head 68–77 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceFinnish Police (Poliisi) and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)
Verified
Quick answer: A Finland passport photo must be 36 × 47 mm. Plain light neutral background without shadows. Head occupies 68–77% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 36 × 47 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 68–77% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Plain light neutral background without shadows. |
| Pose | Head straight, no tilt, face and eyes directed directly into the camera. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clearly visible. |
| Glasses | Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Even lighting without shadows on face and background, no red eyes. |
| Head covering | Religious, traditional, or medical reasons only; must not cast shadows on the face. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing without uniform or distracting accessories. |
| Digital resolution | 500 × 653 px |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| File size | max 250 KB Compress photo to 200 KB — Finland passport → |
| Millimetres | 36 × 47 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.6 × 4.7 cm |
| Inches | 1.42 × 1.85″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 425 × 555 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 850 × 1110 px |
In Finland the passport photograph is usually sent to the police by the studio, not carried by you: the photographer sends the photo electronically and it is linked to your application with a photograph retrieval code, and a paper photo is accepted only if you submit the application at a police service point. The Finnish Police instructions (the same for passports, identity cards and permits) set a photo no more than six months old, black-and-white or colour, sharp over the entire face and not manipulated; the electronic file is a JPEG of exactly 500 × 653 pixels and at most 250 kilobytes («deviations as small as one pixel are not accepted»).
The head is measured from crown to chin — 32–36 mm (445–500 px), with 4–6 mm above the crown and 7–9 mm below the chin, centred within 1.5 mm — and hair and beard are not counted. The expression is neutral with the mouth closed, the eyes open, glasses may always be taken off (tinted ones only for medical reasons), a head covering only for religious, traditional or medical reasons.
The background is monochromatic, flat, light and neutral, light grey being best, with the face, hair and clothes standing out; the printed size, 36 × 47 mm, is the one written on the Finnish Immigration Service form that sends you to these rules. The police advise against uploading your own photo to the photograph server — non-professional photos are often rejected for wrong lighting and the optical distortion of too short a shooting distance.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Finland passport photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Finnish Police (Poliisi) and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Incorrect lighting or optical distortion from too short a shooting distance | Use even light and shoot from a distance with a normal lens, not a close wide-angle selfie. |
| A file that is not exactly 500 × 653 pixels, not a JPEG, or over 250 kB | Let the studio send the photo, or save an exact 500 × 653 pixel JPEG under 250 kB. |
| A head outside 32–36 mm (445–500 px), off-centre, or margins outside 4–6 mm above and 7–9 mm below | Keep the crown-to-chin distance 32–36 mm with the margins and the head centred. |
| A photo older than six months, manipulated or blurry | Take a sharp unaltered photo within six months. |
| An open mouth, squinting, tinted glasses, shadows or an uneven background | Neutral expression, mouth closed, no tinted glasses, and a plain light-grey background without shadows. |
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: 68–77 % of the photo height (32–36 mm)
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 36 × 47 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 | 32 (4 × 8) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Finnish passport is applied for at a police service point (or at a Finnish mission abroad); in most cases the photography studio sends the photograph directly to the police, which links it to the application with a retrieval code, and a paper photograph is accepted at a police service point.
poliisi.fi — list of photography studios that can send photographs to the police
One photo within six months; electronic: 500 × 653 pixels, JPEG, up to 250 kB.
Authority page| Authority | Finnish Police (Poliisi) and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) |
|---|---|
| Source | Finnish passport photograph instructions |
| Verified |
Questions
One photo taken within six months, sharp and unmanipulated; electronically a JPEG of exactly 500 × 653 pixels, up to 250 kB; the head 32–36 mm from crown to chin with 4–6 mm above and 7–9 mm below, neutral expression with the mouth closed, a light plain background (light grey is best) without shadows.
Electronic: exactly 500 × 653 pixels; the paper size written on the Finnish Immigration Service form is 36 × 47 mm; the head is 32–36 mm (445–500 px) in both.
Usually not: the studio sends the photograph directly to the police with a retrieval code. A paper photograph is accepted if you apply at a police service point; uploading your own photo to the police server is not recommended because many are rejected.
Monochromatic, flat, light and neutral without shadows — light grey is best, because the laser-engraved picture is greyscale and the face, hair and clothes must stand out.
The Finland passport photo must be 36 × 47 mm. The head must occupy 68–77% of the photo height. For digital upload, use 500 × 653 px.
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 Finland 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 Finland authority — the refund policy page has the details.
Glasses must not cover the eyes; tinted lenses permitted only for medical reasons. 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.
36 × 47 mm = 3.6 × 4.7 cm = 1.42 × 1.85 inches. At 300 dpi that is 425 × 555 pixels; at 600 dpi, 850 × 1110 pixels.
Religious, traditional, or medical reasons only; must not cast shadows on the face. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.
Yes. The same 36 × 47 mm format and head size apply to: driver's license, EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, ID card, national visa (Type D), refugee travel document.