Germany German biometric passport (Reisepass) photo Photo Size

Specifications

Germany 35x45 mm Reisepass fees, ePassfoto and Passbehörde numbers

Reisepass, Personalausweis, vorlaufiges Dokument and Gebühren

Burgeramt, Rathaus and Auswartiges Amt biometric rules

Passbehörde / Burgeramt (municipal registration and passport office), under the Federal Ministry of the Interior (service.bund.de / your city's Burgeramt portal) sets the rules.

German Reisepasse and Personalausweise are issued by the local Burgeramt/Rathaus (Passbehörde) of your Hauptwohnung; abroad by the zustandige deutsche Botschaft or Konsulat. The Auswartiges Amt sets the biometric sample sheet (35x45 mm, 32-36 mm face, neutral grey background, no smile). Since 1 May 2025 the office expects an ePassfoto, an electronic biometric image delivered by a conventioned photographer or taken on site for a 6 EUR surcharge. Fees are 70 EUR (ab 24) / 37.50 EUR (unter 24) for the Reisepass, 26 EUR for the vorlaufiger Reisepass.

You can bring a printed biometrisches Lichtbild from any Fotoautomat or photographer, or have the Passbehörde take it on site for a 6 EUR surcharge. The list below covers the channels Germans actually use.

• Burgeramt / Rathaus (Passbehörde) — Where you file the Reisepassantrag: in Berlin every Bezirk has a Burgeramt, in Munich the KVR, in Hamburg the Bezirkliche Einwohneramter. Many take the ePassfoto on site.
• Fotoautomat booths — Walk-up booths by Rei / Passbildautomat in Bahnhofen, Rathaus corridors and Kaufhallen; choose 'biometrisches Passfoto ICAO 35x45' and pay about 7-9 EUR for a sheet of four.
• Photographer (Fotograf / Foto-Studio) — Independent studios know the ICAO sample sheet; ask for a biometrisches Passfoto auf grauem Hintergrund, and since 2025 many can deliver the ePassfoto file directly to the Burgeramt.
• Drogeriemarkte (Rossmann, dm, Müller) — Drugstore photo counters print biometric Passfotos from a booth capture or uploaded file; cheap and same-day.
• Photo shops in Hauptbahnhofen — Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Munchen Hbf, Frankfurt am Main Flughafen all have kiosks that sell ICAO-compliant Passfotos to travellers.
• Deutsche Botschaften und Konsulate abroad — Residents overseas file at the zustandige mission; the ePassfoto is produced locally and the fee includes an AuslandsZuschlag (PA abroad 89 EUR / 70.60 EUR).
• Auslanderbehorde — Not for the Reisepass, but where a foreign national's Aufenthaltstitel biometric photo is captured; separate from the German passport process.
• Postbank/Postfiliale Fotostationen — Deutsche Post photo terminals in larger Postfilialen print biometric Passfotos; often inside the same building as a Burgeramt.

Since 1 May 2025 many Burgeramter accept the ePassfoto as a JPEG delivered by a conventioned photographer or captured on a compliant medium. There is no general applicant JPEG upload portal; the file must meet the ICAO biometric gate used by the Passbehörde.

Reisepassantrag: 70 EUR / 37.50 EUR, ePassfoto and 4-6 week turnaround

The German process is an in-person Burgeramt appointment: ePassfoto or a biometrisches Lichtbild, identity documents, the fee, and fingerprints for those aged 6 and over. Fees are the 2026 rates.

1. Book a Termin at your zustandiges Burgeramt/Rathaus (Passbehörde) - in Berlin the Burgeramter, in Munich the KVR, in Hamburg the Bezirksamate.
2. Obtain a biometrisches Lichtbild: either at a Fotoautomat/Fotograf (35x45 mm, neutral grey) or arrange the on-site ePassfoto for +6 EUR.
3. Bring your old Reisepass/Personalausweis, the Anmeldebestatigung (Meldebescheinigung) and, for children, the birth certificate and both parents' IDs.
4. Pay the fee: Reisepass 70 EUR (ab 24) or 37.50 EUR (unter 24); vorlaufiger Reisepass 26 EUR; Personalausweis 22.80/10 EUR.
5. The officer captures fingerprints (from age 6), enrols the ePassfoto and confirms your signature.
6. Wait 4-6 weeks for the biometric book; if travel is imminent, ask for a vorlaufiger Reisepass (26 EUR) valid up to 12 months.
7. Collect the document at the same Burgeramt; you are notified when it is ready, and the old book is invalidated.
8. Overseas: file at the zustandige deutsche Botschaft/Konsulat; the fee includes an Auslandszuschlag (PA abroad 89 EUR / 70.60 EUR, +13 EUR if the mission is not zustandig).
9. Anmeldung (registering your Hauptwohnung) must be up to date; a missing Meldebestatigung delays the Termin.

