limit in the rulebook; it must show your true likeness (a stored photo is reused if it does) |
| Print quality | Paper photo: white, thin, glossy photographic paper, at least 600 dpi, undamaged and unstained |
| Pixels when printed | 413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated) |
Key requirements
- A reference number, not a file
Since 2 April 2026 a citizen applying for a passport or identity card submits the reference number of a digital photograph, which only an authorised e-photographer may produce (translated from Slovenian). You cannot upload a photo you made yourself.
- A paper photo only as an exception
A physical photograph on photographic paper may be submitted only if a digital photograph cannot be provided because of illness, disability or other exceptional circumstances, if the application is lodged at a diplomatic mission or consulate abroad, or if it is lodged outside the official premises, for example in a hospital.
- Paper print standard
A paper photo is made on white, thin, glossy photographic paper measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm, in black and white or colour, with a resolution of at least 600 dpi, colour-neutral and with clearly expressed colour tones.
- Face size and eye line
The photo shows the whole face, from the tip of the chin to the start of the hairline, and both halves of the face. The face takes up 70 to at most 80 percent of the photograph, which is 32 to 36 mm, and the eyes sit between 50 and 70 percent of the height from the bottom edge.
- Neutral expression, lips closed
The expression is neutral with the lips closed, and you look straight into the camera. The eyes are open and clearly visible, not red, and not covered by hair, frames or the rim of the lenses.
- Plain light background
The background is plain and light, with neutral grey recommended, and contrasts with the face, hair and clothing. Medium grey suits fair hair and light grey suits dark hair. There are no patterns or shadows.
- Even light and a true likeness
The face is evenly lit, without reflections or shadows, sharp, and with natural skin colour. The rulebook says the photograph must show the citizen's true likeness and that the likeness must not be digitally corrected or changed in any way.
- Unsuitable photos are returned
If a photograph does not meet the conditions, the authority returns it and sets a deadline by which you must submit a suitable one.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Find a photographer on the ministry's register of e-photographers and ask for the reference number certificate.
- Submit the certificate with your application at the administrative unit.
- Look straight into the camera with your lips closed and your eyes open.
- Keep your hair away from your eyes and from the frames of your glasses.
- Choose a plain light background, neutral grey if possible.
- Ask your mission which photo it expects if you apply abroad.
Don't
- Do not bring your own digital file or printout to an administrative unit in Slovenia unless an exception applies.
- Do not wear sunglasses or tinted lenses unless you have a justified health reason.
- Do not allow reflections on the lenses or the frames.
- Do not wear a hat, cap or scarf, except for religious or customary headgear with the face clearly visible.
- Do not have the likeness of your face digitally corrected or changed.
Sample photos
How a Slovenia 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
Reflections on the lenses or the frames are not allowed. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not allowed either, except for justified health reasons such as visible eye injuries (translated from Slovenian). The eyes must be open and clearly visible, and they may not be covered by hair, frames or the rim of the lenses.
Headwear and religious dress
You are photographed without a hat, cap or scarf. Members of religious communities, and other persons who by folk custom wear a cap, scarf or other headgear as an integral part of their clothing, may submit a photograph with it on, if the face is clearly visible and recognisable from the lower edge of the chin to the upper part of the forehead and from the left to the right edge of the face (translated from Slovenian).
Babies and children
For children up to the age of ten the rulebook allows two deviations: the face may take 50 to 80 percent of the photograph, which is 22 to 36 mm from the chin to the top of the head, and the eyes may sit between 40 and 70 percent of the height from the bottom edge.
Infants and children up to the age of three may also deviate in head posture, expression and direction of gaze. A child's photo should show no other people in the background, and the child should be photographed with a closed mouth and without toys too close to the face. A guardian applies for the child, and the Prague embassy page says a minor over 8 must be present in person.
Printed and digital photos
In Slovenia the digital route is the rule: the photographer stores the photo and you carry only the certificate. A digital file made at home or with a phone app is not accepted. The gov.si page names only registered e-photographers, and it does not mention photo booths.
A printed photograph is the exception route. A digital photo can be cropped to 3.5 x 4.5 cm and printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter, but the rulebook asks for white, thin, glossy photographic paper at 600 dpi or more. If an unsuitable print is handed in, the authority returns it and sets a deadline.
