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
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Estonia passport 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 |
In Estonia the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) takes the passport photo as a digital file and recommends a photo booth in one of its service offices — free of charge in every office, even if you apply elsewhere — or a photographer's studio. A booth photo is valid for 183 days at any service office or in the self-service portal; a photo you take yourself must not be older than six months, and «submitting a non-compliant photograph will extend the time of receipt of the document».
For an adult the photo is colour and unedited, a file of 1–5 MB with at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels, «a scanned photograph, or a screenshot of a computer screen or a mobile phone screen, is not allowed», on a light, single-colour background «without extraneous objects (including patterns)», no headwear or headphones, looking straight into the camera with the eyes level and the head not tilted, the face in the centre, eyes visible behind the frames and glasses that do not reflect light; with a phone use the rear camera, because the front one distorts the face. For a child of 0–7 the photo is colour, unedited, on a light plain background, looking at the camera with the mouth closed, with no big hair adornments or toys.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states a printed 40 × 50 mm photo, taken within six months, with the face at 70–80 %, for the documents the Ministry issues.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Estonia 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 Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia (PPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A non-compliant photograph — the PPA says it extends the time of receipt of the document | Take the free booth photo at a service office, or follow the instructions exactly. |
| A scanned photograph, a screenshot of a screen, an edited photo, or a file below 1 MB or above 5 MB or under 1,300 × 1,600 pixels | Upload an unedited colour file of 1–5 MB with at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels. |
| A background that is not light and single-coloured, patterns or objects in the background | A light single-colour background without objects or patterns. |
| Headwear or headphones, a tilted head, eyes hidden by the frames, or glasses that reflect light | Bare head, no headphones, eyes level and visible, glasses without reflection. |
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 passport is applied for at a service office of the Police and Border Guard Board, in the self-service portal, or abroad through an Estonian representation, with a document photo that follows the PPA instructions.
politsei.ee — document photo; the booth photo is valid for 183 days
Colour, unedited, 1–5 MB, at least 1,300 × 1,600 px, light single-colour background.
Authority page| Authority | Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia (PPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia |
|---|---|
| Source | Photo requirements 2024 PDF |
| Verified |
Questions
A colour, unedited digital photo of 1–5 MB and at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels on a light single-colour background, no headwear or headphones, looking straight into the camera with the head level and the face centred, eyes visible and no reflections in glasses; no scans or screenshots.
Yes: every PPA service office has a free photo booth, and the digital photo can be used within 183 days at any service office or in the self-service portal.
A photo you take yourself must not be older than six months; a booth photo can be used within 183 days.
The PPA gives file rules (1–5 MB, at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels); the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prints 40 × 50 mm with the face at 70–80 % for the documents the Ministry issues.
The recommended size for the Estonia passport photo is 40 × 50 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain light background without foreign objects or patterns. 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, plain 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 Estonia 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 Estonia authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Lenses must not be tinted or reflective; frame must not cover the eyes. 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.
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, ID card, residence card for family member of an EU citizen.