What the Dutch identity card is for
The Nederlandse identiteitskaart is an official identity document issued by the government of the Netherlands. You can use it to prove who you are at a bank, at work or when someone checks your age, and you can travel with it within the European Union and the Schengen Area instead of a passport. The card holds your name, date of birth, gender and your photo, and a chip inside stores biometric data: a digital photo and fingerprints. Because the photo is printed on the card and saved on the chip, it has to meet the official Dutch photo rules, the same rules that apply to the Netherlands passport.
Photo size explained
The photo for the identity card is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, or 3.5 × 4.5 cm. This is the standard pasfoto size in the Netherlands. In our template the head takes about 29 mm from the chin to the top of the head, and there is about 6.5 mm of space between the top edge of the photo and the hair. These proportions keep your face large and centred, so the photo is easy to compare with your face at a border or a counter. A print at 600 DPI keeps the photo sharp at this small size, so details like the eyes and the outline of the face stay clear.
The card itself measures 85.6 × 54 mm, the standard size for identity cards. Your photo is printed on the card and also stored on its chip, which is one more reason the original photo must be sharp, evenly lit and correctly cropped.
Background and light
Our Dutch photo template uses a plain light grey background. The background must be even, without shadows, patterns or objects behind you. A white wall at home often looks grey or blue in a phone photo because of uneven light, and shadows behind the head are one of the most common reasons a photo is refused. Our online tool removes the original background and replaces it with a clean, even tone, so you can take the photo anywhere in your home.
Light matters as much as the background. The best light is soft daylight from the front, for example from a large window on a cloudy day. Strong sun from one side makes one half of the face bright and the other half dark, and a flash can leave red eyes or a shiny forehead. If your room is dark, turn on two lamps on either side of the camera at the same height, so the light on both sides of your face is equal.
Face, pose and expression
The official Dutch requirements for passport and identity card photos describe how your face should look. In practice this means:
- Look straight into the camera with your head upright, not tilted or turned.
- Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed and both eyes open.
- Your whole face is visible, from the chin to the top of the head; hair does not cover the eyes.
- No glare on glasses or skin, and no shadows on the face.
- The photo is in colour and shows your natural skin tone, with no filters or beauty effects.
Our AI checks each of these points when you upload a photo and tells you what to fix before you download it. Babies and very young children cannot always keep a neutral expression or look straight at the camera, so take a few photos and pick the clearest one.
How to apply for a Dutch identity card
You apply in person at your municipality (gemeente). The Government of the Netherlands explains the process, and you can find your municipality online. The usual steps are:
- Make an appointment online on your municipality's website or by phone.
- Prepare your documents: your current identity document, a recent photo that meets the official requirements, and proof of residency if you are a resident but not a citizen.
- Visit the municipality: hand in the application and documents, give your fingerprints and pay the fee.
- Wait for processing: this usually takes about 5 to 10 working days, and you are told when the card is ready.
- Collect the card in person at the municipality.
What happens at the appointment
At the municipality desk, an employee checks your application, your current identity document and the photo you bring. The photo is compared with your face, so it should be recent and look like you. You then give your fingerprints, which are stored on the chip of the card together with the digital photo, and you pay the fee. Bring your photo in a clean envelope and arrive a few minutes early, so there is time to fix small problems. When the employee has accepted the application, the card is made, and you receive a message when it is ready to collect.
Travelling with the identity card
Inside the European Union and the Schengen Area, the Dutch identity card can replace a passport, which makes it a practical document for short trips by car, train or plane. For travel outside this area you usually need a passport. Whatever trip you plan, check the expiry date on your card well before you leave, so you have time to book an appointment, prepare a new photo and wait for the new card if you need one.
Who can get the card
Dutch citizens and legal residents of the Netherlands can apply. Applicants from 14 years old apply themselves; for a child under 14, a parent or guardian applies on the child's behalf. A child's photo follows the same size and background rules as an adult's, so you can make a photo of your child with the same online tool.
Validity, renewal and costs
The card is valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors. To renew it, you follow the same steps as for a new card, including a new photo. Fees vary by municipality and by age, so check the cost on your municipality's website before your appointment. If your card is lost or stolen, report it to the police and your municipality straight away to prevent identity theft.
