Switzerland photo specifications
Photo sizes and rules for 3 documents issued in Switzerland, taken from the issuing authorities and linked to their official pages.
At a glance
Swiss passports and ID cards share one federal photo chart: 35 x 45 mm, face 29 to 34 mm, not older than one year. Passports are photographed at the cantonal passport office or a Swiss embassy. A chip-free ID card at a commune may need a paper print, while the biometric ID card, available since 2 November 2026, is photographed at the passport office. Visa photos are prints whose size varies by embassy.
Overview
Under the fedpol chart a Swiss passport photo is 35 x 45 mm without a border, with the face 29 to 34 mm from chin to crown on a plain, neutral background and no more than a year old, but the passport office normally captures the image itself, and only some cantons accept a digital photo you bring. The Federal Office of Police (fedpol) sets the photo rules for Swiss passports and identity cards, and the cantons issue them. For a passport you apply online, by telephone or at the passport office of your canton, which captures the photo, fingerprints and signature at an appointment; several cantons say plainly that you need not bring a picture. Identity cards come in two kinds: the chip-free card, requested at a commune where the canton provides for it and often with a paper photo, and the biometric card with chip, handled like a passport.
Visas are a different system. The State Secretariat for Migration publishes the forms and rules, but Swiss embassies and their external service providers decide on and take in the applications. Their photo lists differ: the European Commission's photo sheet that Swiss embassies link asks for a width of 35 to 40 mm and a photo under six months old, and some posts state 35 x 45 mm.
Photo specifications by document
Passports
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 35 × 45 mm | — | Single-colour, uniform and neutral |
Visas and travel authorisations
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | 35 × 45 mm | — | Plain light-coloured background |
Identity cards
| Document | Print size | Digital size | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID card | 35 × 45 mm | — | Single-colour, uniform and neutral |
Frequently asked questions
35 x 45 mm without border, with the face measuring 29 to 34 mm from chin to crown. In practice the passport office captures the photo itself, so you usually bring nothing.
The federal chart is the same for both: 35 x 45 mm, not older than one year. The difference is the route. A chip-free card at a commune can use a paper photo you supply, while a passport or biometric ID card is photographed at the passport office.
The chip-free ID card at a commune, where the commune does not take or accept a digital photo, and visa applications at Swiss embassies, which ask for printed photos. Passports and biometric ID cards are photographed at the passport office.
It depends on the embassy. The Schengen sheet that Swiss embassies link asks for a width of 35 to 40 mm and a photo under 6 months old on a plain light background. Dhaka asks for 35 x 45 mm.
Fedpol publishes the chart for passports and ID cards, and the cantons apply it. For visas, the State Secretariat for Migration publishes the forms, and each Swiss embassy adds its own checklist.
Nearby countries
Other countries in Western Europe:
Official sources
- Federal Office of Police fedpol. Beantragen (applying for a passport or ID card) fedpol.admin.ch. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Federal Office of Police fedpol. Kriterien für die Annahme von Fotos für Pässe und Identitätskarten (Fotomustertafel) fedpol.admin.ch. Checked 3 November 2026.
- State Secretariat for Migration SEM. Entry with visa sem.admin.ch. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore. Application for Schengen visa and procedure (Singapore) schweiz-singapur.eda.admin.ch. Checked 3 November 2026.
Cite this page
"Switzerland photo specifications". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/switzerland