Germany passport photo size
A German passport or ID card photo is 35 × 45 mm with the face 32–36 mm tall, 70–80% of the height. Since 1 May 2025 printed photos are no longer accepted: the biometric photo is sent encrypted by a connected photographer or taken at a PointID terminal. This page is a size reference.
- Document
- Passport and ID card
- Photo size
- 35 × 45 mm
- Chin to crown
- 32–36 mm
- Background
- Plain single colour, shadow-free, contrasting with face and hair
- Photo age
- Not stated; must show your current appearance
Size reference only. Since 1 May 2025 printed photos are no longer accepted: the biometric photo is sent encrypted by a connected photographer or taken at a PointID terminal at the Bürgerbüro. You cannot upload a photo yourself.
Partial data: some figures come from search excerpts of official pages that blocked automated reading. Confirm them on the official page before applying.
Official requirements — Federal Ministry of the Interior (Fotomustertafel)
Place the crown and chin at the guide lines and the eyes in the band when one is shown. The oval is an approximate placement guide, not a face measurement or approval check.
This authority publishes no head height: keep the face centred with space above the head and the shoulders visible.
German biometric photo dimensions
The Fotomustertafel frames the face from chin tip to top of head at 70–80% of the photo height, 32–36 mm in a 35 × 45 mm frame; children may fill 50–80%, with further tolerances up to age 10. The background is a plain single colour, shadow-free, contrasting with face and hair.
No printed photos since May 2025
Reisepass and Personalausweis applications no longer accept printed photos. A connected photographer sends the photo encrypted with a DataMatrix code, or you use a PointID terminal at the Bürgerbüro, about 6 EUR in Berlin and Munich. Citizens cannot upload a photo themselves.
What the photo must show
A neutral expression, looking straight at the camera with the mouth closed; eyes clearly visible with no frame, dark lens or reflection over them; head coverings only for religious reasons with the face visible from chin to forehead. Colour, unretouched, no filters or soft focus.
Use the preview to understand the frame
Exports are disabled for Germany because no self-prepared photo enters the process. The millimetre values come from the BMI template as seen in search excerpts and from the German Embassy London page, so this entry is marked partial.
How to take a valid photo
The shared ICAO points first, then what this authority adds.
- Have someone else take the photo at eye level from a few steps away; most authorities reject selfies.
- Face the camera straight on with your head level, both eyes open, mouth closed and a neutral expression.
- Light the face evenly: no shadows on the face or the background, no flash reflections, no red-eye.
- Keep the photo as taken: no filters, retouching, background replacement or AI edits.
- Only you in the frame, nothing covering the face, hair away from the eyes, no uniform.
- Leave space around the head and shoulders so the crop can follow the guide.
- Eyes clearly visible and not covered; frames over the eyes, dark lenses and reflections are rejected.
- Head coverings only for religious reasons, with the face visible from chin to forehead and no shadows.
- Neutral expression, looking straight at the camera, mouth closed.
- Colour, unretouched, no filters or soft focus; only long-term medical reasons justify exceptions.
Official sources
Requirements checked on 27 October 2026 against the official pages below. The issuing authority makes the acceptance decision; nothing on this page certifies a photo.
Partial data: some figures come from search excerpts of official pages that blocked automated reading. Confirm them on the official page before applying.
To compare formats, see passport photo sizes by country.
Related free photo tools
- Free toolPassport photo size by countryCompare passport photo sizes and official application rules for 40 countries. Align a private head guide; export prints, 4 × 6 in sheets and upload files where the authority allows it.
- Free toolGreece passport photo sizeGreek passport photos are 40 × 60 mm abroad, with the head 31–35 mm and the eyes 30–39 mm from the bottom, or 1280 × 1600 px for myPhoto on gov.gr. Crop with eye-line guides.
- Free toolHong Kong passport photo sizeHKSAR passport photos are 40 × 50 mm with the head 32–36 mm, or a JPEG of at least 1200 × 1600 px under 5 MB for online applications. Crop a print or the upload with a head guide.
- Free toolIndia passport photo sizeIndian passport photos: live capture at the Passport Seva Kendra, 35 × 45 mm for paper applications, 630 × 810 px under 250 KB for missions abroad, 2 × 2 in for OCI. Crop with a guide.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a German passport photo?
35 × 45 mm with the face 32–36 mm tall, 70–80% of the height. Since May 2025 it is captured digitally rather than printed.
Can I bring a printed photo to the Bürgerbüro?
No. Since 1 May 2025 only digital biometric photos from a connected photographer or a PointID terminal are accepted.
Can I upload my own photo for a German passport?
No. There is no citizen upload; the photo travels encrypted from the photographer or the terminal.
How much does the terminal photo cost?
About 6 EUR at the PointID terminal in Berlin and Munich, according to the city of Munich.