German Visa Photo Size
Moving to Germany for work, study or family means two photo moments: a printed biometric photo for the national visa at the embassy, and later a digital one for the residence permit card at the local immigration office. This page makes the first one and explains how the second works.
Passport Photo
or drop JPG, JPEG, JFIF … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Quality is lowered until the photo is at or just under this size; tiny files are padded up to the spec's minimum.
300 DPI is the print standard for passport photos; a 35×45 mm photo is then 413×531 px.
Place several copies on a 4×6 in (10×15 cm) photo print or an A4 page, ready for a photo kiosk or home printer.
How many photos on the sheet. A 4×6 in print fits 6 photos of 2×2 in or 6 of 35×45 mm; an A4 sheet fits more.
How to use this tool
- 1
Pick a photo with a neutral face
Mouth closed, eyes open and looking into the lens, head straight. German biometric checks measure the eye line and face width, so a tilt or a smile is what usually fails.
- 2
Export a high-resolution file
The preset keeps the 35 × 45 mm Schengen frame and Light grey, and sets DPI to 600 so a lab can print a crisp 827 × 1063 px file.
- 3
Print for the embassy
Press Make, have the JPG printed on photo paper and take the copies your mission's checklist asks for to the national visa appointment.
A German national visa photo is a 35 × 45 mm biometric print with the head 32–36 mm tall on a plain light grey background. The visit-visa format is the same size, but the process around it is different.
German biometric photo size in numbers
- Print size
- 35 × 45 mm
- Chin to crown
- 32–36 mm
- File at 600 DPI
- 827 × 1063 px
- Maximum age
- 6 months
The figures come from the photo sample chart published by the Federal Ministry of the Interior with the Bundesdruckerei, the same chart used for German passports and ID cards. It also asks for the face to be centered, the eyes open and level, no reflections on glasses and a uniform background without patterns. If you need the measurements in other units, the passport size photo in cm, inches and pixels guide converts them.
German national visa photo vs residence permit photo
National visa (D), abroad
- Applied for at the German embassy, consulate or its visa center
- Printed 35 × 45 mm photo, or an upload where the mission uses the online portal
- A file from this page works
Residence permit (eAT), in Germany
- Applied for at the local Ausländerbehörde after arrival
- Digital photo only, from a certified studio or an office terminal
- Prints and self-made files are refused
Digital photo rule for the German residence permit
- eAT
- The elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel, the credit-card-sized residence permit with a chip that stores your photo and two fingerprints. Its photo is checked by the same biometric software as a German passport photo.
The switch to digital photos was made to stop morphing, where two faces are blended into one picture so that two people can use the same document. Studios now send the photo straight to the authority, and the office never sees a file you edited yourself.
The practical consequence: the photo you make here is for the visa stage. Keep the original picture anyway, because many universities, employers and health insurers in Germany still ask for a passport-size photo for their own cards. For a short trip instead of a move, use the Germany visa photo size page, which covers the Schengen visit visa.
German national visa and permit photo questions
What photo do I need for a German national visa application?
A biometric color photo, 35 × 45 mm, head 32–36 mm, plain light background, not older than six months. Missions usually ask for one or two prints with the application; their checklist for your visa category gives the number.
Can I bring printed photos to the Ausländerbehörde for my residence permit?
In general no longer. Since 1 May 2025, German immigration offices accept only digital biometric photos for the electronic residence permit, after a short transition in which some still took prints. The photo comes from a certified studio or a terminal at the office.
Can I take the residence permit photo with my phone?
No. The digital photo has to reach the office through the secure channel used by certified photographers or be taken on the office's own device, so a phone picture or an emailed JPG is not accepted. Some refugee and temporary documents were reported as exempt, so ask your office.
How do I get a QR code for a German biometric photo?
A photo studio registered for the government's digital photo service takes your picture, uploads it to the encrypted cloud and gives you a printed code. You show that code at the appointment and the office downloads the photo with it.
Does the Opportunity Card application need a photo?
Yes. The Chancenkarte, introduced on 1 June 2024 for job seekers, is a national visa, so it follows the same 35 × 45 mm biometric rule and the same printed or uploaded route your mission uses.
Is a German student visa photo different from a work visa photo?
No, every national visa category uses the same biometric format. What differs is the number of copies and whether the mission takes the application on paper or through its online portal.
- Germany Visa Photo SizePhoto for a German Schengen visit visa: 35 × 45 mm print, head 32–36 mm, light grey background, brought to the VFS, TLScontact or consulate appointment.
- Schengen Visa Photo SizeSchengen visa photo size is 35 × 45 mm with the head 32–36 mm tall on a plain light background. Crop yours to the spec and print it on a 4 × 6 sheet.
- France Visa Photo SizeFrance visa photo size: 35 × 45 mm, head 32–36 mm chin to crown, light grey background, taken within six months. Make it for France-Visas, VFS or TLScontact.
- UK Passport Photo RequirementsUK passport photo rules: 45 × 35 mm print, head 29–34 mm, cream or light grey, taken in the last month; digital 600 × 750 px, 50 KB–10 MB.
- Passport Size Photo MakerMake passport size photos online: crop to 35 × 45 mm, 2 × 2 in or 25+ country specs, swap the background and print six copies on a 4 × 6 in sheet.