head 67–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceDanish Police (Politiet) and Borger.dk
Verified
Quick answer: A Denmark passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background without patterns, for example light blue or light grey (lys blå eller lys grå); white is not among the official examples. Head occupies 67–80% of photo height (30–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 67–80% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 30–36 mm chin to crownICAO 9303: 32–36 mm |
| Background | Plain light background without patterns, for example light blue or light grey (lys blå eller lys grå); white is not among the official examples. |
| Pose | Full face, looking directly into the camera, head and shoulders fully visible. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible. |
| Glasses | Frame must not cover the eyes; lenses without tint or reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No shadows, overexposure, or reflections. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; forehead, chin, and cheekbones must be visible. |
| 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 |
The Danish Police set the passport photo in a leaflet shared with driving licences: 35 mm × 45 mm, the head 30–36 mm from the point of the chin to the top of the hair, «a good likeness, taken straight from the front and suitable for scanning», showing the face and the top of the shoulders, with only one person in the picture. The background is without patterns and in a uniform light colour — «for example light blue or light grey» — and the picture may be in colour or black-and-white; a person with white or fair hair, or a light headscarf, needs a background in sharp contrast.
The gaze is towards the camera, both eyes completely visible and the mouth closed, the light even with no shadows on the face or the background; glasses must have no tint or reflections and frames must not cover the eyes; headwear is allowed only for religious reasons, and the forehead, chin area and cheekbones must still show. The photograph must be a real photograph or print on good photo paper at a very high resolution, without holes, stamps or damage; all the rules apply to children too, and «in special cases individual requirements may be waived» by the office where you apply. You apply at your municipality, and in some municipalities the picture can be taken at the citizen service.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Denmark passport photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Danish Police (Politiet) and Borger.dk publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| More than one person, a head not centred or not taken straight from the front, a multicoloured background, shadow on the face or the background | One person, straight from the front, a plain uniform light background and even light. |
| Tinted lenses, reflections in the glasses, a frame covering the eyes, closed eyes, hair over an eye | Clear lenses without reflections, a frame clear of the eyes, both eyes open and visible. |
| A cap or hat, a face covered or shadowed by headwear, an open mouth or a head that is tilted or looking away | Bare head (religious headwear only with forehead, chin area and cheekbones visible), mouth closed, looking at the camera. |
| A blurred, grainy, pixelated, damaged, over- or underexposed photo, or one with red eyes | Use a sharp photo on good photo paper at very high resolution, evenly lit, with no red eyes. |
How to take it
Background: plain 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: 67–80 % of the photo height (30–36 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, eyes open and clearly 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 Danish passport is applied for at the municipality (citizen service); you bring the photograph unless your municipality takes the picture there, and a child attends in person.
borger.dk — apply for or renew a Danish passport; your municipality's Borgerservice
Photo 35 × 45 mm, head 30–36 mm, plain uniform light background; some municipalities take the picture.
Authority page| Authority | Danish Police (Politiet) and Borger.dk |
|---|---|
| Source | Danish passport photo requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
35 × 45 mm, the head 30–36 mm from the point of the chin to the top of the hair, a good likeness taken straight from the front with the face and the top of the shoulders, one person, a plain uniform light background such as light blue or light grey, in colour or black-and-white, eyes visible, mouth closed, no tinted glasses and headwear only for religious reasons.
35 mm × 45 mm with the head between 30 and 36 mm from the point of the chin to the top of the hair.
Yes: the police leaflet says the picture must be in colour or black-and-white.
The leaflet asks for a background without patterns in a uniform light colour, for example light blue or light grey; people with white or fair hair need a background in sharp contrast.
The Denmark passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 67–80% of the photo height.
Yes. A phone and a light wall near a window are enough. The rear camera is sharper than the front one, so ask someone to take the photo or use a 3-second timer. The tool crops it to size, fixes the background and checks it against the Denmark passport photo rules.
Most passport offices ask for a photo taken within the last six months. It should look like you today: after a new haircut or beard, take a new one.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the Denmark authority — the refund policy page has the details.
Frame must not cover the eyes; lenses without tint or reflections. If you keep them on, tilt them slightly downwards by lifting the arms a little above your ears: this usually moves reflections of a window or lamp off the lenses.
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.
Religious reasons only; forehead, chin, and cheekbones must be visible. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: national visa (Type D), refugee travel document, residence card for family member of an EU citizen, Schengen visa.