Irish Driving Licence Photo

Get your perfect biometric photo (compliance guaranteed)

1M+
approved
ID photos
200%
Guarantee of
acceptance
Irish Driving Licence Photo
1M+
approved
ID photos
200%
Guarantee of
acceptance

How does it work?

Perfect biometric photo within 3 minutes.

Check how simple and smart is it!

Take or upload a photo

Take or upload a photo

That's the only thing you need to do. Take or upload a photo - we will take care of the rest.

AI prepares the photo

AI prepares the photo

Artificial Intelligence will check your photo, crop it to the right size and remove the background.

Expert verification

Expert verification

Our Photo Expert will make additional verification to check if your photo meets the official requirements.

Digital or printed photos

Digital or printed photos

You can download a digital version and order a printout which we will send within 2-3 days. Delivery is free!

Why?

Take a biometric photo conveniently without leaving home

You save time and money

Convenience

Don't waste time, effort or money. You can take your passport photo without leaving home.

Professional service

Over 1 million people have used our services within the past 11 years. Our Photo Experts are available 24/7.

Money-back guarantee

We give you a guarantee of acceptance by authorities or otherwise we will refund you double the price!

Satisfaction guarantee

Take as many photo shots as you want - you pay only when you are satisfied.

How to take a photo?

Taking a photo for your ID has never been so easy.

Follow simple instruction to take a perfect ID photo.

1

Body-camera distance

The distance between the face and the camera should be about 40 cm. Ideally the photo should be taken by the other person.

2

Posture: Straight ahead

Place your face in front of the lens. Hold the camera at eye level and keep neutral face expression.

3

Lighting

Stand facing the light source, for example an exposed window. The background will be cut out, don't worry about it.

Photo for Irish Driver's Licence - Size & Requirements

Irish Driving Licence Photo Online Tool
Size
Width: 35 mm
Height: 45 mm
Resolution
600 dpi
Is it suitable for online submission?
Yes
Image definition parameters
Head height: 34 mm
Top of the Photo to Top of the Hair: 3 mm
Is it printable?
Yes
Background Color
Show more

Was this helpful?

Rating: 4.81
Votes: 119

Irish Driving Licence Photo - All You Need to Know

Irish driving licence photo

Irish driving licence is at the same time a European driving licence and authorises its holder to drive or operate motor vehicles on public roads of Ireland and European Union. for the reasons of security and drivers’ identity control, the photo in the document must meet EU and National Driver Licence Service Standards. How are they?

Read our Irish driver’s licence guide and become an expert in this matter. We assure you that producing an Irish driving licence photo at home is easy and maybe funny too, especially when you use our intelligent photo online tool!

Driving licence photo requirements in Ireland

During your first application for a driving licence, your photograph is always taken in an office. During subsequent licensing transactions, in the situation of renewal or ordering a duplicate, you are allowed to submit a new photograph that meets the requirements.

These requirements apply to:

  • validity
  • dimensions of the photo
  • coloring and lights
  • technical details
  • a crop of the photo
  • demanded facial expression
  • composition and head’s position
  • background requirements

Do you find this difficult? It is not when you have a helpful tool: Irish driving licence photo Maker online.

Guide on how to make an Irish driving licence photo at home

Prepare all you need before capturing the photo. You probably have a smartphone, tablet or a digital camera and this is perfect to begin. Then ask somebody to help as selfie is not acceptable or use a tripod if you prefer to take a photo on your own. Now you need only the list of the Irish driving licence photo requirements and the Irish Driver’s Licence Photo Generator that you can download from the Google Play Store or AppStore for your iPhone or a smartphone with Android.

This app will help you to properly resize, crop and adjust your picture and at the end, it verifies if the photo is correct from the point of view of National Driver Licence Service. Once you have it all, you are ready to capture and create a correct photo for your driving licence. Follow the next paragraphs to know exactly how to take a perfect picture by yourself.

Validity of the Irish driving licence photo

Your photo for any official document - such as passport, ID card or driving licence - must reflect your current appearance. That is why it must not be older than 6 months. So attach to your driving licence form only a photo taken within 6 months, otherwise, it will be not valid.

