head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceFederal law on driving licences (FeV) and the Passport Ordinance (Anlage 8), Federal Ministry of Transport
Verified
Quick answer: A Germany driver's license photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain neutral background with clear contrast to the face. 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 neutral background with clear contrast to the face. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinting or reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No shadows or uneven lighting. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| 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 |
In Germany the driving licence application needs «a photo that meets the provisions of the Passport Ordinance» (FeV § 21 para. 3 no. 2) — so the biometric rules of Annex 8 apply: the face from the chin to the top of the head takes 70–80 % of the height of the photo, both halves of the face are clearly visible, the face is evenly lit without reflections or red eyes, the head is centred and straight, the face is sharp and rich in contrast, the shadow-free background is of one colour and contrasts clearly with the face and the hair, colours — above all the skin tone — are true to life and digital photos are in colour, the expression is neutral with the gaze straight into the camera and the mouth closed, the eyes are clear and not covered, and a head covering is allowed only for religious reasons, with the face visible from the lower edge of the chin to the forehead and no shadows on it. Retouching, filters, soft focus, low resolution, a smile, hair over the eyes, frames over the eyes and dark or reflecting lenses are among the examples that fail.
For children the face takes 50–80 %, with smaller deviations allowed up to the age of 10 and further exceptions for babies up to the age of 6. The ordinance gives no size in millimetres for the licence; 35 mm × 45 mm on a light background, without headgear, is the size of the driver card (FPersV § 5) and of the federal portal's licence service, and «the licensing authority may allow exceptions to the design of the photo».
For exchanging an old licence the Federal Ministry of Transport lists «1 photo (a current biometric photo)» next to the ID and the old licence. Several licensing authorities, according to an earlier check of their pages, still ask for a paper photo — digital photos via cloud or QR code are not accepted for the licence there.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Germany driver's license photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Federal law on driving licences (FeV) and the Passport Ordinance (Anlage 8), Federal Ministry of Transport publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A face that is not 70–80 % of the height, a head tilted, off-centre or not straight, or a photo that is blurred or too dark | Crop so that the face from the chin to the top of the head takes 70–80 % of the height, centred and straight, sharp and well lit. |
| A background with a pattern, a shadow or no contrast to the face and the hair | A single-colour, shadow-free background that contrasts with the face and the hair (a light colour, ideally neutral grey). |
| Retouching, a filter or soft focus, too low a resolution, unnatural colours or skin tone | An unretouched, sharp photo in true colours at high resolution. |
| A smile, open mouth, closed or squinting eyes, hair or frames over the eyes, dark or reflecting lenses, a cap | A neutral expression, gaze straight into the camera, mouth closed, eyes clear, no cap (a head covering only for religious reasons, face visible from chin to forehead). |
How to take it
Background: plain neutral
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 German driving licence is applied for, or exchanged, at the licensing authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) of your place of residence, in some places at a citizens' office, with a biometric photo and an identity document.
bmv.de — exchange of the driving licence; the licensing authority of your district or city
One current biometric photo; several offices still take a paper photo only.
Authority pageQuestions
A photo that meets the Passport Ordinance (FeV § 21): the face from the chin to the top of the head 70–80 % of the height, evenly lit, centred and straight, sharp, a single-colour shadow-free background that contrasts with the face and hair, natural colours, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes visible, no head covering except for religious reasons, no retouching.
The licence rule names no size; the federal portal and the driver-card rule use 35 mm × 45 mm, and the exchange rules ask for one current biometric photo.
Several licensing authorities, according to an earlier check of their pages, still ask for a paper photo and do not accept a digital photo via cloud or QR code for the licence.
70–80 % of the height of the photo, measured from the chin to the top of the head; for children 50–80 %.
The Germany driver's license photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 70–80% of the photo height. The photo is printed on the card and stays there for years, so use one that looks like you every day.
Plain neutral background with clear contrast to the face. Light should fall evenly on your face from the front, without shadows: face a window and turn off the flash.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinting or reflections. Many offices allow the glasses you need for driving, as long as your eyes are clearly visible and there are no reflections on the lenses. Tinted or darkened lenses are not accepted.
Most offices ask for a photo taken within the last six months. Use an everyday photo rather than a styled portrait — the licence stays valid for years.
No. The rules are the same as for a passport: neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open, looking straight into the camera.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the Germany licensing office.
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; must not cover the facial oval. The face must stay fully visible from chin to forehead and on both sides, with no shadow across it.