Germany ID card photo
Germany ID card photo: 35 x 45 mm. The head must measure 32-36 mm from the chin to the top of the head. Source: Bundesministerium des Innern (BMI), checked September 2, 2026.
You cannot supply this photo yourself
Germany: a printed photo can no longer be handed in for a ID card applied for inside the country. The picture is taken at the office itself, or produced by a registered photo service and delivered to the office over a certified channel, so a file made on your phone cannot be submitted at home. Missions abroad are the exception.
The editor below still earns its place. It is correct for consular and visa applications, which this rule does not cover, and it will tell you whether a photographer's file actually meets the measurements before you pay for prints.
Drop a photo here
or choose a file from this device
JPG, PNG, HEIC or WebP, up to 25 MB
Your photo is processed on this device and never uploaded.
The requirements
| Print size | 35 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height, chin to crown | 32-36 mm |
| Background | Plain single-coloured background, preferably light grey, free of shadows and clearly contrasting with face and hair |
| Glasses | Allowed, as long as the eyes are fully visible with no glare and no tint. |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open. |
| Head covering | Only for religious or medical reasons, and the face must be visible from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead. |
| Ears | No |
| Also required |
|
How to apply: Germany
For a German identity card (Personalausweis), you cannot bring your own photo. Since 1 May 2025, only digital biometric photos are accepted for the identity card, the passport and electronic residence permits. The photo is either taken at the authority itself or by a registered photo service, such as a photo studio or a drugstore booth, which sends it to the authority through a certified, encrypted cloud.
If a photo service takes the picture, you get a printout with a Data-Matrix code, which works like a QR code. You bring that printout to your appointment, and the clerk scans it to fetch your photo from the cloud. If the authority takes the photo with the federal PointID system, the fee is EUR 6 per photo. Ask your local authority whether it offers on-site photos.
Because the file never comes from you, this page is for checking what a good photo looks like before your appointment. The rules are the same as for the German passport: the face, from chin to crown, should be 32 to 36 mm high in a 35 x 45 mm image, on a plain, shadow-free background that contrasts with your face and hair.
Why photos get rejected here
Bringing a paper photo
Paper photos stopped being accepted on 1 May 2025, and the transition period for exceptions ended on 31 July 2025. A printed photo will not be used.
Forgetting the Data-Matrix printout
When a photo service uploads your picture, the printout with the code is how the authority finds it. Without it, the clerk cannot fetch your photo.
Glasses that hide or reflect
A frame over the eyes, a reflection on the lens or lenses too dark to see through are all rejected. Taking glasses off avoids all three.
A shadowed or patterned background
The background must be a single colour, free of shadows, and in clear contrast to your face and hair.
An expression that is not neutral
Keep your lips closed, your head straight and your eyes open, looking into the camera. Smiling, squinting or tilting the head is not accepted.
What helps
Choose where the photo is taken
You can have it taken at the authority or at a registered photo service. The authority charges EUR 6 with PointID; photo services set their own prices.
Keep the printout with your papers
Treat the Data-Matrix printout like part of your application. It is the only link between you and your photo.
Look at the shots before you accept
Check that your face is sharp, evenly lit and not smiling before the photo is sent. A retake at the service is easier than a second appointment.
Get it sent home if you like
Since 1 May 2025, the finished identity card can be posted to your home address in Germany for EUR 15, from the age of 16.
Babies and young children
Children up to the age of 9 have their own face proportion: 50 to 80 percent of the photo height instead of the adult range. For children up to 5, no biometric suitability check is made; only size, frontal view, sharpness, lighting, background and quality are checked. The photo still has to reach the authority digitally, so the same two routes apply.
How to take a baby's passport photo at home
Glasses
Glasses are not banned. The frame must not cover any part of the eyes, there must be no reflection on the lenses, and the lenses must not be tinted so dark that the eyes cannot be seen. If you are unsure, take them off for the photo.
Passport photo glasses rules by country
Head covering
A head covering is allowed for religious reasons. The face must be visible from the lower edge of the chin to the forehead, with no shadows on it. Caps and coverings that hide the face are rejected.
Applying online
The photo reaches the authority digitally, but never from you. Either the authority takes it, or a registered photo service uploads it to a certified cloud and gives you a Data-Matrix printout to bring. A file you make yourself cannot be used.
Questions about Germany photos
Can I use a photo I took myself for a German Personalausweis?
No. Since 1 May 2025 the photo must be taken at the authority or by a registered photo service that sends it digitally. You can use a practice photo only to check your pose, background and glasses before the appointment.
What does the photo at the authority cost?
With the federal PointID system the fee is EUR 6 per photo, on top of the identity card fee. Photo services set their own prices.
Is the ID card photo the same as the passport photo in Germany?
Yes. Both use the same photo rules and the same digital routes.
What if I lose the Data-Matrix printout?
The authority uses the code on the printout to find your photo in the cloud. Without it, go back to the photo service and ask for a new printout or a new photo.
Where these numbers come from
Official sourceEvery measurement on this page comes from the issuing authority's own published requirements.
- Lichtbild-Schablone für Personen ab einem Alter von 10 Jahren (BMI24048, Stand Juli 2025)checked September 2, 2026
- Personalausweisportal (BMI): Vereinfachte Ausweisbeantragung ab Mai 2025checked September 2, 2026
- BMI: Fotomustertafel, Qualitätsmerkmale biometrischer Fotos für Dokumentechecked September 2, 2026
- Der deutsche Personalausweischecked September 2, 2026
Editor: Mehmet Apaydın (Xenit)How we check our numbers