head 60–75 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourceMinisterio del Interior / Policía Nacional
Verified
Quick answer: A Spain passport photo must be 26 × 32 mm. Uniform white background. Head occupies 60–75% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 26 × 32 mmICAO 9303: 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 60–75% of photo heightICAO 9303: 70–80% |
| Background | Uniform white background. Make photo background white — Spain passport → |
| Pose | Full face, open and clearly identifiable. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | No dark glasses or objects obstructing identification. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
| Attire | The facial oval, including eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin, must be clearly visible. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 26 × 32 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 2.6 × 3.2 cm |
| Inches | 1.02 × 1.25″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 307 × 378 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 614 × 756 px |
Spanish passport photographs are set by the Ministerio del Interior and checked by the Policía Nacional (Dirección General de la Policía) at the Unidad de Documentación, or by the consulate abroad. The Ministry's procedure page asks for one recent colour photo of the face, 32 × 26 mm — in Spanish wording height first, so 26 mm wide and 32 mm high, the format used on this page — on a uniform, plain white background, taken from the front, without dark glasses or any garment that prevents identification.
The facial oval, with the eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth and chin, must be clearly visible, and the print must be high-resolution on good-quality photographic paper. No photo is needed if you obtained or renewed your DNI the same day.
Consulates word it a little differently: Mexico accepts garments that leave the oval of the face visible and recommends a larger photo, 30–40 mm wide, with the head filling about half of it.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Spain passport photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Ministerio del Interior / Policía Nacional publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Photo in another format (35 × 45 mm Schengen or a 2 × 2 inch photo) instead of 32 × 26 mm | Print 26 mm wide × 32 mm high. Abroad, Washington accepts a US passport-size photo, and Mexico recommends a 30–40 mm wide photo. |
| Background not uniform, plain and white | Shoot in front of a plain white wall or use a white background in the tool; the ministry says «fondo uniforme, blanco, liso». |
| Dark glasses, or an item or garment that prevents identification | Take off sunglasses and anything that covers the face. Garments that leave the oval of the face visible are accepted (Mexico consulate). |
| Oval of the face not clear: eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth or chin hidden | Keep hair away from the eyebrows and eyes, look straight at the camera and keep the whole face — eyebrows to chin — sharp and unobstructed. |
| Low resolution, or a print on plain office paper instead of photographic paper | Print the 32 × 26 mm photo at high resolution on good-quality photo paper, as the ministry asks; the consulate in Mexico says plain-paper prints are not accepted. |
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: 60–75 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 26 × 32 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″ | 15 (5 × 3) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 72 (8 × 9) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Spanish passport is applied for in person: at a Unidad de Documentación of the Policía Nacional in Spain, by appointment, or at the Spanish consulate abroad. The photo is handed in with the application and the fee.
Appointment by phone 060 or on citapreviadnie.es
Bring the valid DNI; the fee can be paid in cash, by card at the unit, or online with an electronic signature. No photo is needed if you got or renewed the DNI the same day.
Authority pageThe consulate that covers your residence — see its passport page
Mexico: one photo 32 × 26 mm in colour on white; the applicant appears in person (fingerprints are taken from applicants over 12). Washington accepts a US passport-size photo.
Authority page| Authority | Ministerio del Interior / Policía Nacional |
|---|---|
| Source | Spanish passport photo requirements |
| Verified |
Questions
It is the same photo. The Ministerio del Interior writes «32 x 26 mm», height first, so the portrait print is 26 mm wide and 32 mm high — much smaller than the usual 35 × 45 mm. In centimetres that is 3.2 × 2.6 cm. Print it on good-quality photographic paper at high resolution.
A recent colour photo of the face, 32 × 26 mm, on a uniform, plain white background, taken from the front, with no dark glasses and no garment that prevents identification. The oval of the face — eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth and chin — must be clearly visible. The print has to be high-resolution on good-quality photographic paper. The Ministry does not publish a head-height figure or an age limit for the photo, so do not rely on figures from other sites.
No. The Ministerio del Interior states that the photograph is not required when you have obtained or renewed the DNI on the same day. Otherwise bring the 32 × 26 mm photo to the appointment, with your valid DNI, and pay the fee.
It depends on the consulate. The official size is 32 × 26 mm, but the consulate in Washington says it accepts an American passport photo from a drugstore, while the consulate in Mexico asks for 32 × 26 mm and recommends a photo 30–40 mm wide with the head filling about half of it.
In Spain the ordinary passport costs €30.00, for a first issue and for a renewal. Book the appointment by phone on 060 or on citapreviadnie.es, go in person to a Unidad de Documentación with your valid DNI, and pay in cash, by card at the unit, or online beforehand with an electronic signature. Abroad, the consulate sets the procedure and the fee.
The Spain passport photo must be 26 × 32 mm. The head must occupy 60–75% of the photo height.
Uniform white background. 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 Spain 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 Spain authority — the refund policy page has the details.
No dark glasses or objects obstructing identification. If you keep them on, tilt them slightly downwards by lifting the arms a little above your ears: this usually moves reflections of a window or lamp off the lenses.
26 × 32 mm = 2.6 × 3.2 cm = 1.02 × 1.25 inches. At 300 dpi that is 307 × 378 pixels; at 600 dpi, 614 × 756 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 26 × 32 mm format and head size apply to: ID card.