What the Swiss passport is for
The Swiss passport is the official travel document that the country issues to its citizens. It proves your identity and nationality, lets you travel abroad and return home, and gives you access to consular services while you are away, such as help in an emergency, legal support and protection of your rights. Inside it you find your name, date of birth and your photo. The passport is a biometric document that complies with the ICAO standard: a chip stores your personal data and the photograph, and the booklet carries watermarks, microprinting, UV features, holograms and colour-shifting inks. Because the passport photo becomes part of that biometric record, it has to follow the photo rules closely.
Swiss passport photo size explained
The Swiss passport photo is 35 mm wide and 45 mm high, the same as 3.5×4.5 cm. The authorities publish a photo sample board with examples of accepted and rejected photos. In our template the head takes about 34.5 mm of the frame from the chin to the top of the hair, and there is about 3 mm between the top of the hair and the top edge of the photo. Printed at 600 DPI, the 35×45 mm photo stays sharp, and the face is large enough for the biometric check. A photo with the head too small or too large, or with no space above the hair, does not match this size template. Do not confuse the photo size with the size of the passport booklet itself, which measures 125×88 mm.
Background and lighting for a passport photo
The background of a passport photo is plain and light. Our passport photo maker uses a light grey background, so the face stands out and the edge of your hair stays clear. A white wall at home often turns grey or uneven on a phone photo, with shadows behind the head; the AI replaces it with an even background. Light your face from the front so both sides look the same, with no shadow under the nose or on the neck. Avoid strong side light, flash glare on the skin and reflections.
Face, pose and expression
The ICAO standard that the passport follows asks for a neutral face. Look straight into the camera with your mouth closed and both eyes open, keep your head straight and centred, and make sure your whole face from the chin to the top of the hair fits inside the frame. Hair should not cover the eyes. It is best to take off glasses to avoid glare and dark frames over the eyes. Our tool checks a child's passport photo the same way as an adult's.
How to apply for a Swiss passport
Passport information is published by the Federal Office of Police (fedpol). To apply you must be a citizen; applicants under 18 apply with parental consent. In short:
- Get the application form from the official government website or from your local consulate or embassy, and fill it in completely and accurately.
- Prepare a valid identity card or previous passport, a recent passport photo that meets the official requirements, proof of residence if it applies to you, and any documents for special cases, such as a name change.
- Schedule an appointment at your local passport office or at a consulate or embassy. This can often be done online.
- At the appointment, submit the form and documents and give your biometric data: fingerprints and a photograph.
- Pay the passport fee, which depends on the type of passport and its validity. Payment can usually be made by credit card or in cash.
- Wait for processing, which typically takes about 2 to 4 weeks. You can check the status online or with the passport office, and you collect the passport in person when you are notified.
Applying from abroad
Citizens who live abroad apply through an embassy or consulate. Use the consulate locator to find the embassy or consulate that serves your area, then book your appointment, often online. Bring the same documents as at home, including a passport photo in the 35×45 mm size, and keep the receipts and documents you receive, because you need them when you collect the passport.
Printed or digital passport photo
The passport photo can be used both as a print and as a digital file. If you bring a printed passport photo, print it at 600 DPI and cut it to exactly 35×45 mm with no white border. If you need a digital photo, download the same photo file. Our online tool gives you both formats from one picture, so you can bring the print to the passport office or consulate and keep the digital passport photo for an online step.
Using your passport photo online
Many steps around a passport now happen online: the application form, the appointment booking and, in some cases, the photo itself. When a passport photo is uploaded online, the file must still show the correct size and crop, a plain background and a sharp face. A scan of an old print, a screenshot or a heavily compressed image usually loses detail and may be rejected. Our online tool makes the digital passport photo from the original camera picture, so the file you download keeps its full quality, and the same picture can be printed later if you need paper photos.
Passport photo size in pixels
The passport photo size is fixed in millimetres, 35×45 mm, but a digital photo is measured in pixels. At 600 DPI, the resolution of our template, a 35×45 mm passport photo is about 827×1063 pixels. A photo file of that size prints sharp at the correct size and still has enough detail for an online upload. If you resize a passport photo yourself, keep the 35:45 proportion, because a stretched or squeezed face no longer matches the size template and the head height changes with it.
