head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the General Passport Directorate (Ministry of Internal Affairs)
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Romania passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background per Schengen standard. 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 light background per Schengen standard. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| 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 |
For the Romanian electronic passport you bring no photograph: the application is made in person, because «the biometric data — the photographing and the taking of the fingerprints — must be taken», at the passport counter or the consular section. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs adds a recommendation: «to ensure a good quality photograph, avoid light-coloured clothing», and says that when the facial image is taken the applicant must not have the head covered, the eyes closed or wear glasses, and the expression must be «a common state» — with an exception for a religious head covering, provided the face from the base of the chin to the forehead is clearly visible and without shadows.
Printed photographs appear only for the temporary passport: the General Passport Directorate asks for «2 identical colour photographs of the holder, of 3.5 × 4.5 cm, only where the holder is not present when the application is submitted» (for minors under 14 the parent may bring two photos instead of the child's presence), which must show the holder's current appearance, be taken from the front, on a clear, neutral, light-coloured background so that the outline of the head can be identified, with no head covering, no closed eyes and a common expression. No head size, pixel size or file rule is published for the Romanian passport.
Examples and mistakes
One compliant example next to the six most common rejection causes for Romania 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the General Passport Directorate (Ministry of Internal Affairs) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A head covering without a religious reason, closed eyes or glasses when the image is taken | Remove the head covering and glasses and keep the eyes open. |
| A religious head covering that hides part of the face from the chin to the forehead or casts shadows | Wear it so that the face from the base of the chin to the forehead is clear and free of shadows. |
| Light-coloured clothing, which the Ministry advises against for the photograph quality | Wear darker clothing at the appointment. |
| A temporary-passport photograph that is not 3.5 × 4.5 cm, not recent or without a clear, neutral, light background | Bring two identical colour photographs of 3.5 × 4.5 cm from the front on a clear, neutral, light background. |
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 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 Romanian electronic passport is applied for in person at a passport service in Romania or a Romanian consular section, where the photograph and the fingerprints are taken; prints of 3.5 × 4.5 cm are only for the temporary passport when the holder is absent.
pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro — passport services; mae.ro — consular sections
Nothing to bring for the electronic passport; avoid light clothing.
Authority page| Authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the General Passport Directorate (Ministry of Internal Affairs) |
|---|---|
| Source | Romania eViza supporting documents |
| Verified |
Questions
For the electronic passport the image is taken at the counter or consular section: no head covering (except for religious reasons with the face from chin to forehead clear and free of shadows), eyes open, no glasses, a common expression, and light-coloured clothing is advised against. The temporary passport takes 2 identical colour photographs of 3.5 × 4.5 cm on a clear, neutral, light background when the holder is absent.
Not for the electronic passport: you apply in person and the photograph and fingerprints are taken there. Prints are only for the temporary passport when the holder is not present.
3.5 × 4.5 cm (two identical colour photographs) for the temporary passport; the electronic passport has no printed size because the image is captured live.
No: the Ministry says the applicant must not wear glasses when the facial image is taken, nor have the head covered or the eyes closed.
The recommended size for the Romania passport photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain light background per Schengen standard. 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 Romania 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 Romania authority and you supply the official rejection notice. See the refund policy page for the exact process.
Eyes must be fully visible; no tinted lenses or strong reflections. 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.
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: EU blue card, EU long-term residence permit, residence card for family member of an EU citizen, Schengen visa type C.