head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceHellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Decentralised Administration of Attica
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Greece residence permit photo size is 40 × 60 mm. Plain light grey background without shadows or patterns. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, with your everyday glasses. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 40 × 60 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light grey background without shadows or patterns. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses permitted only without reflections and without covering eyes; if the applicant normally wears glasses, they must wear them in the photo. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows on the face and background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | Head and shoulders must be fully visible; face must match current appearance. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 40 × 60 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 4 × 6 cm |
| Inches | 1.57 × 2.36″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 472 × 709 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 945 × 1417 px |
A Greek residence permit card is a biometric document, and the photograph follows «the same technical specifications as those applicable to photographs submitted for Greek passports», as the national registry of public services puts it. The Attica Decentralised Administration asks for «four (4) recent, coloured passport-sized photos — 40x60 mm without a frame, high resolution, on a white background, neutral face expression», also «in digital form on a compact disk (CD) in JPEG 2000 format»; its Piraeus directorate asks for the «face photograph, passport-style, 4×6 cm, in four copies and saved on a CD» when you are called for the biometric data collection, with an electronic fee of €16 (code 2119). The registry entry for a permit after an employment invitation asks for «one recent colour photograph in hard copy» and a JPEG2000 file on a CD or a USB stick. The Greek passport specification is an ICAO 9303 photograph taken within the last six months: the whole face clear from jaw to forehead and from ear to ear, a neutral expression with a closed mouth, no shadows or sheen, no one else in the picture, a light uniform background «preferably gray with an RGB value of 190 ± 10», and the person from the base of the shoulders to the top of the hair covering 70–75 % of the photo, with chin to top of forehead 50–60 % of it. Beneficiaries of international protection add a digital photograph of «a Greek passport type» of up to 2 MB for an online renewal, or two prints at the passport office.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Greece residence permit applications. These are the differences that most often determine whether a document photo is accepted.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Decentralised Administration of Attica publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A photograph that is not recent or not in colour, in a frame, or not of the Greek passport specification | A recent colour photograph without a frame, to the Greek passport specification. |
| Fewer prints than the office asks for (four at the Attica offices) or no JPEG 2000 file on a CD or USB stick | The prints the office lists (for example four) and a JPEG 2000 file on a CD or USB stick. |
| Shadows on the face or background, sheen, another person or object, eyes not clearly visible, sunglasses or photochromic lenses | Even light, an empty plain background, eyes open and clear, clear glasses only. |
| A face not fully clear from jaw to forehead and ear to ear, a tilted head, a portrait-style pose over one shoulder | A straight frontal head with the whole face clear, shoulders straight. |
How to take it
Background: light grey
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 × 60 mm.
With your everyday glasses
If you wear glasses every day, keep them on and check that the lenses show no glare.
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″ | 4 (2 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 21 (3 × 7) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Greek residence permit is applied for through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum procedure for your permit type, and the biometric appointment is held at the directorate for aliens and migration of your area (Attica: Piraeus and Islands, or other sectors) with the photographs and a CD.
apdattikis.gov.gr — the directorate for your area
Original passport, four 4 × 6 cm passport-style prints and a CD, printed fee receipt.
Authority page| Authority | Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Decentralised Administration of Attica |
|---|---|
| Source | Greek passport photo specifications |
| Verified |
Questions
The Attica offices ask for four recent colour passport-sized photos of 40 × 60 mm without a frame, on a white background, and the same in JPEG 2000 on a CD; the registry entries say the Greek passport specification.
It depends on the permit and the office: four prints and a CD at the Attica offices, one print and a CD or USB stick in the registry entry for dependent employment, and two prints for the renewal of international-protection permits.
JPEG 2000 on a CD or a USB stick, together with the printed photographs; a digital Greek-passport-type photograph of up to 2 MB is used for online renewals of international-protection permits.
The Attica pages say white; the Greek passport specification says light and uniform, preferably grey with an RGB value of 190 ± 10. A plain light background without shadows is the safe choice.
The recommended size for the Greece residence permit photo is 40 × 60 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height. Submit the photo with your application file or online portal as required by the immigration authority.
Residence permit photos often have stricter recency requirements than passport photos because the permit is tied to an active legal status. Submit a photo taken within the last three months where possible, even if the authority allows up to six months.
Plain light grey background without shadows or patterns. The wall behind you must be evenly lit with no shadows. Patterns typically trigger automated pre-screening rejection at the immigration submission portal.
Usually no. Even when dimensions match, residence permit applications require a fresh photo that reflects your current appearance at the time of application. Reused passport photos are a frequent rejection cause.
If hair, beard, weight or facial features have changed noticeably, take a new photo. The immigration reviewer compares the photo to your current appearance during the in-person submission or biometric appointment.
Anfas.Pro provides a 14-day full refund if the Greece immigration authority rejects the photo and you supply the official rejection notice.
40 × 60 mm = 4 × 6 cm = 1.57 × 2.36 inches. At 300 dpi that is 472 × 709 pixels; at 600 dpi, 945 × 1417 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 40 × 60 mm format and head size apply to: EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, passport, residence card for family member of an EU citizen.