Shooting a 35x45 mm biometrisches Lichtbild on neutral grey

1. Stand 1.5 m from the lens on a neutral grey background - medium grey for fair hair, light grey for dark hair; never pure white.
2. Camera at eye level, head straight, shoulders level; leave a small even margin of grey above the crown.
3. Frame the face 32-36 mm from chin to crown (70-80%); eyes in the upper third, looking straight into the lens.
4. Neutral expression, mouth closed, no visible teeth; smiling is the most common Auswartiges Amt rejection.
5. Remove hats, caps, hoods, headphones and face masks; religious head coverings need a documented exception and must leave chin-to-forehead visible.
6. If you wear glasses, use thin untinted anti-reflective frames; the Fotoautomat's flash is the usual cause of lens reflection.
7. Use soft front light so there is no shadow on the grey background or under the chin.
8. At the Fotoautomat, choose the 'biometrisches Passfoto / ICAO 35x45' programme; the booth locks the 32-36 mm face box.
9. Check the print on the spot: if your eyes are half-closed or the flash reflected, ask the booth for a free retake.
10. Since 1 May 2025, ask the Fotograf or Burgeramt whether they can deliver the ePassfoto file directly; otherwise bring the printed biometrisches Lichtbild to the appointment.

Use the passport cropper with the Germany preset.

The ePassfoto: electronic biometric image since 1 May 2025

The German ePassfoto is a biometric JPEG that the Passbehörde ingests. It follows the same ICAO 35x45 mm / 32-36 mm geometry as the print, but it is delivered by a conventioned photographer or taken on site rather than uploaded by the applicant from home.

• Format: JPEG, ICAO-compliant, with the biometric face gate passing (eyes open, neutral, no occlusion).
• Dimensions: 35x45 mm = 413x531 px at 300 DPI; print version at least 600 DPI per the Auswartiges Amt sample sheet.
• Face: 32-36 mm chin to crown, centred; below 27 mm or above 40 mm is rejected.
• Background: bright neutral grey, no pattern, no shadow.
• Recency: photo must be less than 6 months old and match current appearance.
• Glasses: untinted, anti-reflective, frames not covering the eyes.
• No retouching: no smoothing, no background swap, no filters.
• Since 1 May 2025 the Burgeramt expects the ePassfoto in electronic form; ask whether your Rathaus takes it on site for +6 EUR.
• Religious headwear: only with documented exception, full face visible, no shadow.
• The PixlReady Germany preset previews the 35x45 mm / 32-36 mm framing; the final ePassfoto still comes from a conventioned source.

Compress an oversized JPEG with the image compressor.

Printing four 35x45 mm tiles on a 10x15 cm sheet at 600 DPI

German Fotoautomaten and Fotostudios print a Planche with four 35x45 mm tiles on a 10x15 cm (4x6 in) sheet. One tile goes to the Reisepassantrag, the spare three cover the Personalausweis, a Fahrerlaubnis renewal and a visa application.

• 35x45 mm = 1.38x1.77 in; at 300 DPI 413x531 px, at 600 DPI 826x1063 px.
• Four tiles fit on a 10x15 cm sheet with a narrow gutter; the booth lays them out automatically.
• Print at 300 DPI minimum; the Auswartiges Amt asks for at least 600 DPI on a print.
• Use matte or glossy photographic paper; plain inkjet paper is not accepted.
• Do not cut into the 35 mm edge: the Burgeramt measures the outer mm.
• Bring one print to the Reisepass appointment; some Konsulate abroad ask for two.
• Keep spare tiles: the Personalausweis, the Fahrerlaubnis and a Schengen visa all reuse 35x45 mm.
• If the Burgeramt takes the ePassfoto on site, you do not need a print at all, but the +6 EUR surcharge applies.

Print-dialog settings: 300 DPI guide · 200 KB upload guide.

Why the Passbehörde rejects a biometrisches Lichtbild

• Smiling with visible teeth or an open mouth - the Auswartiges Amt sample sheet requires neutral.
• White or off-white background instead of neutral grey; patterned walls, shadows on the background.
• Face outside 32-36 mm: under 27 mm or over 40 mm is an automatic rejection.
• Glasses reflection, tinted lenses, or frames covering the eyes.
• Headwear, caps, hoods, headphones or masks without a documented exception.
• Retouched or filtered image: skin smoothing, background replacement, AI generation.
• Old photo over 6 months, or one that no longer matches current appearance (beard, haircut).
• Wrong size: a 2x2 in (51 mm) square or a Schengen-style photo clipped to 35 mm.
• Blurry, grainy, overexposed, underexposed, photocopied or scanned prints.
• Uniform parts visible, earrings casting shadows, or an angle that is not full-face.

