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Spain driving licence photo requirements

The 26 × 32 mm photo rules set by Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica for the Spain driving licence, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Spain driving licence photo?

A Spanish driving licence photo is 26 mm wide and 32 mm high (the DGT writes 32 x 26 mm), in colour, on a light, plain background, taken from the front with the head uncovered and no dark glasses. For renewals in Spain no print is listed for ordinary licences: the driver medical centre photographs you and the picture forms part of your medical report. An original print is still listed for renewals from abroad, EU licence exchanges and LVA or LCM licences.

Driving licences in Spain (permisos de conducción) are issued by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) through its Jefaturas and Oficinas de Tráfico. The photo standard sits in Annex III of the General Drivers Regulation, Royal Decree 818/2009: a recent colour photo of the face, 32 x 26 mm, with a light, plain and uniform background, taken from the front with the head completely uncovered, without dark glasses or any garment that could prevent or hinder identification. As in other Spanish rules, the height comes first, so the print is 26 mm wide.

The same annex says the photo is incorporated into the psychophysical aptitude report from an authorised Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores (CRC), the medical centre every applicant visits. The DGT renewal page puts it simply: renew at a CRC and the centre takes your photograph there. Since 6 November 2024 the DGT has stopped asking people to resubmit the talón-foto, its photo slip, or prints in procedures where it already has them on file.

A separate print is still on the list in a few cases: renewing from abroad through a Spanish consulate, exchanging an EU or EEA licence, an in-person duplicate after a change of personal data, and the LVA (agricultural vehicle) and LCM (reduced-mobility vehicle) licences.

Spain driving licence photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica:[1]

Print size26 x 32 mm (1.02 x 1.26 in); Royal Decree 818/2009 and the DGT write it as 32 x 26 mm
Digital sizeNo upload: the medical centre captures the photo, or you hand in a print where one is listed
BackgroundLight, plain and uniform (Royal Decree 818/2009); DGT procedure pages say plain
ColourColour
Photo ageRecent; the DGT asks for an original, current photo
Print qualityOriginal print, stuck to the talón-foto (photo slip) where one is used
Pixels when printed307 × 378 px at 300 dpi · 614 × 756 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
26 mm32 mm
26 × 32 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: light.

Key requirements

  • Light, plain background

    Royal Decree 818/2009 asks for a light, plain and uniform background. The DGT procedure pages shorten this to a plain background (fondo liso). No colour is named, so a plain white or other light backdrop meets both texts.

  • Frontal pose, head uncovered

    Face the camera directly with your head completely uncovered. Garments that could prevent or hinder identification are not allowed.

  • Veils accepted for religious reasons

    If your religion means you cover your hair, the DGT accepts a photo with a veil, provided the oval of your face is fully uncovered from the hairline to the chin.

  • The medical centre takes the picture

    Your photo is part of the psychophysical aptitude report. A CRC that handles your renewal photographs you on the spot, and the DGT reminds centres that the photo in each report must meet the current rules.

  • No resubmission since November 2024

    From 6 November 2024 you no longer hand in the talón-foto or photos again where the DGT already holds them.

  • Cases that still need a print

    An original 32 x 26 mm colour photo is listed for renewal from abroad, an EU or EEA licence exchange, an in-person duplicate after a change of data, and the LVA and LCM licences.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Book your medical at an authorised Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores.
  • Renew at the medical centre if you want the photo taken there.
  • Bring a 26 x 32 mm colour print to exchange an EU or EEA licence.
  • Take a print to the consulate if you renew from abroad.
  • Keep your whole face visible from hairline to chin.
  • Sign the talón-foto and stick your photo to it when you are given one.

Don't

  • Do not wear dark glasses.
  • Do not wear a cap, hat or other garment that hinders identification.
  • Do not use a dark or patterned background.
  • Do not pay for prints for a CRC renewal; the centre takes the photo.
  • Do not apply with a medical report older than 90 working days.

Sample photos

How a Spain driving licence photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 26 × 32 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Dark lenses are out. Both Royal Decree 818/2009 and the DGT procedure pages exclude glasses with dark glass. Neither text mentions clear prescription glasses, so they are not banned, but nothing you wear may prevent or hinder identification.

