EstoniaEstonia Passport Photo: Free PPA Booth Photo Valid 183 Days, or Your Own at 1300 x 1600 Pixels
The PPA booth photo is free in every service office, usable 183 days. Your own: colour, unedited, 1–5 MB, at least 1,300 x 1,600 px, within six months.
Key points
5 points- PPA: a document photo can be taken free of charge in the booth of every service office, even without submitting an application there.
- A booth photo can be used within 183 days at any service office or in the self-service portal (except for a weapons permit).
- Own photo for the portal: colour, unedited, 1 MB to 5 MB, at least 1,300 x 1,600 pixels, not a scan or screenshot.
- Use the rear camera of a phone — the front camera distorts the face.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs print requirements (2024): 40 x 50 mm, taken within six months, face 70–80 % of the photo.
Estonia makes the passport photo easy: the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) recommends taking it in a photo booth of a service office or at a photographer’s studio.
The free booth
- A document photo can be taken free of charge in the photo booth of every service office, even without submitting an application there.
- Fingerprints and a signature sample can also be given in the booth, depending on the application.
- The digital booth photo can be used within 183 days for applications at any service office or in the self-service portal (except for a weapons permit).
- By e-mail, add the person’s first name and surname and the personal identification number or date of birth.
Taking your own photo for the self-service portal
A photograph you take yourself shall not be older than six months and can be uploaded to the self-service portal if the instructions are followed carefully. Submitting a non-compliant photograph will extend the time of receipt of the document.
| Item | PPA instruction (adult) |
|---|---|
| Colour, editing | Colour and unedited |
| File size | Between 1 MB and 5 MB |
| Dimensions | At least 1,300 x 1,600 pixels |
| Not allowed | A scanned photograph or a screenshot of a computer or mobile phone screen |
| Background | Light and of a single colour, without extraneous objects or patterns |
| Head | No headwear or headphones; eyes level, head not tilted; face in the centre |
| Glasses | Eyes visible from behind the frames; glasses not reflecting light |
The PPA advises using the rear camera of a mobile phone, because the front camera distorts the face.
Print requirements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
For a printed photo (Ministry of the Interior regulation, as summarised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2024): colour and unedited, 40 x 50 mm, taken within the last six months, clear and sharp; head and top of the shoulders so the face takes up 70–80 % of the photo; light single-colour background without objects or patterns; neutral expression with the mouth closed; no headwear or headphones (a religious head cover needs a written assessment from the Ministry of the Interior); glasses without tinted or reflecting lenses. A digital photo of at least 1300 x 1600 pixels and 500 KB can be e-mailed.
Young children
For 0–7 years the PPA advises a digital photograph at a photographer’s studio, because the child may not face the camera for the time the booth needs. The child looks straight into the camera with the mouth closed; avoid big hair adornments and toys.
See our Estonia passport photo page for the format.
05Questions
5 answers01Is the PPA photo booth free?
Yes. A document photo can be taken free of charge in the booth of every service office, even without submitting an application there.
02How long can a booth photo be used?
Within 183 days, at any service office or in the self-service portal (except for a weapons permit).
03What are the file limits for my own photo?
Colour, unedited, between 1 MB and 5 MB, at least 1,300 x 1,600 pixels; no scans or screenshots.
04What print size does Estonia use?
40 x 50 mm according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2024), face 70–80 % of the photo.
05Which camera should I use?
The rear camera of a mobile phone — the front camera distorts the face.
06Official sources
- PPA — Requirement and instructions for the document photo
politsei.ee - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia — Photo requirements 2024 (PDF)
vm.ee
Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .
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