Czech RepublicCzech Passport Photo: Taken at the Office in Czechia, 5 x 5 cm at Some Embassies Abroad
In Czechia the official takes your facial image when you apply — no photo to bring. Embassies in Rome and Riyadh ask for a 5 x 5 cm colour photo.
Key points
5 points- Citizen Portal: you apply in person because the facial image (and fingerprints over age 12) is taken at the application.
- An application is usually processed within 10 minutes, including the form, biometrics and signatures.
- The passport is valid 5 years under age 15 and 10 years over 15.
- Abroad, apply at an embassy (not an honorary consulate); the passport is issued within 120 days.
- Embassy in Bern: the consular officer takes the photo. Rome and Riyadh: bring a 5 x 5 cm photo; Riyadh adds colour, white background, at least 250 DPI.
A Czech passport photo is usually not something you bring. According to the Citizen Portal (portal.gov.cz), the citizen must be present in person at the application because the biometric data — a facial image, and for a citizen over 12 also fingerprints — is taken there.
Applying in Czechia
- Where: any municipal office of a municipality with extended powers; in Prague any office of city districts 1 to 22 (the 30-day passport) and, for the 24-hour and 5-working-day passports, also the Ministry of the Interior.
- The official compares the data with the Population Register, takes the facial image and fingerprints, prints the application for signature and sends the data electronically to the manufacturer.
- An application is usually processed within 10 minutes, including the form, capturing biometric data and signatures.
- Validity: 5 years for citizens under 15, 10 years over 15.
Applying abroad: what embassies ask for
Abroad you apply at an embassy of the Czech Republic — not at a consulate led by an honorary consular officer — and the passport is issued within 120 days. Embassy pages differ on the photo:
| Embassy | Photo |
|---|---|
| Bern | The application is processed electronically in a closed system; the consular officer takes the photograph at the consular section. |
| Rome | 5 x 5 cm (or slightly larger). If the system judges the photo unacceptable for biometric capture, the application cannot be completed until a suitable photo is available. Criteria for small children are more lenient. |
| Riyadh | Colour, current appearance, 5 x 5 cm, at least 250 DPI, white background, neutral expression, natural colours, not altered; at least 1 cm of white background above the head and the shoulders visible. |
Check the page of the embassy where you will apply before your appointment.
The national photo standard
The Ministry of the Interior leaflet (March 2003) on photographs for the identity card and the passport describes a 35 x 45 mm picture with head and shoulders, no dark glasses (except for blind people) and no head covering unless for health or religious reasons, a plain white to light blue background, the face height from the root of the nose to the chin at least 13 mm and at least 2 mm between the top of the head and the top edge, with no retouching.
See our Czech passport photo page for the format.
04Questions
5 answers01Do I need to bring a photo for a Czech passport in Czechia?
No. The facial image is taken at the office when you apply, together with fingerprints for citizens over 12.
02How long does the application take?
Usually within 10 minutes, including the form, biometrics and signatures (Citizen Portal).
03What photo size do Czech embassies ask for?
The embassies in Rome and Riyadh ask for 5 x 5 cm; in Bern the consular officer takes the photo.
04How long is a Czech passport valid?
5 years for citizens under 15 and 10 years for citizens over 15.
05Can I apply at an honorary consulate?
No. Abroad you apply at an embassy of the Czech Republic, not at a consulate led by an honorary consular officer.
05Official sources
- Citizen Portal (portal.gov.cz) — Issue of a passport
portal.gov.cz - Embassy of the Czech Republic in Riyadh — biometric travel document (Czech)
mzv.gov.cz - Embassy of the Czech Republic in Rome — travel documents (Czech)
mzv.gov.cz - Embassy of the Czech Republic in Bern — passport application (Czech)
mzv.gov.cz - Ministry of the Interior — photographs for the identity card and the passport (PDF, Czech)
mzv.gov.cz
Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .
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