Taking a passport photo with a phone, step by step
- Stand about one arm's length from a plain wall, facing a window, with daylight on your face.
- Ask someone to take the passport photo, or use a timer; hold the camera at eye level, not from below.
- Keep the face neutral, the mouth closed and both eyes open, and look straight into the lens.
- Take several photos, then upload the best one to our online passport photo maker.
- Check the result: the tool shows the crop, the passport photo size and any rule the photo does not meet.
Checking the passport photo size before you print
Before you print, open the print sheet and make sure the printer is set to 100% or "actual size", not "fit to page". Scaling the page is the most common reason a printed passport photo ends up a few millimetres too small or too large. After printing, measure one passport photo with a ruler: 35 mm across and 45 mm from top to bottom. If the size is off, fix the printer setting and print again rather than trimming the photo, because trimming moves the head away from the right position in the frame.
Keeping a copy of your photo file
When a form asks for a passport photo, upload the downloaded file instead of scanning a print. Save a copy of the digital passport photo after you download it, so you can use it again if another online service asks for a passport photo. With the file kept, so you can print more passport photos later without taking a new photo, as long as it still looks like you.
Passport photo at home or in a photo booth
You can get passport photos from a photo booth, a photo studio or at home with a phone. A booth or studio is quick, but you pay for each set of photos, and if one photo fails a rule you start again. At home you can take as many pictures as you like, pick the best one and check it online before you print. The key points are the same everywhere: even light from the front, a neutral face, the head straight and the correct passport photo size. Our maker handles the crop, the background and the size, so all you need is a clear photo of your face.
How the AI checks your passport photo
When you upload a photo, the AI finds your face and measures the head height and position in the frame. It crops the passport photo to 35×45 mm, places the top of the hair about 3 mm below the top edge, and replaces the background with an even light grey. Then it checks the photo for a neutral expression, open eyes, glasses, shadows on the face and sharpness. If something fails, you see which rule the photo does not meet, so you can take a new photo before you print it or use it online.
Passport photos for babies and children
Children under 18 get their own passport, valid for 5 years, so even a baby needs a separate passport photo. Our template uses the same 35×45 mm size, plain light background, open eyes and neutral face as for an adult. With a baby, lay a plain light sheet on the bed, put the baby on its back and take the passport photo from above in daylight, so no hands or toys appear in the frame. Take several pictures and choose the one where the baby looks straight at the camera. Older children can sit on a chair in front of a window, like an adult. Our AI checks a child's passport photo the same way, so you see any problem before you print.
Why a passport photo gets rejected
Most refused passport photos fail for simple reasons: the wrong photo size or crop, a head that is too small, a shadow on the background or face, a smile, or a blurred print. A photo cut from a group picture, an old photo that no longer looks like you, or a photo with a filter will not work either. Compare your passport photo with the official sample board and check each point before your appointment, because a rejected passport photo means a new photo and possibly a new visit.
Printing your passport photos
If you need printed passport photos, download the passport photo print sheet and print it at 600 DPI on photo paper, without scaling the page. Cut each photo along its edges with no white border. Avoid folding, stapling or writing on the photo, and keep it clean and flat until your appointment. A print that is too light, too dark or slightly blurred can make an otherwise good photo unusable, so look at it closely before you take it with you.
Validity, renewal and lost passports
A Swiss passport is typically valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for children under 18. Renewal works much like a first application: you submit a new application form and updated documents, and you need a new passport photo, because the photo must show how you look today. If your passport is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the local authorities and to the nearest consulate or embassy to prevent identity theft; the replacement also needs a new passport photo in the same 35×45 mm size.
Photos for other documents
Other Swiss documents have their own photo pages. If you need a photo for one of them, see our ID card photo and visa photo pages. Before you travel, always check the entry requirements of your destination, as they can change.
Swiss passport photo checklist
- Photo size: 35×45 mm (3.5×4.5 cm).
- Head about 34.5 mm from chin to the top of the hair, about 3 mm below the top edge.
- Plain light grey background with no shadows or patterns.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open, head straight.
- Glasses off to avoid glare; hair away from the eyes.
- Sharp colour passport photo, printed at 600 DPI if you need a print.
