SnapIDs

🇩🇪 Germany Passport Photo Online

If you are applying for a German passport inside Germany, the photograph is now the part of the process most likely to trip you up. Since 1 May 2025 the Passbehörde no longer takes a printed photo of any kind. The image has to arrive digitally, either transmitted from a certified photo studio through a cloud service approved by the Federal Office for Information Security, or captured on the spot at a self service terminal in the office, and what you carry to your appointment is a data matrix code rather than a strip of prints.

The picture standard behind that process is unchanged. The federal specification set out in the Fotomustertafel published by the Bundesministerium des Innern still describes a 35 x 45 mm portrait in which the face fills 70 to 80 percent of the height, which the Auswärtiges Amt translates as 32 to 36 mm from the point of the chin to the top of the head. Everything else follows from that: one flat background tone that contrasts with your hair, even light with nothing thrown behind you, a neutral face and a closed mouth.

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Germany Passport Photo Online requirements

Official specification: 35 x 45 mm

Dimensions35 x 45 mm
Head height32 to 36 mm (chin to crown)
BackgroundOne flat, light, single colour tone, free of shadow, contrasting clearly with both the face and the hair. Light grey is the usual German studio choice.
Issuing authorityBundesministerium des Innern (BMI) sets the standard; applications are handled by the local Passbehörde or Bürgeramt and documents are produced by Bundesdruckerei
GlassesPermitted if no glare

Photo rules

Common reasons photos get rejected

How SnapIDs gets it right

Most rejections come from the wrong head size, a bad background, or glare. SnapIDs solves this before you even take the shot. A live coach checks your distance, centering, head angle, eyes, expression and lighting in real time, and only captures when every check passes. The photo is then framed mathematically to the exact 35 x 45 mm specification, and the background is cleaned to a compliant white, while your face is never altered.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still bring a printed passport photo to a German Bürgeramt?

No. Since 1 May 2025 German authorities accept only digital photos for passports, ID cards and residence documents. Your studio transmits the image through a certified cloud and gives you a data matrix code, or you use the capture terminal in the office. Paper prints are refused.

What size is a German passport photo?

35 mm wide by 45 mm high, with the head measuring 32 to 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the crown. That is the same as the face occupying 70 to 80 percent of the picture height.

Are glasses allowed in a German passport photo?

Yes, if you normally wear them. The frame must not cover any part of the eye and the lenses must be clear, with no tint and no reflection. Frames covering the eyes and dark or mirrored lenses are both listed as reasons for rejection.

Other documents