Where to submit the photo
In Slovenia, apply at any administrative unit and submit the certificate of the reference number of your photograph. Abroad, apply at a Slovenian diplomatic mission or consulate, where a paper photograph is allowed.
The mission pages for Prague and London ask for a biometric photo of the prescribed size, without giving the size, and the Cleveland page adds that U.S. passport-size photos are also accepted. They link an ICAO photo leaflet that speaks of 35 to 40 mm width and photos no older than six months, which differs from the rulebook's 3.5 cm, so ask your mission which one it applies.
How to get your Slovenia passport photo
- Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Slovenia passport: 35 × 45 mm print, plain light colour background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
- Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: a reference number, not a file; a paper photo only as an exception; paper print standard; face size and eye line.
- Prepare a print or digital file. In Slovenia the digital route is the rule: the photographer stores the photo and you carry only the certificate. A digital file made at home or with a phone app is not accepted.
- Submit the photo with your application. In Slovenia, apply at any administrative unit and submit the certificate of the reference number of your photograph. Abroad, apply at a Slovenian diplomatic mission or consulate, where a paper photograph is allowed.
Slovenia passport photo FAQ
Not in Slovenia. The application needs the reference number of a digital photo that an authorised e-photographer on the ministry's register has captured and stored. A paper photograph is accepted only in exceptions, such as illness, disability or an application at a mission abroad.
A paper photograph is 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm, 1.38 x 1.77 in) on white, thin, glossy photographic paper. The face from chin to hairline takes 70 to 80 percent of the height, 32 to 36 mm. No size is published for the digital photo.
A natural person whom the ministry has entered in its register of e-photographers. The e-photographer saves the digital photo in the electronic repository and gives you a certificate of the reference number. The photo is kept for six months, and the photographer must delete their own copy by the next working day.
Only as an exception: when a digital photo cannot be provided because of illness, disability or other exceptional circumstances, when the application is lodged at a mission or consulate abroad, or when it is lodged outside the official premises, for example in a hospital.
A plain, light background without patterns or shadows that contrasts with your face, hair and clothing. Neutral grey is recommended: medium grey for fair hair and light grey for dark hair.
Yes, if there are no reflections on the lenses or frames and your eyes are open and clearly visible. Sunglasses and tinted lenses are not allowed, except for justified health reasons.
Not as a rule. Members of religious communities and people who wear headgear as part of their customary clothing may keep it on, if the face is clearly visible from the chin to the upper part of the forehead and from edge to edge.
If the photo used for an earlier passport or identity card still shows your true likeness, which as a rule means it is not older than a year, the official copies it from the official records. You then submit no certificate.
No. The expression must be neutral with the lips closed, and you look straight into the camera. For infants and children up to three, deviations in expression and gaze are allowed.
Related photo specifications
Passports nearby
- Albania passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Andorra passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Croatia passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Cyprus passport photo 40 × 50 mm
- Gibraltar passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Greece passport photo 40 × 60 mm
- Italy passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Malta passport photo 35 × 45 mm
- Portugal passport photo
- San Marino passport photo 35 × 45 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 Slovenia photo specifications
- Passports: photo rules by country
- Every document that uses a 35 × 45 mm photo
- Photo specifications in Europe
Official sources
- Government of the Republic of Slovenia (gov.si). Osebni dokumenti (Fotografija za osebno izkaznico in potni list) gov.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Uradni list Republike Slovenije. Pravilnik o izvrševanju Zakona o potnih listinah (Uradni list RS, št. 57/2025) uradni-list.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Government of the Republic of Slovenia (gov.si). Novosti pri vlogah za izdajo osebne izkaznice in potnega lista gov.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Government of the Republic of Slovenia (gov.si). Obvezna uporaba sistema e-fotograf za osebno izkaznico in potni list gov.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Prague. Consular information (Embassy Prague) gov.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in London. Consular information of the Embassy London gov.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland. Consular information of the Consulate General Cleveland gov.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia. ICAO photo leaflet linked from the mission pages gov.si. Checked 3 November 2026.
Requirements can change, so always confirm with Government of the Republic of Slovenia (gov.si) before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.
Cite this page
"Slovenia passport photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/slovenia/passport-photo