head up to 80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinistry of Internal Affairs of Russia (MVD)
Verified
Quick answer: A Russia international passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm. Even white background without stripes, spots, foreign objects, or shadows. Neutral expression, with your everyday glasses. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Background | Even white background without stripes, spots, foreign objects, or shadows. Make photo background white — Russia international passport → |
| Pose | Strictly full face, neutral expression, mouth closed. |
| Glasses | Citizens who permanently wear glasses must be photographed wearing glasses without tinted lenses; frame must not cover the eyes. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows and foreign objects in the background not permitted. |
| Head covering | Permitted for religious reasons, provided the head covering does not conceal the facial oval. |
| Attire | Uniforms, outer clothing, and scarves covering part of the chin not permitted. |
| 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 |
Russian foreign passport (zagranpassport) photo rules are set by the MVD of Russia (Ministry of Internal Affairs) in two Administrative Regulations: Order No. 996 of 31.12.2019 for the 10-year biometric passport (п. 35) and Order No. 186 of 31.03.2021 for the 5-year non-biometric passport (п. 89). The photo rules are the same in both: 35×45 mm, black-and-white or colour, matching the applicant's age on the day of application; head and upper shoulders close-up in the frame with the crown-to-chin distance at most 80 % of the frame height — neither Regulation publishes a head height in millimetres or a margin above the crown.
Background white and even, without stripes, stains, foreign objects or shadows; neutral expression, mouth closed. The difference is in the submission: for the biometric passport no printed photo is handed in — the file is attached to the Gosuslugi application (gosuslugi.ru) and the passport photo itself is taken at the migration unit during a mandatory personal visit (Order No. 996, п. 28, 88); for the 5-year passport three printed photographs go with the application (Order No. 186, п. 30).
Pixel, file-size and format limits for the electronic file are not published by the Regulations or the Gosuslugi help page, and neither Regulation says anything about glossy or matte paper.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Russia international passport photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (MVD) publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Crown-to-chin distance exceeds 80 % of the photo height | Re-crop so the head takes at most 80 % of the frame height |
| Background not pure white | Off-white rejected — pure white required |
| Photo does not match the applicant's age on the day of application | Re-shoot so the photo shows your current appearance |
How to take it
Background: plain white
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: up to 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.
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
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.
Questions
Neither Regulation regulates the paper. For the biometric passport (Order No. 996) no printed photo is handed in at all: the file is attached to the Gosuslugi application and the passport photo is taken at the migration unit (п. 28, 88). For the 5-year passport (Order No. 186) three printed photographs of 35 × 45 mm go with the application (п. 30), and the Order says nothing about glossy or matte. Any photo paper will do.
Gosuslugi.ru requires a confirmed account; Russian citizens abroad apply through the consulate, not Gosuslugi. The photo is attached to the Gosuslugi application as an electronic file on a white, even background (Order No. 996, п. 35.1, 35.7); pixel, file-size and format limits for it are not published by the Regulation or the portal's help page.
Same format, 35×45 mm, and the same background: white and even, without shadows — Order No. 773 for the internal passport (п. 36.7) and Orders No. 996 (п. 35.7) and No. 186 (п. 89.8) for the foreign passport all require white; a light-grey background does not pass for either. The head rule is shared too: crown-to-chin at most 80 % of the frame height. The one difference: the internal-passport Regulation adds 5 (±1) mm of free space above the crown (п. 36.2), which the foreign-passport Regulations do not set.
The Russia international passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm.
Even white background without stripes, spots, foreign objects, or shadows. Behind you there should be only a plain wall: no pattern, shadows or objects. Any light wall at home will do — the tool sets the exact background colour.
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 Russia international 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 Russia authority — the refund policy page has the details.
Citizens who permanently wear glasses must be photographed wearing glasses without tinted lenses; frame must not cover the eyes.
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.
Permitted for religious reasons, provided the head covering does not conceal 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: internal passport.