Biometric passport photos Munich – Tips & Info

E-passport photos will be mandatory for identity cards from mid-2025.

Biometric passport photos are mandatory for:

• identity card
• passport
• new driver's licenses

Passport photo machines often advertise that they can produce biometric photos. If that goes wrong, you not only pay twice, but if your machine picture is rejected, you can go to the passport office or the office a second time. And that is not uncommon, because the machines often produce pixelated, blurred or even colored images. This contradicts the biometric guidelines.

It is also important that the people are well lit and that there are no reflections or shadows on the face or background. This can usually only be achieved with professional studio equipment.

By the way: you can get passport photos from Photogenika in Munich almost as quickly as from a machine. You can take the photos directly with you.

If you want a nice passport photo of yourself, you should prepare something for it. Women can accentuate their eyes and cheeks with makeup. Men should pay attention to a fresh beard care.

Important is:

The hair should not cover the face too much
The eyes must remain free
The following applies to people who wear glasses: the eyes must be clear and clearly recognizable. Reflections on the glasses, tinted glasses or sunglasses are not allowed. The rim of the lenses or the frame must not cover the eyes.

A passport photo shows only the collar. It is therefore advisable to wear a relatively high-necked piece of clothing, such as a blouse or shirt. Because it is advantageous if some clothing can still be seen in order not to appear too "naked". Thick turtlenecks, on the other hand, can give the impression that the neck is very short and are therefore not recommended.

Not allowed are:

• Headgear, except for religious reasons
• Other clothing that prevents the face from being seen from the bottom of the chin to the forehead

"Don't laugh, just look neutral". That is the requirement that makes it difficult to create a likeable photo. What many people don't know: a gentle smile is allowed! With exercises to relax facial muscles and a few tips from the photographer, passport photos don't have to be scary photos.

But there are a few rules to keep in mind:

• The head must not be turned or tilted
• The mouth must be closed
• The view must be frontal into the camera
• The eyes must be open and clearly visible

Showing teeth, as in the picture on the right, is unfortunately not allowed. A friendly smile is okay.

Here are just a few key points for the correct format of passport photos:

• The portrait format image is 45 millimeters high and 35 millimeters wide
• The entire head (including hair) must be visible
• The face height must be between 27 and 40 millimeters
• The face must be centered on the photo
  
  You can dem Catalog of the Federal Printing Office remove.

Children and babies have different proportions - and it takes a certain amount of sensitivity to get the right facial expression and correct posture from them. If you are looking for baby passport photos or e-passport photos for babies in Munich, the experienced photographers at Photogenika are the best choice.

These are some of the requirements for biometric baby photos, e-passport photos for babies and child passport photos:

The height of the face in children up to 10 years old must occupy 50 – 80 % of the photo. This corresponds to a height of 22 - 36 mm from the tip of the chin to the top of the head (without hairstyle). Otherwise, the same rules apply as for adults.

There are only a few exceptions to this rule for babies and toddlers up to the age of 6. You must also face the camera head-on. However, small deviations in facial expressions and viewing direction are tolerated.

For an e-passport photo, the employees in the office decide which deviations from the specifications are acceptable. For babies, the tilted head (right image) is not permitted on biometric images.