SnapIDs

🇳🇱 Netherlands Passport Photo Online

Dutch passport and identity card photos are assessed against the Fotomatrix, a single page acceptance chart published by the Rijksdienst voor Identiteitsgegevens that every gemeente counter works from. Staff have a transparent positioning sheet they place over your print, so the measurements are not treated as approximate. Your head either fits inside the marked boxes or the photo is refused.

The paper size is the familiar 35 mm by 45 mm, but the head is deliberately smaller than in Germany or France. From the age of eleven the chin to crown height must be between 26 and 30 mm, and the face has to measure 16 to 20 mm across from one ear root to the other. Anyone who runs their selfie through a generic international passport photo tool usually ends up with a head around 34 mm, which is comfortably outside what the Netherlands accepts.

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Netherlands Passport Photo Online requirements

Official specification: 35 x 45 mm

Dimensions35 x 45 mm
Head height26 to 30 mm (chin to crown)
BackgroundEven, single colour grey, light blue or white, with no gradient and no shadow, and enough contrast against the head.
Issuing authorityRijksdienst voor Identiteitsgegevens (RvIG), part of the Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties; applications are taken at the gemeente
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

How big should the head be in a Dutch passport photo?

From the age of eleven the head must measure between 26 mm and 30 mm from chin to crown inside a 35 x 45 mm print. For children up to and including ten the range is 19 mm to 30 mm. Face width must be 16 to 20 mm from ear root to ear root.

What background colour is allowed for a Dutch pasfoto?

Grey, light blue or white. Whichever you choose it must be a single even tone with no gradient, no pattern and no shadow, and there must be clear contrast between your head and the backdrop.

Can I email a digital photo to the gemeente?

No. You hand over a physical print at your appointment. It must be on smooth, high quality photo paper at a minimum of 400 dpi, no more than six months old, undamaged and not a copy.

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