Crop a photo to 40 × 50 mm — Estonia ID card

Exact numbers for this document

What this document is

The Estonian ID card is issued by the Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet, PPA), and the quickest route is the self-service at etaotlus.politsei.ee. PPA service offices have a photo booth: the picture is free and can be used for a self-service application for 183 days. The card is compulsory for citizens living in Estonia, fingerprints are taken from the age of 12, and it is valid for up to 5 years.

How to crop it, in three steps

1. 01

   Upload a photo taken face-on, in even light

2. 02

   The tool finds the face and aligns the frame itself — check that the head lands in 70–80%

3. 03

   Save the 40 × 50 mm result — print it or attach it to the application

Do not confuse it with another Estonia document

Estonia does not use one frame for everything. This page is about ID card — 40 × 50 mm. The documents below are cut to a different size, so a file prepared here will not fit them.

• national visa (Type D) 35 × 45 mm
• Schengen visa 35 × 45 mm

What we fix for free, and what AI fixes

Glare on the lenses. Take the glasses off or turn away from the light source and shoot again.

Why these photos get rejected — and how to fix each one

Estonia-specific things to know

• Estonia lets you have the photograph taken for free in the booth of any PPA service office — digital, valid 183 days, usable in the self-service portal — so most applicants need no print at all.
• The PPA page gives the file in pixels (at least 1,300 × 1,600, 1–5 MB) and the Ministry's requirements the print in millimetres (40 × 50 mm).
• A religious head cover needs a written assessment from the Ministry of the Interior, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' requirements.

Printing on a single sheet

Where these numbers come from

Source: Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia (PPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (State Protocol Department). Last checked against the official page on 1 Oct 2026.

What the source confirms

• Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia, «Requirement and instructions for the document photo», an adult: «We recommend taking the photo in a photo booth of a service office of the Police and Border Guard Board or at a photographer's studio. A photograph taken at the photo booth can be used in the self-service portal within 183 days. The photograph taken by yourself shall not be older than six months. You can also upload a photo taken by yourself to the self-service portal, but the instructions for taking a document photograph should be followed carefully when taking the photo. Submitting a non-compliant photograph will extend the time of receipt of the document.»
• Same page, the instructions for an adult: the photograph must be a colour photograph and unedited; the file size between 1 MB and 5 MB; the dimensions at least 1,300 × 1,600 pixels; a scanned photograph, or a screenshot of a computer or mobile phone screen, is not allowed; the background light and of a single colour, without extraneous objects (including patterns); no headwear or headphones; use the help of a family member, friend or acquaintance and, with a mobile phone, the rear camera, because the front camera distorts the shape of the face; look straight into the camera with the eyes level (the head not tilted); the face in the centre of the photograph; the eyes visible from behind the spectacle frames and the glasses not reflecting light.
• Same page, a young child (0–7 years): a digital document photograph taken at a photographer's studio is advised, because in the booth the child might not face the camera for the necessary time (an official can assist); colour and unedited, a light single-colour background, no scan or screenshot, the child looks straight into the camera and the mouth is closed, big hair adornments and extraneous objects such as toys are avoided.
• Same page, the photo booth: a document photo can be taken for free in the photo booth in all service offices, even without an application there; depending on the application, fingerprints and a signature sample can also be given in the booth; the photograph is digital and can be used within 183 days for applications at any service office or in the self-service portal (except a weapons permit); for an application by email the person says that the photo was taken in the booth.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, «Photo requirements 2024» (PDF of the State Protocol Department; «Regulation of the Ministry of the Interior (RT I, 08.12.2015, 4)»): a colour and unedited photograph; «Size 40x50 mm»; taken during the last six months; clear, sharp and in focus; a close-up of the head and top of the shoulders so that the face takes up 70–80 % of the photo; a background of a light, single colour without extraneous objects and patterns; natural colours, not over- or underexposed; a scanned photograph or a screenshot is not allowed; a neutral facial expression (no smiling, mouth closed) looking straight at the camera; no headwear or headphones — an applicant who wears a head cover for religious reasons submits a written assessment from the Estonian Ministry of the Interior; spectacles without toned or reflecting glass and with frames that do not cover the eyes; a digital photograph of at least 1300 x 1600 pixels and 500 KB.

Photo requirements 2024 PDF ↗

Questions people ask before cropping

Next steps

Other Estonia documents