head 71–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceBerlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung), Service Berlin and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior
Verified
Quick answer: A Germany residence permit photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background. Head occupies 71–80% of photo height (32–36 mm chin to crown). Neutral expression, eyes fully visible. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 71–80% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Head height (mm) | 32–36 mm chin to crown |
| Background | Plain light background. |
| Pose | Full face, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible. See full rules → |
| Lighting | No shadows or reflections. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Neutral clothing. |
| 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 photo for a German residence permit (the electronic residence title, eAT) changed on 1 May 2025. The law strengthening the security of passports and ID documents says that biometric passport photos may only be taken directly at the authorities or in photo studios that can send them digitally to the authorities through a secure electronic channel — and that covers the electronic residence title and travel documents of foreigners.
At the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA), for appointments from 14 July 2025, «please do not bring classic biometric passport photos (on photo paper) any more — they are no longer accepted». Two ways are offered: have the digital passport photo taken beforehand in a photo studio or a participating drugstore that sends it through a secure photo cloud and gives you a QR code to bring to the appointment, or take it on site at a self-service terminal (PointID) for 6.00 euros.
The exceptions — residence permits of refugees from Ukraine, Duldung and Aufenthaltsgestattung — still use paper biometric photos. The photo itself follows the Ministry of the Interior sheet: 35 × 45 mm, face 70–80 % of the height, a monochromatic background without shadows, neutral expression with the mouth closed.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Germany residence permit photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung), Service Berlin and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A classic biometric passport photo on photo paper brought to the appointment | Have the digital photo made at a studio or drugstore with a QR code, or at the office terminal. |
| A photo taken at a studio that cannot send it to the authority through a secure channel | Choose a studio or drugstore that works with the authority's photo cloud. |
| A face outside 70–80 % of the height, shadows or a patterned background | Keep the face 70–80 % with a plain monochromatic background without shadows. |
| Laughing, open mouth, closed eyes, hair over the eyes, or reflecting lenses | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and clear; no reflections. |
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: 71–80 % 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 35 × 45 mm.
Eyes fully visible
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 residence title is applied for or reissued by appointment at the competent immigration office (in Berlin the Landesamt für Einwanderung or, for a reissue of a settlement permit, a Bürgeramt); the photo is taken digitally at the office or beforehand at a connected studio or drugstore.
berlin.de/einwanderung — book the appointment; bring the QR code of the studio photo
Digital photo only: QR code from a studio or a PointID terminal on site.
Authority page| Authority | Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung), Service Berlin and the German Federal Ministry of the Interior |
|---|---|
| Source | German residence-title biometric photo rules |
| Verified |
Questions
Not any more. Since 1 May 2025 biometric passport photos may only be taken digitally at the authority or at a studio or drugstore that transmits them securely; the Berlin Immigration Office says for appointments from 14 July 2025 paper biometric photos are no longer accepted (exceptions: Ukraine refugees, Duldung, Aufenthaltsgestattung).
Either beforehand at a photo studio or a participating drugstore that sends it through a secure photo cloud — you get a QR code to bring to the appointment — or on site at a self-service terminal (PointID) for 6.00 euros at the Berlin office.
The biometric photo of the Ministry of the Interior sheet: 35 × 45 mm, face 70–80 % of the height, centred and straight, a monochromatic background without shadows, a neutral expression with the mouth closed, eyes clearly visible, head coverings only for religious reasons — taken digitally, not on paper.
The rule comes from the federal law of 1 May 2025, so it applies to the whole country; the QR code and the 6.00 euro terminal are the Berlin office's own arrangement.
The Germany residence permit photo must be 35 × 45 mm. The head must occupy 71–80% of the photo height.
Usually no older than six months; some immigration offices ask for a more recent one. Take a new photo that looks like you on the day you apply.
Plain light background. A plain, evenly lit wall without shadows or pattern is enough — the tool sets the required background colour.
Only if the size and rules are the same and the photo is still recent. Otherwise take a new one: the same selfie can be turned into photos for both documents.
Take a new photo: it should show how you look now — hairstyle, beard, glasses.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the Germany immigration 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.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: electronic residence permit (eAT), EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, ID card (Personalausweis), national visa (Type D), opportunity card (Chancenkarte).