Instant German Passport Photo [No Lines, No Hassle]

Biometric Photo for German Passport

When you live abroad and need to renew your German passport you’ll have to submit a biometric passport photo. Of course you must also file an application and hand in some crucial documents in order to complete the renewal. Well will guide you through the process and most importantly inform you about the official requirements a photo for a German passport has to meet in order to be accepted. If you want to save time and money, feel free to use our passport photo generator. It will help you take perfect photos at home so you’re definitely happy with the final result.

Size and Format for German Passport Photos

In order for your passport photo to be accepted it needs to fulfill the basic requirements in size and format. This means the photo needs to be 35 mm wide and 45 mm high (corresponds to 1.38 x 1.77 inch). It should have a minimal resolution of 300 dpi, however, if possible, try to aim for 600 dpi. In general, when applying for a German passport, the embassy will need original photos so make sure that the photo prints are of good quality and in perfect condition. They should be free of any creases, spots or other damages.

In some cases you might also need a digital photo, so make sure that you have it ready in JPEG format. Our software automatically converts every picture into JPEG so there is one thing less to worry about.

Rules for the Background

The background for the German passport photo needs to be in a light color (best choice: white or grey). Make sure that there are no shadows or spots visible and it needs to be clear of any objects or other persons. If you decide to take your photos in the comfort of your own home, it can be quite difficult to find a wall that is appropriate and meets all these demands. In this case, the background remover of our software comes in handy. It erases the background of your picture (no matter which background) and replaces it with a plain, unicolored one.

The Best Lightning for your Passport Photo

Make sure that your face is evenly lit in the photo and that there are no shadows. It’s also very important that the shot is not too dark or too bright. Your face and important facial features need to be clearly visible. In order to obtain the best lighting, we recommend you take the picture during the day and face a window. As selfies are not allowed it’s always best to ask a friend or a family member to take the photo. If you happen to be alone, you can also use a tripod and set the camera on eye-height.

Head position, Eyes and Face

For your passport photo you want to keep your head straight and look directly into the camera. Don’t tilt your head and make sure it’s upright. As you do so, keep both your eyes open and your mouth closed. It’s very important that your iris is clearly visible and nothing (e.g. hair) covers your eyes. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to smile in the photo. You need to maintain a neutral / serious facial expression.

Can you wear your glasses in the photo?

As mentioned above, it’s vital that your eyes and iris are visible in the passport photo. You can wear your glasses if their frame doesn’t cover them or any other facial feature of yours. Sunglasses or glasses with tinted lenses, however, are not allowed in official passport photos.

Passport Photo Rules for Head Coverings

Head coverings (e.g. hats, scarfes, caps) of any kind aren’t allowed in photos for the German passport and need to be taken off. Religious coverings are accepted if your whole face, from the chin to the top of your forehead remains visible and is not obscured. For this reason, wearing hijabs or niqabs isn’t permitted.

Clothes and Jewelry

In general, you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in for your German passport photo. Be aware, however, that you can’t wear uniforms or military clothings. We recommend you choose a plain shirt which covers your shoulders so you don’t appear naked and make sure that it doesn’t have the same color as the background. You don’t want to melt into it!

When it comes to jewelry, pay attention to its size. It shouldn’t obscure any facial features or cause reflections. If you want to wear some, try subtle pieces that don’t draw too much attention and don’t cover important parts of your face.

Passport Photo Tool

Our software is based on AI and can automatically detect if the picture taken by you meets all the requirements for a chosen document. With Passport Photo Online you’ll never have to make an appointment with a professional photographer or use a photo booth again!

It will save you time, money and stress. All you need to do is choose the document you need a passport photo for, upload it and wait for our software to do the rest. It’s that simple. We’ll show you how it works.

The perfect German Passport Photo with Passport Photo Online

There are just a few steps you need to take before you can complete your application for a new German passport. You can either use the editor here on our website or - if you prefer creating passport photos with your iPhone - download the free app in the AppStore. Don’t worry, the app is also available for taking passport photos with Android.

In order to obtain a valid photo for your passport you need to perform the following, easy steps:

1. Choose the document you're applying for.
2. Take a picture with your mobile phone, a tablet or a digital camera and upload it to the website/app. You can also select an already existing photo that you like and that meets the requirements.
3. Our software will crop the image, remove the background and verify it. This only takes a few seconds.
4. After you confirm that you’re happy with the selected photo our human experts will again check and verify the passport photo.

That’s it! All our photos come with an acceptance guarantee. This means that once your passport photo has been verified by our experts you can be sure that it will be accepted by authorities. In case it gets rejected, we will refund you 200 % of the original price. So you’re definitely on the safe side here!

After the verification process has been completed, we will send you your digital photo via email. That template is ready for any digital application. And if you need printed photos (as is usually the case when applying for a German passport abroad) you can take the digital template to any printing service near you. You may want to check out Walgreens passport photo service for affordable and quality prints.

Pros of Using our Passport Photo Tool

When using Passport Photo Online you don’t have to worry about your schedule matching the one of your photographer any longer. You can simply take your passport photos whenever and wherever you like. But this isn’t the only advantage you can gain from using our services.

• It saves money: Getting professional passport photos taken can be quite expensive and often you have to take more than you actually need. With PhotoAid you only pay once for your digital template and can reuse it as many times as you want.

• You can take as many photos as you like: The times of not liking your passport photos are officially over. With PhotoAid you can try as many times as you want and keep on taking photos until you get the one you’re 100 % happy with.

• Acceptance guarantee: All passport photos that are created with our software are verified by our experts. Therefore we can confidently provide you with an acceptance guarantee. If, however, your passport photo should be denied for any reason, just let us know and we will refund you double the amount you paid for it.

Last update: 6/7/23