head 69–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceBelgian municipalities (civil registry offices) under the federal and regional rules — Wallonie.be, communes of Jette, Vaux-sur-Sûre and Éghezée; FPS Foreign Affairs and FPS Interior
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Belgium driver's license photo size is 35 × 45 mm. White or very light plain background without shadows or gradients. Head occupies 69–80% of photo height (31–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 69–80% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 31–36 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | White or very light plain background without shadows or gradients. |
| Pose | Full face, looking directly into the camera. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, teeth not visible. |
| Glasses | No tinted lenses or reflections; frame must not cover the eyes. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Head coverings not permitted. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
A Belgian driving licence is applied for at the commune (the civil registry office), and the Walloon portal lists «a recent ID photograph» with the ID card, the test certificate and any provisional licence to replace, adding that «by default, the photograph on your ID card is used». The communes write the photograph rule themselves: Jette asks for «1 recent ID photo (less than 6 months) in colour on a white background», Vaux-sur-Sûre for «a recent photo, of good quality, in colour, ID card format, on a uniformly white background» — and says that if the photo on the ID card is recent it can be used for the licence — and Éghezée for a photo «recent and a true likeness (not older than 6 months)» of «35 mm wide and 45 mm high», the face «between 32 mm and 36 mm» from the chin to the crown, 70–80 % of the photo, with «no accessories — for example a hat, a scarf, a jewel, a piercing, even heavy makeup», glasses only with thin frames and untinted lenses, a front view with a straight head, a neutral expression, the mouth closed and the eyes wide open. Éghezée lists the usual reasons for refusal — a blurred photo or one with marks or folds, wrong dimensions, strong contrasts with shadows, over- or underexposure, «failing to respect the plain background of a light colour, the use of white being forbidden», a face not clear (hat or hair) and glasses with reflections or a thick frame. The federal norm for passports, ID cards and residence documents, which the communes refer to, gives «35 mm x 45 mm», the face «between 31 and 36 mm (= 70 to 80 % of the height)», a photo of six months at most, in colour (black and white accepted except for passports), at least 400 dpi, a «light-coloured, regular, plain» background.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Belgium driver's license applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Belgian municipalities (civil registry offices) under the federal and regional rules — Wallonie.be, communes of Jette, Vaux-sur-Sûre and Éghezée; FPS Foreign Affairs and FPS Interior publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photo that is not recent (older than six months) or not a true likeness | A recent photo of the last six months that is a true likeness. |
| A print that is not 35 × 45 mm, or a face outside 32–36 mm (31–36 mm federal norm) from chin to crown | A 35 × 45 mm print with the face 32–36 mm high (70–80 % of the photo). |
| A background that is not plain or light, shadowed or with a gradient (and, at Éghezée, a white one) | A plain light background with sufficient contrast to the face — white or not, as the commune says. |
| A hat, a scarf, jewellery, a piercing, heavy makeup, hair over the face, or glasses with reflections, tinted lenses or a thick frame | A clear face; glasses only with a thin frame and untinted lenses. |
| A blurred photo, one with marks or folds, over- or underexposed, or with shadows on the face | A sharp, undamaged, evenly lit photo. |
How to take it
Background: white or light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 69–80 % of the photo height (31–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, teeth not visible
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Belgian driving licence is applied for in person at the Population service of the commune, with the ID card, the documents of the case and a recent ID photograph — by default the photograph on the ID card is used — or online through BelDrive for some cases.
The commune of residence; wallonie.be — Obtain your driving licence at your municipality
A recent colour ID photo (35 × 45 mm); the ID card photo may be reused.
Authority pageQuestions
35 mm wide and 45 mm high, according to the commune of Éghezée and the federal photo norm, with the face 32–36 mm (31–36 mm federal) high from chin to crown.
Not always: by default the photograph on your ID card is used, and Vaux-sur-Sûre says a recent ID card photo can be used for the licence.
It depends on the commune: Jette and Vaux-sur-Sûre ask for white, Éghezée says white is forbidden and asks for a plain light colour, and the federal norm says light-coloured.
Less than six months old, according to Jette, Éghezée and the federal norm.
The recommended size for the Belgium driver's license photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 69–80% of the photo height. The photo is printed on the licence card and must remain recognisable for the full validity period.
White or very light plain background without shadows or gradients. Even, frontal light without shadow gradients. Driving licence printers tend to compress contrast — starting with even lighting prevents underexposed areas from disappearing in the final print.
No tinted lenses or reflections; frame must not cover the eyes. Many authorities specifically allow eyewear when it is required for driving, but the eyes must remain fully visible and there must be no lens glare. Tinted lenses or transition lenses that have darkened are not accepted.
Most authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. The licence is typically valid for 5–10 years, so use a recent photo that reflects your everyday appearance — not a one-off styled portrait.
No. Driving licence photos use the same neutral expression standard as biometric passports — closed mouth, eyes open and looking directly at the camera, no raised eyebrows. Smiles distort facial geometry used in modern biometric checks.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Belgium licence authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: passport, visa.