head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourcePolice and Border Guard Board of Estonia (PPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (State Protocol Department)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Estonia ID card photo size is 40 × 50 mm. Plain light background without foreign objects or patterns. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 40 × 50 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background without foreign objects or patterns. |
| Pose | Full face, looking directly into the camera. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, no smile, mouth closed. |
| Glasses | Lenses must not be tinted or reflective; frame must not cover the eyes. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No overexposure, underexposure, defects, or unnatural colours. |
| Head covering | No head coverings or headphones, except for officially permitted religious cases. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 40 × 50 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 4 × 5 cm |
| Inches | 1.57 × 1.97″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 472 × 591 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 945 × 1181 px |
For an Estonian ID card the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) recommends «taking the photo in a photo booth of a service office … or at a photographer's studio»: a booth photograph is taken for free at every service office, even without an application, is digital and «can be used within 183 days» at any service office or in the self-service portal; a photograph «taken by yourself shall not be older than six months». A photo of your own is uploaded to the self-service portal: «a colour photograph and unedited», «between 1MB and 5MB», «at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels», no scan or screenshot, «a light and single colour» background «without extraneous objects (including patterns)», no headwear or headphones, «look straight into the camera, the eyes must be level», the face in the centre, the eyes visible behind the frames and no reflection on the glasses; «submitting a non-compliant photograph will extend the time of receipt of the document». For a young child (0–7 years) the PPA advises a photographer's studio, because the booth may fail: the child looks straight into the camera with the mouth closed, with no big hair adornments or toys. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' photo requirements, which cite the Interior Ministry's regulation, give «Size 40x50 mm», a close-up of the head and shoulders with the face taking «70-80% of the photo», a neutral expression with the mouth closed, spectacles without toned or reflecting glass and frames that do not cover the eyes, and for a religious head cover a written assessment from the Ministry of the Interior.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Estonia ID card applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia (PPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (State Protocol Department) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A scanned photograph or a screenshot of a computer or phone screen | A real photograph — a booth photograph, a studio photograph or an unedited own one. |
| A photograph smaller than 1,300 × 1,600 pixels or outside 1–5 MB, or an edited or black-and-white one | An unedited colour photograph of at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels and 1–5 MB. |
| A coloured or patterned background, or objects behind the person | A light single-colour background without extraneous objects or patterns. |
| Headwear or headphones, a tilted head or eyes not level | No headwear, looking straight into the camera with the eyes level. |
| Glasses with reflections or frames that hide the eyes | The eyes visible behind the frames and no reflection on the glasses. |
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: 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 40 × 50 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, no smile, mouth closed
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″ | 6 (3 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 28 (4 × 7) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
An Estonian ID card is applied for at a Police and Border Guard Board service office (the photograph can be taken there in the booth for free) or in the self-service portal with a photograph that follows the PPA's instructions, or abroad at a diplomatic mission.
politsei.ee — service offices of the PPA
A colour unedited photo, 1,300 × 1,600 px at least, light single-colour background.
Authority page| Authority | Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia (PPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (State Protocol Department) |
|---|---|
| Source | Photo requirements 2024 PDF |
| Verified |
Questions
The PPA names the file — at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels, 1–5 MB, colour, unedited — and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' requirements, which cite the Interior Ministry regulation, give 40 × 50 mm with the face at 70–80 %.
Yes — a document photo can be taken for free in the photo booth in all service offices, even without an application; it is digital and can be used within 183 days.
The photograph taken by yourself shall not be older than six months.
A light single-colour background without extraneous objects, including patterns.
The recommended size for the Estonia ID card photo is 40 × 50 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height. The photo must reflect your current everyday appearance.
Plain light background without foreign objects or patterns. Identity cards are used frequently in daily life — for banking, age verification and domestic travel — so the photo is scrutinised many times and minor background issues become more visible at print scale.
Yes. Stand against a flat light-coloured wall, face a window for even natural light, and use a phone with a timer. The tool handles the crop, background normalisation and ICAO alignment check automatically.
Identity card photos generally need to reflect your current appearance. Most authorities accept photos taken within the last six months, but significant changes to hair, beard or facial features since the photo was taken may require a new one.
Lenses must not be tinted or reflective; frame must not cover the eyes. Removing glasses for the shoot is the safest option, especially given the long validity period of most identity cards. Glare that passes today may fail re-verification at a future biometric checkpoint.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Estonia authority rejects the photo and you supply the rejection notice.
40 × 50 mm = 4 × 5 cm = 1.57 × 1.97 inches. At 300 dpi that is 472 × 591 pixels; at 600 dpi, 945 × 1181 pixels.
No head coverings or headphones, except for officially permitted religious cases. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 40 × 50 mm format and head size apply to: consular, document, EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, passport, residence card for family member of an EU citizen.