Get a Sweden ID card photo in the correct 35×45 mm size in seconds. Take a selfie at home, and our online photo maker crops it, sets a white background and checks the photo against the Swedish photo rules.
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The photo for the Swedish identity card is a passport-style colour photo. Our online check validates your photo against each size and quality parameter below.
The Sweden ID card, known in Swedish as "ID-kort", is an official identity document issued by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). Citizens and residents of Sweden use it to prove who they are when they open a bank account, travel within the EU or access government services. It is especially useful for people who do not have a passport or another form of identification. The card itself is the standard credit card size, 85.60 × 53.98 mm, and carries holograms, microprinting and a machine-readable zone. Your face on that small plastic card comes from the photo, so the photo has to be sharp, centred and the right size.
The photo is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high (3.5 × 4.5 cm), the same passport-style photo size used across Europe. The head takes up about 77% of the photo height, measured from the chin to the top of the head, with roughly 3 mm of space between the crown and the top edge. A print at 600 DPI keeps the photo sharp at this size. If the head is too small, too large or off-centre, the photo does not match the size rules, even when everything else is right. Our online tool places your head inside these limits automatically, so you do not have to measure anything by hand.
To apply you must be a citizen of Sweden or a resident in Sweden. Applicants are normally at least 13 years old; children under 13 can also have the card, but a guardian must come with them to the application. The identity card is typically valid for 5 years for adults and 3 years for children under 18, so you will need a new photo each time you renew. Children's faces change quickly, which is one more reason to bring a recent photo rather than an old one.
The application is made in person at a local Skatteverket office. You book the appointment online through the Skatteverket website. Bring:
At the appointment you hand in the form and documents, give your signature and, if applicable, biometric data. If you have not brought a photo, your photograph is taken at the office.
There is a fee for the card, and it depends on the age of the applicant: approximately SEK 400 for adults (18 and older) and approximately SEK 200 for children under 18. You can usually pay by card at the Tax Agency office. Processing generally takes about 2–4 weeks, and once your application is approved the card is sent by mail to the address in your application, so check that the address in the application is correct and up to date before you hand it in.
Our 35×45 mm photo is printable and also suitable for online submission. If you bring a paper photo to the office, print the photo file at 600 DPI on photo paper and cut it exactly to the 35×45 mm size along the guides. A home printer works if it prints sharp colour photos; a photo shop or a pharmacy kiosk gives the most even result. Do not scale the photo in the print dialog: choose actual size, or the printed photo will come out smaller or larger than the required size. If you need a digital photo file instead, download it straight from our online tool without printing.
Before you leave for Skatteverket, look at the photo once more. Your face should be in sharp focus, both eyes open and clearly visible, and the colours natural. The background must be plain white with no shadow behind your head or ears. Your hair should not cover your eyes, and the top of your head should sit about 3 mm below the top edge of the photo. A photo that looks fine on a phone screen can still be too dark or soft once printed, so compare the print with the digital photo. Our AI check flags these photo problems in seconds, so you can retake the photo at home instead of at the office.
In Sweden the identity card is a document you use often: Swedish banks ask for it when you open an account, government services in Sweden use it to confirm who you are, and it lets citizens and residents of Sweden travel within the EU. Every time, someone compares your face with the photo on the card. A clear, well-lit photo with a neutral face makes that check quick, while a dark or blurry photo can cause doubts for the next five years. That is why it pays to prepare the photo carefully instead of using an old holiday snapshot or a cropped group photo.
If you are new to Sweden, the photo may seem like a small detail, but getting it right is simple: a plain white background, the head straight, both eyes open and the face filling about 77% of the photo height. Take a few photos in a row, pick the sharpest photo, and let our online tool crop it to the exact 35×45 mm size.
A Swedish ID card can be renewed online or in person at the Tax Agency office. Renew it before it expires so you are never left without identification, and prepare a new photo in the right size for the renewal. If your card is lost or stolen, report it to the Tax Agency right away and apply for a replacement; the replacement card needs a photo that meets the same requirements.
The Swedish identity card is accepted as identification for travel within the European Union, which makes it a convenient alternative to a passport for many trips. Both documents use a 35×45 mm photo, but they are separate applications. If you also need a passport, see our Sweden passport photo page; visitors who need a visa can use the Sweden visa photo page.
Hold the phone at arm's length, camera at eye level. Our online tool crops the photo to the right size and straightens it.
Look into the lens with a neutral face and your mouth closed. Take off your glasses before you take the photo.
Face a window for even daylight and avoid direct sunlight, which leaves hard shadows in the photo. The AI replaces the background with plain white.
Make your Sweden ID card photo online
A 35×45 mm photo in the right size, checked in seconds.
Our online AI check catches these mistakes before you download your photo.
Approved
Don't smile
Mouth open
Approved
No fashion headwear
Head tilted
Shadow behind head
Large earrings
Approved
Use your phone camera or a photo you already have. Everything runs online in your browser.
The tool crops the photo to the 35×45 mm size, sets a white background and checks every requirement.
Download the digital photo, or print it at 600 DPI and bring it to your Skatteverket appointment.
Get a photo that passes the check
Photo size, crop and white background in one online step.
Free
$5.99
The photo is 35×45 mm (3.5×4.5 cm), with the head about 77% of the photo height and about 3 mm between the top of the head and the top edge. The background is plain white without shadows, and our online photo maker sets it automatically.
The Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). You book an appointment online and apply in person at a local office.
Yes, if the photo meets the requirements. Use daylight, keep a neutral face, and let the online tool fix the photo size and crop.
According to the Tax Agency information, approximately SEK 400 for adults and approximately SEK 200 for children under 18.
Processing generally takes about 2–4 weeks, and the card is sent by mail to the address in your application.
Both use the 35×45 mm photo size, but each application needs a recent photo that meets its own rules.
Yes. The card is for citizens of Sweden and for residents in Sweden. Bring a valid identity document, proof of residence if it applies, and a recent photo that meets the Swedish photo requirements.
Yes. The digital photo and the online check are free; only the optional retouch costs $5.99.
