German passport photo requirements
A German passport photo is 35 × 45 mm with a plain contrasting background. The face fills 70–80% of the photo’s height; the missions’ 2007 sample board puts that at 32–36 mm, chin to top of skull, excluding hair. Glasses are allowed only with no glare. Source: German Embassy and consulates in the U.S., checked October 9, 2026.
Source: germany.info, checked October 9, 2026.
The rule
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Photos needed | Two identical prints |
| Face height | 70–80% of the photo height (BMI photo examples); 32–36 mm, chin to top of skull, hair excluded (the missions’ 2007 sample board) |
| Background | One plain color, no shadows, contrasting with your face and hair |
| Print size | 35 × 45 mm |
| Glasses | Allowed with no glare |
| Expression | Neutral |
| Head coverings | Only for religious reasons, with the face visible from the tip of the chin to the forehead and no shadows on the face. |
| Babies | Children 6 and younger: exceptions are allowed for head position, facial expression and how visible the eyes are. Children 10 and younger: small deviations from the face size are allowed. No second person or object in the photo. |
| Editing | Retouched or filtered photos are not accepted. |
| Other rules |
|
Sources: BMI/Bundesdruckerei, Photo examples: biometric photo requirements for identification documents (opens in a new tab) (germany.info); Photos needed and other rules: German Missions in the U.S., Passport for Adults (opens in a new tab) (germany.info); Face height and print size: German Missions in the U.S., Sample photos (opens in a new tab) (germany.info). Checked .
Notes
At a German mission in the U.S.
German missions in the U.S. take passport applications only in person, by appointment at the Embassy, your Consulate General or some Honorary Consuls, and a mailed application can’t be processed. They ask for two identical recent photos, and their page says: “Please do not cut the photos yourself!” Ask your mission whether to bring our print sheet uncut or photos cut by a photo lab.
The 32–36 mm head target is the missions’ 2007 sample board: the face from the chin to the top of the head, not the hair, 70–80% of the photo. The current BMI photo examples linked from the passport page give the same 70–80% share and ask for one plain background color that contrasts with your face and hair.
Sources: Passport for Adults, German Missions in the U.S., checked October 9, 2026; Sample photos (2007), German Missions in the U.S., checked October 9, 2026; Photo examples for identification documents (October 2024), BMI and Bundesdruckerei, checked October 9, 2026.
What we check, and what we can’t
On your device, we measure the head size and where it sits, the eye line, the wall behind you, the light on your face, the pose and the sharpness against this rule, and we crop the photo to its size. We level, resize and crop it, and nothing else.
We can’t tell how recent the photo is, whether it still looks like you, or what the office’s own reviewer will see on the day. The passport office decides whether to accept it.
Why a real photo matters
The German passport rule on editing, in short
Retouched or filtered photos are not accepted.
Our summary of BMI/Bundesdruckerei, Photo examples: biometric photo requirements for identification documents.
Start with your original camera photo. Check the document’s rules, including whether your head is 32–36 mm from chin to top of skull, hair not counted.
We don’t generate your photo. We level, scale and crop your original pixels to 35 × 45 mm, then show you the head height and the margins before you pay.
Our guides cover AI and passport photos and changing a photo’s background.
The files
studioless-de-passport-print-4x6
.jpg German missions ask you not to cut the photos yourself (“Please do not cut the photos yourself!”): have a photo lab print the sheet and cut two identical 35 × 45 mm photos, or ask your mission whether to bring the sheet uncut.
1800 × 1200 px at 300 dpi, 6 photos at 35 × 45 mm
studioless-de-passport-print-5x7
.jpg The same photos on a 5 × 7 in sheet, for a photo lab to print and cut the same way.
1500 × 2100 px at 300 dpi, 9 photos at 35 × 45 mm
The application asks for 2 identical photos. Paper: photo paper. Your check results come with the files, and everything is deleted 7 days after your order.
Sources
- German Missions in the U.S., Passport for Adults (opens in a new tab)germany.info
- BMI/Bundesdruckerei, Photo examples: biometric photo requirements for identification documents (opens in a new tab)germany.info
- German Missions in the U.S., Sample photos (opens in a new tab)germany.info
- German Missions in the U.S., German Passport and ID Card (opens in a new tab)germany.info
Changes to this page’s rule
- Added 7 documents (Indian passport, India e-Visa, Chinese passport, Vietnam e-visa, Brazil eVisa, German passport and NZeTA), each checked against its official pages on October 9; Brazil’s photo guide and VFS Global’s Indian passport checklist were read from archived copies, because their live pages block automated access.
Every document’s rules in one table: passport and visa photo sizesEvery change to the rules we check
Questions
Can I use ChatGPT or an AI app for my German passport photo?
For a generated or retouched photo, follow the document’s editing rule. Retouched or filtered photos are not accepted. That is our summary of the rule, from the German Embassy and consulates in the U.S. Reading or checking rules with a chatbot is a separate use; verify its answer against the authority’s source. We only level, scale and crop your photo.
Can I wear glasses in a German passport photo?
Only with no glare, no tint and your eyes fully visible. Taking them off is the safest choice.
What do I get for $9.95?
You get printable 4 × 6 in and 5 × 7 in sheets for a photo lab to print and cut. The application asks for 2 identical photos. German missions ask you not to cut the photos yourself (“Please do not cut the photos yourself!”): have a photo lab print the sheet and cut two identical 35 × 45 mm photos, or ask your mission whether to bring the sheet uncut.
Where do I get my files?
On your order page after you pay, with no account to make.
Can I take my baby’s photo at home?
Yes. Turn on Baby mode in the camera. Children 6 and younger: exceptions are allowed for head position, facial expression and how visible the eyes are. Children 10 and younger: small deviations from the face size are allowed. No second person or object in the photo.
