A German passport photo must measure 35mm wide by 45mm tall, show your face straight-on with a neutral expression against a plain light-grey background, and be recent — taken within the last six months. Since May 1, 2025, German passport photo requirements inside Germany no longer allow printed photos at all: your image has to reach the authority digitally, either taken on the spot at the citizens’ office or transmitted from a certified studio through a secure government cloud.1State capital Wiesbaden. Information on the New Legal Regulation of Photographs Since 01.05.2025 Consulates abroad still work with printed biometric photos, and the biometric standards themselves are the same either way.
Where To Get the Photo Taken
Inside Germany, you have two routes. The citizens’ office (Bürgeramt) can take the photo on-site during your appointment for around €6. Alternatively, a certified photo studio will capture your image and send it directly to the authority through the approved cloud system, giving you a QR code to bring to your appointment in place of prints.1State capital Wiesbaden. Information on the New Legal Regulation of Photographs Since 01.05.2025 Printed photos brought from home will not be accepted.
If you’re applying at a German consulate or embassy outside Germany, you still need two identical printed biometric photos. Don’t trim or cut them yourself.2German Missions in the United States. Passport for Adults Some consulates have a photo booth on-site; others don’t, so check before you go. And if you’re using a local studio abroad, tell the photographer you need the European 35mm × 45mm biometric format, not the American 2″ × 2″ passport size.
Dimensions, Framing, and Paper
The photo is 35mm wide and 45mm tall. Prints must be on high-quality photo paper at a resolution of at least 600 dpi.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports
Your face should fill 70 to 80 percent of the frame, meaning the distance from your chin to the top of your head lands between 32mm and 36mm. Hair makes the crown hard to measure precisely, so photos are only rejected when the face measures below 27mm or above 40mm.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports Both sides of the face must be fully visible in a straight-on frontal view.
Expression, Eyes, and Head Position
Keep your expression neutral and your mouth closed. No smiling, no frown, no raised eyebrows. Eyes open, looking straight into the lens so that facial recognition can map your features.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports
Your head must be centered and level, with no tilt and no rotation. Even a slight angle throws off the automated checks at border control, and this is one of the most common failure points on self-taken photos.
Background and Lighting
The background is a single solid color, ideally neutral grey. Pick the shade for contrast: medium grey works better with light hair, light grey works better with dark hair.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports No patterns, no textures, and no shadows falling on the wall behind you.
Lighting on the face has to be even. Shadows under the nose, along the jaw, or across one side of the face will get the photo rejected, because they hide the data scanners rely on. Direct flash into the face creates its own problems with red-eye and glare on the skin. A studio with diffused lighting handles all of that in the background.
Glasses, Head Coverings, and Hair
Prescription glasses are technically allowed, but the rules are tight: the eyes must be fully visible through the lenses, with no reflections, no tinting, and no sunglasses. Frames cannot cross any part of the eye.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports Thick frames and some progressive lenses make this hard, and many people find it simpler to take glasses off. Colored contact lenses that change your natural eye color should also come out, since the photo has to represent your real appearance.
Hats and head coverings are not allowed, with two exceptions: religious head coverings worn continuously in public, and medical conditions requiring a covering. Where an exception applies, the entire face still has to be visible from chin to forehead with no shadow cast on the face.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports
Style your hair so it doesn’t fall across your eyes or cover the edges of your face. No part of a uniform may be visible in the photo.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports The guidelines don’t call out jewelry or makeup, so standard piercings and cosmetics are fine as long as nothing obscures your features.
Rules for Children and Infants
The rules relax by age, and the child must appear alone in the frame — no hands, no other people, no props.3Federal Foreign Office. Sample Photos for German Passports
- Babies under one: eyes do not need to be open, the baby does not need to look at the camera, and the head does not need to be precisely centered, but the face must be recognizable.
- Children five and under: no neutral expression required, no need to look at the camera, and no need to center the head.
- Children nine and under: the face size requirement is loosened. The face should fill 50 to 80 percent of the photo, at a height between 22mm and 36mm, with rejection only below 17mm or above 40mm.
- Children six and older: full adult rules apply for expression, gaze, and centering, though the looser size tolerance still runs through age nine.
Parents often lay infants on a neutral grey cloth to produce a compliant background. Two biometric photos are required for minors, same as for adults.4German Missions in the United States. Passport for Applicants Under 18 Years of Age A studio that regularly shoots infant passport photos is usually worth the small premium over a drugstore kiosk.