Size (dimensions) of an Irish driving licence photo

The width of the photograph dedicated to a driving licence in Ireland must be  35–38 mm and height between 45 mm and 50 mm. But do not worry about the size of your photo, check out the possibilities of the Irish driver's licence photo resizer app. You don’t even know the required dimensions, just pick up the template for an Irish driving licence document and have it done in one second. The App automatically resizes every photo, so you can focus on how to look good in it!

Coloring and lights in the Irish driver’s licence photo

Your picture for a driving licence must show your natural skin and eyes colors. That is why the color photo is required by the National Driver Licence Service.

When it comes to illumination, remember that your face must be symmetrically illuminated - your both cheeks must be visible, no shadows are accepted. A very important thing is also to adjust contrast and brightness during taking the picture.

The image must not be overlit or underlit. Use natural light - the good idea is to capture a picture staying frontally to the window. Flash lamp is not recommended, it can cause white glares on the skin or the “ red eyes” effect which is unacceptable too.

Technical specification of a driving licence photo in Ireland

For your second or next driver’s licence, you need to submit two printed photos. But don’t use a home inkjet printer as such devices are not able to produce high-quality pictures. You may send them or send the template to a one-hour photo store. Anyway, to be printed, your picture must meet certain technical requirements. It must be:

  • properly exposed as mentioned above
  • sharp and clear
  • well focused
  • in good resolution (min. 600 dpi)
  • printed on photo-quality paper

A required crop of the Irish driving licence photo

The crop must show all your head with hair, the neck and upper part of your shoulders. Your head cannot be too big or too small - it must take 70-80 % of the image. The crown cannot “touch” the upper edge of the picture.  But you don’t even need to know all those details! Just find a template for a chosen document (eg. Irish Driving Licence Passport) and upload your picture. Wait one or two seconds when our program automatically resizes and crops the photo! And it’s done!

Demanded facial expression in an Irish driving permit photo

The specification for required facial expression calls it “a neutral” one. It means that your face muscles must be relaxed and you have to look straight at the camera lens with open eyes and closed mouths. Do not smile, tighten your mouths of frown. Any grimace in the photo will make it rejected. Why such requirements? It applies not only to Irish driving licence photos, a “neutral facial expression” id a rule for every biometric photo for every official document, especially for passports and ID cards worldwide.

Composition and the head’s position in an Irish driving licence photo

The photograph should show a full front view of your head, as you would normally appear. No side shots are accepted, it must be an en-face view. Your head must be centred in the crop and the camera lens must be positioned on the level of your eyes. Do not tilt your head in any direction, look straightly at the camera.

The background requirements in Ireland for the driver’s licence photo

The photo dedicated to an Irish driving licence must be taken against a plain white or light grey background. The background should be clear: no shadows, patterns, other people or objects must be visible in your visa photo.

But you do not need to worry about it. You can take a picture on any background, even in your apartment or garden and just use our driving licence photo background editor which changes a wrong background into the required one.

Head coverings in Irish driving licence photos

Do not wear any fashion headgear, for example, headbands, hats or caps while capturing a photo for an Irish driving permit. They are forbidden in the photo as well as massive hair decorations and big earrings which can obscure your face.

Only if a head covering is a part of your religious attire (like a yarmulke, hijab etc.) you may wear it in your driving licence photo in Ireland. Remember that the headgear cannot obscure your face (niqabs are prohibited). Your face with the forehead must be fully visible.

Glasses in the photo for the Irish driving licence

If you wear everyday glasses, take them off for the moment of capturing the picture dedicated to the Irish driving permit. Neither headphones and other items should not be worn. 

Piercing in Irish driving licence photos

Everyday jewellery and facial piercing are not prohibited in photos for an Irish driving licence. If you have a permanent facial piercing, you do not need to remove it but at the same time, it must not obscure your facial features. Remember also that piercing must not give glares on your skin. If you see that it does, repeat a photo shot without piercing.

