Why the passport photo matters in Germany
The German passport (Reisepass) is the travel document for German citizens. It proves your identity and German nationality when you cross a border, and it is recognised worldwide. The Reisepass has a biometric chip that stores your personal data, your passport photo and your fingerprints. The photo is not just a picture on the data page: it is also stored in the chip and used to verify your identity. That is why the German authorities set strict rules for the photo size, the position of the head and the background. A passport photo that does not follow them can be refused at the counter of the Bürgeramt, and you lose time before your trip.
Passport photo size in Germany explained
The photo for a German passport is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, or 3.5×4.5 cm in portrait format. The photo guidelines published by the German Embassy in London show how the face should fill the frame. In our template the head is about 34.5 mm from the chin to the crown, and there is about 3 mm of space between the top of the head and the top edge of the photo. The face is centred in the frame.
The outer size of the photo is only half of the check. If the head is too small or too large inside the 35×45 mm frame, the photo fails the biometric check even when the print itself has the right size. A phone photo that is cropped by hand often ends up with a head that is too small, because people leave too much space around the face. Our online tool measures the face and sets the crop for you, so the head size and the photo size both match the German template.
Background and light
The German photo rules ask for a plain, evenly lit background. Our template uses a light grey background, which keeps a clear contrast with both light and dark hair. The background must have no shadows, patterns or objects, and there should be no shadow of your head on the wall behind you. Light should fall evenly on the whole face, with no bright spots on the forehead and no dark side of the face. Daylight from a window in front of you gives the most even result for a passport photo taken at home, and the AI replaces whatever wall is behind you with a clean background.
Face, pose and expression
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 and clearly visible. Hair must not cover the eyes. Headwear is only accepted for religious reasons, and the face must stay fully visible from the chin to the forehead. The sample photos from the German missions show good and bad examples side by side: tilted heads, shadows, reflections in glasses, closed eyes and wrong crops are the classic reasons for a refused passport photo in Germany.
Glasses, children and babies
If you wear glasses, the eyes must be clearly visible with no reflections on the lenses and no frame across the eyes; tinted lenses are not accepted. The simplest way to avoid a problem is to take your glasses off for the passport photo. Children need their own passport photo in the same 35×45 mm size and with the same background. For babies and small children the German rules on expression are more relaxed, but the face must still look at the camera, and no other person, hand or toy may be visible in the photo. A baby can lie on a plain light sheet so that the background stays even.
Printed photo or digital photo for online submission
A German passport photo comes in two forms. A printed photo is cut to 35×45 mm and handed in with your application. A print at 600 DPI keeps the fine detail of the face that the biometric check needs, so print on photo paper rather than plain office paper. A digital photo file is used when the office or the German mission accepts online submission of the photo. Our tool gives you both: a digital photo in the correct size and a print sheet you can take to any photo shop. Rules on which form is accepted can differ between offices in Germany and German missions abroad, so ask your office which one it needs before you apply.
Taking a passport photo at home, step by step
You do not need a studio to get a good passport photo. Stand about half a metre in front of a plain wall, facing a window, and ask someone to hold the phone at the height of your eyes. If you are alone, prop the phone on a shelf and use the timer. Take several shots and pick the sharpest one. Upload it to our online passport photo maker: the AI finds your face, crops the photo to the German size, replaces the wall with a light grey background and runs the online check. If the check finds a problem, such as closed eyes or a tilted head, you see it before you download, so you can take a new passport photo right away instead of finding out at the office in Germany.
Printing your passport photo
For a printed passport photo, download the print sheet from our online tool. It places several 35×45 mm photos on a standard photo paper size, with thin cut lines, at 600 DPI. Order a print at any photo shop or online print service, and do not let the shop scale the image: a print sheet that is resized to fit the paper changes the passport photo size and the head size. Cut each passport photo exactly along the lines, and keep a spare one in case the German office asks for a second photo or you need one for another document later.
Using a digital passport photo online
Where the passport office or the German mission accepts online submission, upload the digital passport photo file instead of a print. Keep the original file from our tool: do not edit it again, compress it in a chat app or add a filter, because every change can lower the image quality. Check the file size and format that the online form asks for before you upload, and keep a copy of the passport photo on your phone in case the office in Germany asks for it again.
