head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and the Czech embassies
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Czech Republic passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain white background. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain white background. Make photo background white — Czech Republic passport → |
| Pose | Full face, no rotation, face fully visible and matching current appearance. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| 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 |
In the Czech Republic a passport photograph is taken by the official: the Citizen Portal says «the personal presence of the citizen is required at the time of the application because his or her biometric data, i.e. a facial image, is taken, and for a citizen over the age of 12 fingerprints are also required», and the whole application — «filling out the application form, capturing biometric data, and signatures» — usually takes about 10 minutes at any municipal office of a municipality with extended powers. Abroad it depends on the embassy: the embassy in Bern says «the photograph of the applicant is taken by the consular officer at the consular section»; Rome asks for «5 × 5 cm (or slightly larger)» and warns that the application cannot be finished until a photograph the system accepts is available; Riyadh asks for a colour photograph of 5 × 5 cm, at least 250 DPI, on a white background with a neutral expression, unaltered, «at least one centimetre of white background above the head, shoulders visible». The Ministry of the Interior's leaflet for printed photographs of Czech identity documents gives 35 × 45 mm, a plain background «white to light blue», the face height from the root of the nose to the chin at least 13 mm, at least 2 mm between the top of the head and the top edge, no dark glasses except for the blind and no head covering without a health or religious reason.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Czech Republic passport applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and the Czech embassies publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph the capture system judges unacceptable (Rome: the application cannot be finished until a suitable photograph is available) | A sharp, unaltered front-facing photograph of the requested size, in natural colours. |
| A print that is not the size the embassy asks for (5 × 5 cm at Rome and Riyadh), below 250 DPI, or not on a white background (Riyadh) | A 5 × 5 cm colour print of at least 250 DPI on white, with a centimetre of background above the head. |
| A head turned or tilted, a look over the shoulder, hair over the eyes, a non-neutral expression or an open mouth | A front view, the look into the lens, a neutral expression, a closed mouth, eyes open. |
| A face of less than 13 mm (root of the nose to chin) or less than 2 mm between the head and the top edge, a busy background, dark glasses, reflections | A larger head with space above it, a plain white to light-blue background, clear eyes without reflections. |
How to take it
Background: plain white
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: 70–80 % of the photo height
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, eyes open
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 Czech passport is applied for in person at a municipal office of a municipality with extended powers in the Czech Republic (the photograph is taken there), or at a Czech embassy abroad, where the practice differs.
portal.gov.cz — any municipal office of a municipality with extended powers, regardless of your residence
No photograph to bring — the official takes the facial image and the fingerprints.
Authority pageThe website of the Czech embassy for your country
Bern takes the photograph; Rome and Riyadh ask for a 5 × 5 cm print — read your embassy's page.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and the Czech embassies |
|---|---|
| Source | Czech residence permit photograph requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
In the Czech Republic no: the official takes your facial image and fingerprints at the municipal office. At an embassy it depends: Bern takes the photograph, Rome and Riyadh ask for a 5 × 5 cm print.
The Ministry's leaflet for printed photographs gives 35 × 45 mm; the embassies in Rome and Riyadh ask for 5 × 5 cm (Rome: «or slightly larger»).
The Ministry's leaflet recommends white to light blue, plain and light; the Riyadh embassy asks for white with a centimetre of background above the head.
About ten minutes at the office, including the biometric data; the passport itself is issued within 30 days in the Czech Republic and within 120 days at an embassy.
The recommended size for the Czech Republic passport photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain white background. No gradients, textures, shadows or objects behind the subject are permitted. The tool removes background shadows automatically, but starting with a flat, evenly lit wall gives the best result.
Yes. Stand in front of a flat white wall in good natural light, face the light source and use the rear camera of your phone with a 3-second timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and compliance check against the Czech Republic biometric standard.
Most passport authorities require the photo to be taken within the last six months. Do not reuse an older portrait even if your appearance has not changed.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the photo is rejected by the Czech Republic authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. In practice, the biometric scanner at submission points flags even minor lens glare that looks fine to the naked eye. Removing glasses before shooting is the only option that eliminates the risk entirely.
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: biometric residence card (biometrika), EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, ID card, permanent residence (Trvalý pobyt), refugee travel document.