Hairstyle and beard in a Belgian driving licence photo

There is no special rule about hairstyle for the Belgian driving licence photo. You may have your hair down or wear it up. Style your hair before. If you colour your hair, then book your visit to a stylist just before taking your photograph. 

Just do not forget to leave some space between the top of your head (with hair) and the upper edge of the image.

If you have a beard, but If your facial features are still recognizable, the beard is not a problem and you don’t need to shave it.

Clothing in a driver’s licence photo in Ireland

You are free to wear what you want for the moment of capturing a photo for an Irish driving permit photo. Our advice is to wear a shirt colour that complements your skin tone. To add brightness or conceal your neck, add a tie or a necklace. Do not wear a uniform. It is important to look good but also to feel good when you take your picture. Take a driving licence photo you can be proud of!

Makeup or retouch in an Irish driving licence photo?

Definitely makeup. Retouching and altering in any way your picture to official documents is forbidden. If you are worried about some blemish or you don’t want to look pale you may apply more heavy makeup than usual because sometimes eyes and lips can appear washed-out. 

What mistakes to avoid on a driving licence photo?

Every day the National Driver Licence Service employees reject applications with wrong photos. We have checked which are the most commonly made mistakes. Read the list below in order to avoid them.

The most often reasons of photos’ disqualification are:

  • alterations by any kind of computer software detected by artificial intelligence
  • poor-quality prints (especially on inkjet printers)
  • over exposition or under exposition of the picture
  • smiling in photos
  • not an en-face view or head tilted
  • bad crop and head tilted at the same time (the most of this kind of images are selfies)

Remember also that the picture you must not:

  • have a fashion head covering (the exceptions are religious reasons)
  • look sideway
  • have your eyes closed
  • have your mounts open

Irish driving licence photo online tool

Maybe after reading our guidelines you ask yourself: does really my driving licence photo look like a mug shot? When applying for your driving permit you want to have a decent photo taken and this is completely understandable. You prepare your favourite outfit and do your hair and we want to let you focus on this. take the correct pose and a proper facial expression and check if you like the photo or not. You can try again until it has a satisfactory effect. We will do all the rest!

Once you download the Irish driving licence photo online maker you do not need to worry about resizing, cropping and adjusting the background. This App will do it in one second and you will get a perfectly resized and cropped Irish driving licence picture with the suitable background. You are going to receive it on your email address in JPEG format, ready to print, send via the Internet or upload.

Photo requirements are based on: www.ndls.ie
Last update: 30/09/2023

About the document

Irish driving licence

Driver’s permit in Ireland is based on the European driving licence standards document authorising its holder to drive and operate various types of motor vehicles on public roads of Republic of Ireland and in all all of the EEA member states (27 countries of European Union  and  and additionally in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).

This document is not any more a booklet as it was until 2013. It is plastic and has a size and shape similar to a credit-card. Besides the personal data such as the driver's name and date of birth, their photo and signature it also contains information about any restrictions or endorsements such as the need to wear glasses and penalty points.

Driving licence and a learner permit in the Republic of Ireland

There are two documents which authorise you to drive on public roads:  a valid driving licence or a learner permit. Both are issued by The National Driver Licence Service (NDLS). There are 15 different categories of driving licence and learner permit for different types of vehicle, and all of these have different rules and regulations. For example the minimum age for holding a learner permit for small motorcycles is 16 years and for minibuses is 21.

Process of getting a driving licence in Ireland

When you arrive at the test centre to take your test, you need to present following documents:

  • an ID card or a passport or another acceptable ID document 
  • two identical passport-style color photos meeting requirements

During your first licensing process your photograph is taken in an NDLS office. During subsequent licensing transactions - renewal or situation of the loss - you can submit new photographs taken by yourself.

Now you need to pass the theory test and you may  apply for a learner permit in one or more of the categories of your choice. The certificate is valid for the next 2 years.

Your next step is setting an appointment for a driving test and you must do it within 2 years from passing a theory test, otherwise you will need to repeat that last one.