Printed photo or digital photo
The Dutch photo format we make works both as a print and as a digital file. Download the photo, then print it at 600 DPI on photo paper and cut it to 35 × 45 mm, or keep the digital photo if you need to send it online. Before your appointment, check that the print is sharp, in colour and the right size, with nothing written on the front or back that could damage it.
Taking the photo at home, step by step
You do not need a studio for a good Dutch photo. A phone camera, a window and a few minutes are enough. Follow these steps for a photo that passes the check the first time:
- Stand or sit about one arm's length from the camera, or ask a friend to take the photo from one to two metres away.
- Face a window so daylight falls evenly on your face. Turn off ceiling lights that throw shadows from above.
- Hold the camera at eye level, not above or below your face, so the photo shows your head straight on.
- Tie back long hair or push it behind your shoulders, so your face and the outline of your head are visible in the photo.
- Take several photos and upload the sharpest one. Our online tool crops it to the 35×45 mm size and sets the background.
Photos of babies and young children
A child's photo follows the same Dutch size and background rules as an adult's. A photo of a baby is easier when the child lies on a plain sheet and you take the photo from above, or when a parent holds the child with hands out of the frame. Take many photos in a row and choose one where the eyes are open and the face is turned towards the camera. Our online tool crops the photo of your child to the same 35×45 mm size and replaces the sheet with an even background, so hands and toys behind the child disappear from the photo.
Why photos get refused
Most refused photos fail for simple reasons that are easy to fix at home. The head is too small because the photo was taken from too far away. The photo is dark or blurry because it was taken in the evening without daylight. There is a shadow behind the head because a lamp was on one side. The person smiles, tilts the head or looks away from the camera. Or the photo was printed at the wrong size, so the face does not fill the frame in the right way. Our online photo check looks for each of these problems and shows you what to change before you download the final photo. If a photo still does not pass, you can take a new photo straight away and upload it again online.
Using the photo online
Besides the print, the photo we make is suitable for online submission: you get a digital photo file with the correct size and proportions, so you can send it online or keep it on your phone. When a website asks for a photo in a specific pixel size or file size, follow the instructions on that website, and keep the face, background and crop the same as in the printed photo.
Printing the photo
To print the photo, download the print sheet and print it at 600 DPI on glossy or matte photo paper. Do not scale the image in the print settings: choose the option that keeps the actual size, so each photo comes out at exactly 35×45 mm. Cut along the edges with scissors or a paper cutter. Check the printed photo with a ruler: the photo should be 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, and the head about 29 mm from the chin to the crown. A home printer, a photo kiosk or a print shop can all print the photo at the right size.
One photo for several Dutch documents
Because the Netherlands uses one pasfoto standard, the same Dutch ID photo usually works for the identity card and the passport. Keep the digital photo file, so you can print a second copy for the other application, or more photos later, in the same size without taking a new photo.
What to wear for the photo
Choose plain clothes in a colour that stands out from a light background, for example a dark or mid-tone top. A white or pale grey shirt can blend into the background of the photo, so the outline of your shoulders disappears. Avoid busy patterns, large logos and anything that covers your neck or chin. Keep jewellery small, so nothing reflects the light or hides part of your face. If you wear make-up, keep it natural: the photo should look like you on an ordinary day, because the officer at the counter or the border compares the photo with your face.
Check your photo before the appointment
Before you go to the municipality, take a minute to look at your photo with fresh eyes. Compare it with this short list:
- The photo is recent and looks like you today.
- The face is sharp, with clear eyes and no motion blur.
- The skin tone looks natural, not too yellow, blue or pale.
- There are no shadows on the face or behind the head.
- The head is centred, with the chin and the top of the hair inside the photo.
- The print is clean, flat and not bent, scratched or stained.
If one of these points is not right, take a new photo. A new photo at home costs only a few minutes, while a refused photo can mean a second trip to the municipality.
Keeping your photos safe
Store printed photos in an envelope until your appointment, so they stay flat and clean. Do not write on the back of the photo with a pen that can press through the paper, and do not use paper clips or staples on the photo. Keep the digital photo file in a safe place on your phone or computer: if you lose a print or need a photo for another Dutch application, you can print a new copy in the same size.
Other Dutch documents
The same pasfoto standard is used for the Netherlands passport photo. If you also need a Dutch driving licence photo or a Netherlands visa photo, open their pages to see the size and background each one uses.
