Crop a photo to 35 × 45 mm — Germany driver's license
Upload a photo — the frame is already set for a Germany driver's license. Ready to print or upload.
Document
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Want studio precision?AI correction fixes the light, shadows, clothing and pose — to the document's rules.€5.99
01Requirements
Exact numbers for this document
| Parameter | What it must be |
|---|---|
| Print size | 35 × 45 mm |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
| Aspect ratio | 7:9 |
| Head, share of height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain neutral background with clear contrast to the face. |
| Glasses | Eyes must be fully visible; no tinting or reflections. |
| Head covering | Religious reasons only; must not cover the facial oval. |
What these millimetres work out to
- In a 35 × 45 mm frame a head band of 70–80% is 31.5–36 mm from the chin to the crown.
- Of the 45 mm of height that leaves 9–13.5 mm for the gap above the crown and the space below the chin together.
- At 300 dpi that is a head 372–425 pixels tall — below 372 px the file is too small to print, however good the crop is.
Format35 × 45 mm
Head70–80 %
02Three steps
How to crop it, in three steps
- 01
Upload a photo taken face-on, in even light
- 02
The tool finds the face and aligns the frame itself — check that the head lands in 70–80%
- 03
Save the 35 × 45 mm result — print it or attach it to the application
03What we fix
What we fix for free, and what AI fixes
Fixed for free
- Background. Replaced with the one this document asks for: plain neutral background with clear contrast to the face.
- Head tilt. Straightened if the head leans slightly to one side.
- Frame. Exactly 35 × 45 mm, by the document’s rules.
- A light shadow on one side of the face. Gently brightened.
- File and print sheet. A file to the document’s rules and a 10 × 15 or A4 sheet to print.
What can't be fixed for free, AI correction fixes
- Hard shadows and uneven light on the face.
- A smile, raised brows or a half-open mouth. Cropping keeps the face it was given.
- Too few pixels. If the original is smaller than 413 × 531 px, enlarging it only blurs the face.
- Clothing and pose. Shoulders out of frame, body turned away from the camera.
Glare on the lenses. Take the glasses off or turn away from the light source and shoot again.
04Rejections
Why these photos get rejected — and how to fix each one
ReasonFix
A face that is not 70–80 % of the height, a head tilted, off-centre or not straight, or a photo that is blurred or too dark→Crop so that the face from the chin to the top of the head takes 70–80 % of the height, centred and straight, sharp and well lit.
A background with a pattern, a shadow or no contrast to the face and the hair→A single-colour, shadow-free background that contrasts with the face and the hair (a light colour, ideally neutral grey).
Retouching, a filter or soft focus, too low a resolution, unnatural colours or skin tone→An unretouched, sharp photo in true colours at high resolution.
A smile, open mouth, closed or squinting eyes, hair or frames over the eyes, dark or reflecting lenses, a cap→A neutral expression, gaze straight into the camera, mouth closed, eyes clear, no cap (a head covering only for religious reasons, face visible from chin to forehead).
05Good to know
Germany-specific things to know
- The licence rule gives no size — it points to the Passport Ordinance — so the 35 mm × 45 mm comes from the driver-card rule and the federal portal, and the exchange rules ask for a «current biometric photo».
- Annex 8 states the head only as a percentage — 70–80 % of the height, from the chin to the top of the head — and no millimetres.
- The licensing authority may allow exceptions to the design of the photo, and several offices still insist on a paper photo for the licence even though passports and ID cards now take digital photos.
06Printing
Printing on a single sheet
4 × 2 frames fit on one 10×15 cm sheet — 8 copies from a single print.
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″Photos: 8 (4 × 2)
A4 · 21 × 29.7 cmPhotos: 36 (6 × 6)
07Source
Where these numbers come from
Source: Federal law on driving licences (FeV) and the Passport Ordinance (Anlage 8), Federal Ministry of Transport. Last checked against the official page on 1 Oct 2026.
What the source confirms
- FeV § 21 para. 3: the documents to enclose with the application for a driving licence include an official proof of the place and day of birth, a photo that meets the provisions of the Passport Ordinance, a vision test certificate or medical report depending on the class, and proof of first-aid training; the licensing authority may allow exceptions to the design of the photo prescribed in sentence 1 no. 2.
- Passport Ordinance, Annex 8 (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 260), the photo: it shows the face from the tip of the chin to the top of the head with both halves clearly visible, and the face takes 70–80 % of the height of the photo; the face is evenly lit and does not reflect, red eyes are avoided; the head is centred and straight; the face is sharp and rich in contrast; the background is shadow-free, of one colour and contrasts clearly with the face and the hair; colours and the skin tone are true to life, digital photos are in colour; the expression is neutral, the gaze straight into the camera, the mouth closed; the eyes are clear and not covered.
- Annex 8, head covering and children: head coverings are only permitted for religious reasons, and then the face is visible from the lower edge of the chin to the forehead and no shadows on the face are visible; for children the face takes 50–80 % of the height, smaller deviations are allowed up to the age of 10; for (small) children and babies it is a frontal shot, and up to the age of 6 further exceptions are allowed in the head position, the expression and the visibility of the eyes. The table of examples marks as unsuitable: shadows, too dark, reflection on the face, a head tilted sideways, down or up, off-centre, a pattern or shadow in the background, retouching or filters, soft focus, too low a resolution, laughing or an open mouth, closed or squinting eyes, a grimace, frames covering the eyes, hair covering the eyes, red eyes, too dark or reflecting lenses, a cap, a burka.
- Federal Ministry of Transport, exchange of the driving licence (state of 19 January 2025): the documents to present are proof of identity (identity card, passport or another identity document), 1 photo (a current biometric photo) and the old licence in the original; the new licence is limited to 15 years, a rule that serves above all to update the photo and, where applicable, the name. The fee is 25.50 euros plus 1.00 euro and, if wanted, 6.50 euros for direct delivery by the Bundesdruckerei.
- FPersV § 5 (driver card, a different document): a photo against a light background, 35 mm × 45 mm, showing the applicant without headgear in a frontal shot; Annex 8 of the Passport Ordinance applies accordingly. KBA FAQ (English): a current colour passport photo (35 to 45 mm), the face looking straight into the camera and centred, the background a light colour, ideally neutral grey, to contrast with the face, hair and clothing. An earlier check of the pages of three licensing authorities recorded (not re-read today): a paper photo is still required for the licence (Uckermark), the applicant supplies the photo and none is printed on site (Berlin), and digital photos from external providers via cloud or QR code may not be used for the licence (Kreis Euskirchen).
FeV § 21 — Antrag auf Erteilung einer Fahrerlaubnis (gesetze-im-internet.de) ↗
08Questions
Questions people ask before cropping
What size must a driver's license photo be in Germany?
35 × 45 mm. 70–80% of photo height.
How many pixels is 35 × 45 mm when printed?
413 × 531 px (300 dpi) · 827 × 1063 px (600 dpi).
How much of the frame should the head take?
70–80% of photo height.
What background does this document need?
Plain neutral background with clear contrast to the face.
What can’t be fixed here for free?
Hard shadows and uneven light on the face. A smile, raised brows or a half-open mouth. Cropping keeps the face it was given. Clothing and pose. Shoulders out of frame, body turned away from the camera. AI fixes this from the same photo — you see the result before paying.
How many photos fit on one 10×15 cm sheet?
4 × 2 frames fit on one 10×15 cm sheet — 8 copies from a single print.