Testing is conducted out of many test centres throughout the country. Once you pass your practical driving test, you receive the certificate of competency and you may apply for a driver’s licence.

 This certificate is valid for two years, so you must make your application to your National Driver Licence Service Office for a licence within that time.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

What are the requirements for an Irish driving licence photo?

+ -

You must submit two identical and no more than six months old printed pictures and they must meet the following requirements:

  • Width: 35–38 mm; height: 45–50 mm
  • show a full frontal view of your head
  • be sharp and clear
  • be taken against a plain white or light grey background
  • you must have a neutral facial expression (no smiling)
  • you should not be wearing glasses and headphones
  • you should have not a covered head (only head coverings worn for religious reasons are permitted)

How to remove a wrong background from my Irish driving permit photo?

+ -

With the background remover photo app you can do it in 3 seconds. The App is able to erase and adjust the background to the requirements list automatically. You don’t even need to know the recommended color of the background, it is enough if you select the relevant document from our basis and upload your photo and the artificial intelligence will do the rest!

Can I attach a selfie as a driving licence photo in Ireland?

+ -

No, don’t do it. Selfies distort facial features and are not accepted by authorities. Ask somebody for help or use a tripode and self-timer function to produce a correct photograph to any document.

Yes, of course! Every telefon with Android and camera is able to produce a high-quality picture for your driving licence, as well as for passport or ID card. All you need to do is select the document from more than 100 templates in our base and upload your passport-style photo. The Photo Online Editor crops, resizes and adjusts the background in a loaded picture. At the end it also verifies if the photo is correct or not and you can order it to your email address!

Sure, you do! Your iPhone is a perfect device to take a picture dedicated to your passport, ID card or driving licence. Just read the list of requirements and download a Photo Online Creator from the AppStore. With its little help you will be able to prepare a photo of the same quality as professionally taken in a studio.

If your photo is recognized as incorrect, it will be rejected. In such a case you will need to provide the new photo and all the process will be delayed.

You must not:

  • smile
  • have your face covered by hair or any items
  • have your eyes closed
  • have your mouths open
  • look aside
  • tilt your head

Yes, they are. You may wear your religious attire or the headgear worn for religious purposes.

It is up to you. Just do not wear a shirt or top in the color of the background. Choose the outfit you feel good in. Avoid only uniforms.

Just download from the AppStore or the Google Play Store the Cropping and Resizing Photo App, select a template for “Irish driving licence photo” and upload your picture. The tool will correctly resize and crop the image and inform you if the rest of requirements is satisfied.

The dimensions of the driving licence photo in Ireland must be: 35–38 mm of length and and 45 - 50 mm of height.

No. Your photo to an Irish driving licence must be originally taken. Do not cut it out from another picture. You are able to produce a correct photo in 3 seconds with the Photo Online Maker so why risk a rejection of your application?

Prices vary depending on where you take the photo. The most expensive are photo studios, a bit less you may pay in a photo booth. But when you take the picture on your own and edit it with Photo Online Editing App you will pay just a part of usual costs and the quality of the photo will be exactly the same!

Yes, you can download it on your phone or tablet and prepare your ideal photo for any document. this App not only resizes, crops and exchanges the background in the image into a required one but also verifies if your pose and photo composition is correct. It is a real help for everyone who wants to save time and money and create photographs on their own.

You can print your shots in one-hour printing service or go to a local photo studio to have the photos printed for you. You can also find a photo lab which delivers ready prints to a client’s address.

It is better to take them off for the moment of capturing a picture as they can obscure your eyes or give a glare on the skin. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are prohibited.

Sure, you can put on some make-up. If you normally wear make-up, you might want to apply it more heavily than usual. And… fight the shine. People look better in photos when shine is controlled. Some face powder is recommended!

It’s easy! The first step is to download on your iPhone or a phone with Android the smart Driving Licence Ireland Photo Editor. Then you take a shot according to given rules and this Photo Tool edits your photo for you.

Nowadays you do not need to go anywhere to take a correct photo for your driving licence. You can use your phone and a Driving Licence Photo Tool that will edit to meet all the requirements.