The photo on the card
A Russian driving license (водительское удостоверение) gives you legal permission to drive the vehicle categories shown on the card, and it also works as a form of identification. The card is plastic and carries your name, date of birth, the categories you may drive, holograms and other security features, and a photograph of the holder. When you apply through the Gosuslugi portal, the government services website, you upload that photograph as a digital file together with your other documents. It is worth getting the photo right before you submit the application, because a photo with the wrong size, background or file weight means taking and uploading a new one.
Photo size in pixels explained
This photo is digital only. The file is 245 pixels wide and 350 pixels tall, a portrait frame a little taller than it is wide. Inside the frame, the head takes about 235 pixels from the chin to the top of the head, and there is a gap of about 13 pixels between the top of the hair and the top edge of the photo. That means the face fills most of the image: a photo where you stand far from the camera, or where your shoulders and chest take up the frame, will not match this size. The background is plain light grey, and the finished file must stay under 27 KB, which is far smaller than a photo straight from a phone camera.
Why the 27 KB limit matters
A modern phone takes photos of several megabytes. To reach 27 KB, the image has to be cropped to 245×350 pixels and saved with careful compression, so the face stays sharp and the file stays small. If you shrink a photo with a random editor, you can end up with a blurry face, visible blocks around the hair or a file that is still too large for the form. Our online tool does the crop, the resize and the compression in one step, then shows how many kilobytes the final photo file takes before you download the photo.
Taking the photo at home
You do not need a studio for this photo. Stand about an arm's length from a plain wall, face a window so daylight falls evenly on your face, and ask someone to take the photo at eye level, or take a selfie with the phone held straight in front of you. Take several photos in a row and pick the one where your eyes are open, your face is relaxed and your head is straight. The wall does not have to be grey: the AI cuts you out of the photo and places you on the plain light grey background, so a white or beige wall at home works too. What the AI cannot fix is a blurry photo or a face in deep shadow, so a sharp photo in good light is the best starting point.
Checking the photo before you upload it
Before you attach the photo to the form, open the downloaded file and look at it at full size. The face should be in focus, with no shadows across it and no bright spots on the forehead or cheeks. Both eyes should be open and clearly visible, and the head should sit in the centre of the photo with only a small gap above the hair. Our photo check marks each of these points for you, but a quick look at the final photo is still a good habit. If something looks wrong, take a new photo instead of editing the old one: a fresh photo in better light almost always gives a cleaner result than heavy retouching.
How to apply for a Russian driving license on Gosuslugi
- Register on the Gosuslugi website and verify your identity.
- Prepare a valid passport, a medical certificate confirming you are fit to drive and, if applicable, your driving school documents.
- Complete training at a certified driving school, then pass the theory exam on traffic rules and the practical driving test.
- Log in, open the section for a driving license, fill in the form, upload your documents and the photo, and pay the fees online.
- After approval, collect the card; you may need to visit a local traffic police office (GIBDD) in person.
Who can apply
Applicants for a standard Russian driving license must be at least 18 years old, be residents of the country, hold a valid passport or other identity document and have a medical certificate. The theory exam and the practical test are both mandatory. The photo is only one part of the file, but it is the part people most often have to redo, because a phone photo rarely has the right dimensions, background and weight out of the box.
Categories on the card
A Russian driving license shows which vehicles you may drive: category A for motorcycles, B for cars, C for trucks, D for buses and E for trailers. The photo is the same for every category, so one photo file covers the whole application.
Renewing or replacing a driving license
Russian driving license cards are typically valid for 10 years. Renewal or replacement can also be done through Gosuslugi, and each new card needs a fresh photo in the same 245×350 pixel format, so you can reuse this tool whenever your card expires or gets lost. If you plan to drive abroad, consider an International Driving Permit as well; it is recognised in many countries.
Photo checklist before you upload
- Exact size: 245×350 pixels, portrait orientation.
- Head about 235 pixels tall, with a small gap above the hair.
- Plain light grey background with no shadows or patterns.
- File size under 27 KB.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight at the camera.
- Sharp colour photo with no filters or retouching apps.
Photos for other documents
Each document has its own photo format. If you also need a photo for the internal passport, the international passport or a visa, open the matching page: the size, background and file rules differ from the photo for the Gosuslugi form.
