German Permanent Residence Photo

All foreign nationals staying in Germany for more than 90 days need a residency permit, except for those from EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein. if your only intention is to visit Germany for tourist purposes, you do not need a residency permit. A tourist visa enables you to visit Germany for up to 90 days and see what the country has to offer. Without a residency permit, staying longer than the allowed 90 days is not possible.

One of the requirements to get a residence permit in Germany is a photograph. Read on to find out the details and rules about a German Permanent Residence photo.

German Permanent Residence photo guidelines

For the German residence permit, it is required to provide a biometric picture. It will appear on the card as well so make sure you meet all the German requirements regarding photos for travel documents. The permanent residence photograph has the same requirements as a biometric photo for a German passport or visa.

German Permanent Residence photo size

The dimensions of a passport photo are 35mm x 45mm. From the top to bottom, the measurements of the face must be between 32 mm and 36 mm. It must be possible to show all of the features from the chin down to the top of the head and across the cheeks. Centering the photograph should be placed where the candidate will be in full view.

Other German Permanent Residence photo specifications:

• The required number of photos is two.
• The photo should meet passport background requirements so the best is a light grey background colour.
• All the features from chin to hairline and both sides of the face need to be clearly visible.
• The photographed person has to look straight into the camera.
• The applicant's facial expressions should be neutral with a closed mouth, avoiding a smile.
• To be able to see the whole face with proper contrast and clarity, all of the face must be clear and the skin must have a natural color.
• There should not appear any reflections, other objects, shadows or red eyes in the photo so both in the background as well as on the candidate’s face.
• The eyes of the subject should be clearly visible, and not covered by the hair or frame of the glasses.
• Sunglasses, tinted glasses, or reflections of glasses are not acceptable in the photos.
• Head coverings are not allowed unless worn for religious reasons.
• Passport photos must be in contrast, sharp and printed on high-quality paper.

How to take a photo for a German Permanent Residence at home?

One of the mandatory documents for German Permanent Residence is a biometric passport-style photograph. To take the best photo, you must first understand the essential German photo specifications. If you already know the German photo requirements (pointed above), you can use our onlinephoto tool which will resize, edit, and check if your photo meets the official German authorities criteria. 

How do you get the right picture for your residency permit? Use our Passport Photo Online website or the Photo Mobile App on your smartphone. Take a picture with your digital camera, tablet, or phone (no webcams or selfies allowed!) and set up a tripod 3 to 4 metres away from where you're standing, or ask a friend to photograph you.

After selecting the type of document you're applying for, upload the ready photo to our app or website (e.g. German passport as the photo for German permanent residence has the same requirements). The photo will be cropped and the background will be replaced by the tool. Finally, this photo editor can check to see if the photo meets the official demands. If it's ready, you'll receive an email notification. Try our online photo generator to get a photo that is 100% accurate!

What to avoid on photos for German Permanent Residence?

To help you understand what is better NOT to do, we prepared a short list to help you avoid the most common mistakes on photos for a residence permit:

• Looking sideways not directly at the camera.
• A profile view or a head tilted.
• You are smiling or grimaces.
• The applicant's face is not in the middle.
• There are different objects in the background.
• There are patterns or shadows in the photographed person’s face.
• Glasses reflect light (consider taking them off for a moment of taking a photo).
• Hair or headgear partially hides the face.

German Permanent Residence Photo Tool

Artificial Intelligence technology improves our picture method. This means that AI verifies all photos submitted to the Passport Photo Online editor and marks them as correct or incorrect. This is also absolutely free of charge. You just pay for a fully done picture that you want to use. All of the previews are available for free. The whole process may appear to be lengthy and complicated, but everything in the app or on the online service takes just a few seconds, so don't wait to try it out!

This is what you need to get a photo for your German permanent residence:

• A camera, a smartphone, or a tablet (a webcam is not allowed)
• Close at hand our German permanent residence guidelines
• Ask a friend or family member to photoshoot you or put a tripod and set the phone on a self-timer!
• The Photo Tool app or website

Background remover

The Artificial Intelligence background remover reduces all patterns and shadows and allows you to quickly change your background colour! You receive a photograph with the appropriate light grey backdrop for your document!

Photo resizer 

The online photo cropper resizes and changes your pictures to meet the specifications of the residence permit photo officials. It calculates the distance between the top and bottom of the photo and the head and face. Your photo is automatically cut to the size defined for Germany.

Photo validator

The photos you want to apply to the application form must adhere to the guidelines we laid out earlier. If they don't, you'll have to submit new photos before your submission can be considered. As a result, we use artificial intelligence to verify images on our website. Any picture that our photo maker approves comes with a guarantee of approval. You may not recall the proper size or background colour, but once you choose the desired document - a visa, passport or residence permit, etc., the technology will take care of the rest! You will receive a high-quality picture that is ready to submit or print.

Photo template

The final step is to create a visa photo template that can be emailed to you. After you receive your ready picture, you can either print it yourself at a nearby printing shop or order one that has already been printed and sent to you.

Sources:
https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/DE/themen/migration/aufenthaltsrecht/aufenthaltsrecht-liste.html