Headwear and religious dress

The regulation asks for the head to be completely uncovered and rules out any garment that could prevent or hinder identification, so caps, hats and hoods have to come off.

The DGT makes one exception. If you cover your hair for religious reasons, a photo with a veil is accepted, as long as the oval of your face is fully uncovered from the hairline to the chin and your identification is not hindered.

No DGT procedure asks you to upload a photo file. When you renew at a CRC, the centre photographs you during the medical and the picture goes into the report it sends to the DGT. Online renewals through the DGT electronic registry list no photo for ordinary licences; LVA and LCM holders are called to a Jefatura or Oficina de Tráfico to hand in an original print.

Where a print is listed, a digital image can be cropped to 26 x 32 mm and printed on photo paper, for example on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter. If you renew from abroad, the consulate has you fill in and sign a talón-foto, which is completed with the photo you bring.

Where to submit the photo

Renewal: at a CRC, which issues the medical report, collects the fee, takes the photo and lets you sign the application, after which the licence is posted to you. At a Jefatura or Oficina de Tráfico you need a cita previa, the application form, a CRC report and the fee, and you receive a provisional licence. Online, the DGT electronic registry accepts the same documents with an electronic DNI, a digital certificate or Cl@ve.

From abroad, you apply through the Spanish embassy or consulate with a medical report from a local doctor, endorsed by the mission with a recent photo of you, plus the fee and an original photo. To exchange an EU or EEA licence, book a Jefatura appointment and bring form Mod. 03, your ID, proof of residence, the licence and the photo. Licences from countries with an exchange agreement go through the DGT digital exchange or a Jefatura, with a CRC report instead of a separate photo.

How to get your Spain driving licence photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Spain driving licence: 26 × 32 mm print, light background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: light, plain background; frontal pose, head uncovered; veils accepted for religious reasons; the medical centre takes the picture.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. No DGT procedure asks you to upload a photo file. When you renew at a CRC, the centre photographs you during the medical and the picture goes into the report it sends to the DGT.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Renewal: at a CRC, which issues the medical report, collects the fee, takes the photo and lets you sign the application, after which the licence is posted to you.

Make this photo online

Spain driving licence photo FAQ

It is 26 mm wide and 32 mm high. Royal Decree 818/2009 and the DGT write 32 x 26 mm because Spanish rules list the height first. The photo must be recent, in colour, with a light, plain and uniform background.

Not if you renew at a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores, which takes your photo during the medical. Renewals at a Jefatura or online list no photo for ordinary licences, because the CRC report already carries one. You need an original print if you renew from abroad or hold an LVA or LCM licence.

Dark lenses are not allowed. The rules do not mention clear prescription glasses, so they are not banned, but nothing may prevent or hinder your identification.

Yes, if you cover your hair for religious reasons. The DGT accepts photos with a veil provided the oval of your face is fully uncovered from the hairline to the chin, so that identification is not hindered.

For an EU or EEA licence, yes: the DGT lists an original 32 x 26 mm colour photo with a plain background. For licences from countries with an exchange agreement, the DGT lists a CRC medical report instead, and the photo is part of that report.

It is the DGT photo slip: you stick your photo to it and sign it. Driving schools hand it out for LVA and LCM practical tests, and consulates have you fill it in for renewals from abroad. Since 6 November 2024 it is not resubmitted where the DGT already holds your photo.

No colour is named. The regulation asks for a light, plain and uniform background and the DGT pages say plain, so plain white or another light colour without pattern meets the rule.

Related photo specifications

Other Spain documents

Driving licences nearby

Also 26 × 32 mm

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Official sources

  1. Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica. Renovación de permisos y licencias de conducir próximos a caducar sede.dgt.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica. Envío de informes médicos, tramitación de permisos y rectificaciones (centros de reconocimiento) sede.dgt.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica. Canje de permisos de la UE y EEE sede.dgt.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica. Canje de permisos de países extracomunitarios sede.dgt.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica. Duplicado de permisos por cambio de datos sede.dgt.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica. Solicitud de prueba de aptitud (examen) sede.dgt.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Boletín Oficial del Estado. Real Decreto 818/2009, Reglamento General de Conductores (anexo III) boe.es. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Dirección General de Tráfico, sede electrónica before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Spain driving licence photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/spain/driving-licence-photo

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