EU passport photo size: why there is no single EU standard

Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004: legal framework and secret specifications

Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 (in its consolidated version) establishes common security elements and biometric identifiers. According to Article 2 of this act, passports and travel documents must include a highly secure storage medium that has sufficient capacity and capability to guarantee the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of the data. This medium must store a facial image as well as two fingerprints taken flat in interoperable formats.

The law regulates the physical printing: the passport or travel document must contain a machine-readable biographical data page complying with Part 1 of ICAO Document 9303. The holder's portrait cannot be affixed as a sticker to the page — according to the Regulation's annex, it must be integrated into the material of the data page using specialized issuance technologies.

Requirements for facial image quality under Article 2(c) are detailed in separate specifications, which under Article 3(1) may be kept secret — and their text is not available on EUR-Lex. The law explicitly states that in this case, these specifications are made available only to the bodies designated by the Member States as responsible for printing and to authorized persons. Data on print millimeters, background color, or head proportion as pan-European standards are not published in accessible sources.

The Regulation contains several exceptions. According to Article 1(3), it does not apply to national identity cards (ID cards) issued to citizens, nor to temporary passports with a validity of 12 months or less. Additionally, children under the age of 12 are exempt from providing fingerprints, although this age limit is described in the regulation text as a provisional measure.

Format comparison: passport photo size by EU country

In our database of 241 document profiles, 229 entries contain data on the printed photo size, and they use 17 different sizes. The most common format is 35 × 45 mm (148 profiles). This is followed by 51 × 51 mm (16 profiles), 30 × 40 mm (14 profiles), and 40 × 60 mm (11 profiles).

Background requirements also vary: 52 out of 241 profiles in the database specify a white background, 23 profiles name a specific non-white shade (for example, light gray or cream), while the rest are limited to a requirement for a light plain background without specifying an exact color. The maximum age of the photo is also not declared everywhere: only 32 out of 241 profiles state a limit (3 months for two profiles and 6 months for thirty). In the remaining profiles, the maximum photo age is simply not recorded; this is a gap in the data, rather than proof of no limit.

Submission process: from paper prints to encrypted clouds

You can prepare an EU passport photo tailored to the specific issuing country's requirements to avoid hardware distortions during submission.

1. Paper submission with a witness (Ireland). When submitting a paper application for an Irish passport, 4 identical photos no older than 6 months must be provided. The Irish authority (Department of Foreign Affairs) requires the witness to write the form number on the back of two of the four photos, and then sign and stamp them. The back of the photos must be white and unglazed. Glasses are permitted if the frames do not cover the eyes and there is no glare on the lenses; dark glasses are prohibited. Uniforms, whether civil or military, as well as clothing with insignia, are not allowed. The photograph is printed in black and white in the passport, so the authority recommends black and white prints, although color ones are also accepted.
2. Electronic transmission via a secure provider (Germany). If the applicant commissions a service provider (Dienstleister) to take the photo, the image is transmitted electronically either via a cloud provider or from a certified device directly connected to the passport authority's network. When using a cloud provider, the law (§ 5 PassV) provides for end-to-end encryption; the provider gives the applicant a code, which they present to the passport authority upon application. Processing of personal data is permitted exclusively within the European Union by a provider registered in the EU, and decryption of data on the provider's side is excluded.
3. Transferring the photo from an ID card (Spain). Under Article 4 of Real Decreto 896/2003, obtaining a Spanish passport requires the physical presence of the applicant, payment of a fee, and the submission of one recent color photograph of 32 × 26 millimeters on a plain white background. However, the Spanish regulation contains an exception: if the applicant obtained or renewed their national identity document (DNI) on the same day, submitting a photo for the passport is not required. No such rule was found in open sources for other states — this Spanish exception cannot be generalized to other countries.
4. Prior acquisition of a new ID card (Greece). From August 3, 2026, the Passport Directorate of the Hellenic Police introduced a new rule. To issue a Greek passport, applicants over 12 years of age are required to possess and physically present a new format Greek citizen identity card.

Why applications are rejected: analyzing refusals

The Passport Service of Ireland states: "Low quality photographs are the main reason why we have to reject passport applications." The Irish authority notes that if the witness fails to write the form number on the back of two photos or fails to certify them with a signature and stamp, the applicant will need to submit a new form and new photographs. The official guide states: "If this is not done we will need you to submit a new form and new photos".

The Irish format represents a range from 35 × 45 mm to 38 × 50 mm. The photograph must match the published size range. The Spanish 32 × 26 mm differs from the 35 × 45 mm format. Resaving the same file for both formats alters the head proportion. Because of this, the image might lose the "óvalo de la cara" — the oval of the face required by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, which includes the eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin.

In Germany, the photographer transmits the image electronically via one of the methods specified in § 4 PassV, and when using a cloud provider, the applicant gives the passport authority a code. In Greece, starting August 3, 2026, passport issuance for applicants over 12 requires a new format Greek citizen identity card and its presentation.

The Irish guide explicitly states: "You cannot take a selfie" and "Do not use the zoom function on a digital camera or smartphone". Therefore, selfies and the use of zoom do not comply with the published instructions.