Kinder: 37.50 EUR Reisepass, both parents and Sorgerecht

A Kinderreisepass or a Reisepass for a minor follows the same 35x45 mm / 32-36 mm ICAO geometry. Since 1 January 2024 Germany no longer issues a separate Kinderreisepass; children are included on the parent's passport only until age 12, after which they get their own Reisepass or Personalausweis. Both parents or a guardian with Sorgerechtsbescheid must attend.

• Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprint enrolment; from age 6 onwards many Burgeramter still take two fingerprints.
• Both parents attend the Burgeramt with their Personalausweis, the child's birth certificate and a current biometrisches Lichtbild.
• If only one parent attends, a Sorgerechtsbeschluss or a notarised Einverstandniserklarung of the other is required.
• Babies may be photographed in the studio lying on a neutral grey sheet; no parent's hand, dummy or toy may appear.
• The child's eyes must be open and looking at the lens; for infants the neutral-expression rule is relaxed.
• No hat, bonnet or headband; religious head coverings follow the adult exception rule.
• Reisepass under 24 costs 37.50 EUR (valid 6 years); Personalausweis under 24 costs 10 EUR (valid 6 years).
• The ePassfoto for a child must still come from a conventioned photographer or the Burgeramt on site.
• School photos and babies photographed in a car seat are not accepted.
• Collection: a parent collects the document; the child need not attend unless aged 16+

German ID, travel and residency photos beyond the Reisepass

The 35x45 mm biometrisches Lichtbild standard is reused across the German ID ecosystem: Personalausweis, Fahrerlaubnis, Aufenthaltstitel and consular passes all follow the Auswartiges Amt sample sheet.

• Personalausweis (PA): same 35x45 mm / 32-36 mm photo; 22.80 EUR ab 24, 10 EUR unter 24; issued at the same Burgeramt.
• Vorlaufiger Reisepass / vorlaufiger Personalausweis: emergency documents, 26 EUR / 10 EUR, valid up to 12 months.
• Kinderreisepass: discontinued from 1 January 2024; children now get a regular Reisepass or PA.
• Fahrerlaubnis (Fuhrerschein): the Burgeramt/Fahrerlaubnisbehorde captures a separate photo; not the ePassfoto.
• Aufenthaltstitel (residence permit): biometric photo captured by the Auslanderbehorde; for foreign nationals.
• Schengen Type C visa: 35x45 mm, two prints, filed through VFS Global/TLScontact for the relevant embassy.
• Dienstpass / Diplomatenpass: for civil servants, ordered through the Auswartiges Amt; same biometric geometry.
• Ersatzpass / Notfallreisepass: issued by a German mission abroad in emergency; uses the same photo.
• Freizugigkeitsausweis for EU citizens: no photo requirement at the Burgeramt, but the PA of the home country is reused.

German official terms: Reisepass, Passbehörde, ePassfoto, Fotoautomat

German bureaucracy uses specific nouns that English applicants must recognise on the Burgeramt letter and the Auswartiges Amt sample sheet.

• Reisepass = the biometric passport; Personalausweis (PA) = the national ID card, both 35x45 mm.
• Biometrisches Lichtbild / Passfoto = the ICAO-compliant photo; 'Lichtbild' is the older word still used on forms.
• Passbehörde / Burgeramt / Rathaus = the municipal passport office; 'zustandig' means the office responsible for your Hauptwohnung.
• ePassfoto = the electronic biometric image expected since 1 May 2025, delivered by a conventioned photographer or captured on site.
• Fotoautomat / Passbildautomat = the walk-up photo booth; Fotograf = independent studio.
• Gebühr = fee; Reisepass 70 EUR ab 24, 37.50 EUR unter 24, vorlaufiger Reisepass 26 EUR.
• Hauptwohnung = your main registered residence; the Burgeramt of that address is the only zustandige office.
• Anmeldebestatigung / Meldebescheinigung = the registration proof you must bring to the appointment.
• Sorgerecht / Einverstandniserklarung = parental custody / consent declaration required for minors.
• Auslandszuschlag = the surcharge added by German missions abroad (PA abroad 89 EUR / 70.60 EUR).

Gotchas

• German passport photo dimensions (35x45 mm, 32-36 mm face) are identical to the Schengen visa photo - but this is a national passport, not a visa.
• The ideal background is neutral grey, not pure white; it must contrast with your hair and skin tone.
• Print at least 600 DPI for a sharp biometric image.
• No smiling and closed mouth; the authority may reject photos showing teeth.
• Since 1 May 2025 the Burgeramt expects an ePassfoto (electronic biometric image); ask whether your Rathaus takes the photo on site for a 6 EUR surcharge.
• Reisepass costs 70 EUR from age 24 and 37.50 EUR under 24; a vorlaufiger Reisepass costs 26 EUR.