Why German offices refuse passport photos
Most refused passport photos fail for simple reasons: the head is too small in the frame, the background has a shadow, the face is not lit evenly, or the person smiles with an open mouth. Another common reason is a photo that is too old to show your current face. German officials compare the passport photo with you at the counter, so a recent photo matters as much as the right size. Our online check looks at the same points before you print, which saves a second trip to the office.
Before your appointment
A few minutes of checking at home can save you a second visit. Hold the printed passport photo next to a ruler: it should measure exactly 35 by 45 mm, with the head filling most of the height. Look at it in daylight and make sure the colours look natural, the skin is not too dark or too pale, and there are no marks, folds or fingerprints on the print. Put the photos in an envelope so that they do not bend or scratch on the way, and bring the passport photo with all other documents in one folder, so nothing is missing when the staff at the counter check your application.
How to apply for a passport in Germany
Only German citizens can apply for a German passport. In Germany you apply in person at your local citizens' office (Bürgeramt or Passbehörde); you can often book the appointment online on the website of your German municipality. Abroad you apply at the German embassy or consulate that covers your place of residence. Bring:
- The completed application form, available online or at the office.
- A recent biometric passport photo in the 35×45 mm size.
- Proof of identity, such as your German national ID card or previous passport.
- Proof of German citizenship, such as a birth or naturalisation certificate, if needed.
- Documents for a change of name, such as a marriage certificate, if this applies.
At the appointment you hand in the passport photo and give your fingerprints. The fee depends on your age and on whether you choose express processing, and processing takes several weeks, so apply early if you have a trip planned. You collect the new document in person and show your identification document. The Federal Government FAQ on applying and the German Federal Foreign Office explain the current process and fees.
Renewal and lost passports
Adult passports are usually valid for 10 years, and those for minors for a shorter period. You can renew your passport before it expires; the process is similar to the first application, and every renewal needs a new, recent passport photo. Do not reuse the photo from your previous German passport: the application asks for a recent photo that shows how you look today. If your passport is lost or stolen, report it to the local authorities straight away and apply for a replacement with a new passport photo. Before you travel, also check the entry and visa rules of the country you are going to.
About the German passport itself
The German Reisepass is a booklet of 125×88 mm with 32 pages, and booklets with more pages are available for people who need room for many visa stamps. Its data page is made of durable polycarbonate, which makes the document last longer and much harder to forge. Your photo is printed on this page and also stored in the chip together with your fingerprints. Because the chip copy is used to verify your identity, every detail of the original photo counts: sharp focus, even light and a neutral face give the German document a clear image.
Applying from outside Germany
German citizens who live abroad do not travel to Germany to renew their documents. They book an appointment at the German embassy or a German consulate and apply there, with the same documents and the same photo rules as at home. Check the website of your German mission for its checklist, and compare your picture with the German sample photo sheet. Many photo studios outside Germany are used to 2×2 inch US prints or other local formats, so a photo made abroad is a common reason for a refused application. Making the photo with a template set to the German size avoids this. Allow extra time when you apply abroad, because processing takes several weeks.
A tip for families
When the whole family renews at the same German office, take all the photos in one session at home, with the same window light and the same wall. Children and babies often need several tries, so start with them while they are rested. Check every photo with our online tool before you print, and bring one spare print per person to the appointment.
Other photos for German documents
The same biometric format is used for the German ID card photo, so one photo session can cover both documents. Non-citizens need a Germany visa photo or a German residence permit photo; each has its own page with its own rules. Athletes who need a player passport for club registration or a transfer in Germany can make a player passport photo as well.
Passport photo checklist
- Photo size 35×45 mm, portrait format.
- Head about 34.5 mm from chin to crown, about 3 mm below the top edge.
- Plain light grey background with no shadows.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and visible.
- Head straight, facing the camera, face centred.
- No reflections in glasses, no hair over the eyes, no headwear unless religious.
- Sharp colour photo, printed at 600 DPI or saved as a digital photo file.
