Make Czechia Passport Photo

A Czech passport application is made in person at a municipal office with extended jurisdiction, and photographs and signatures are now taken directly at the counter as part of that appointment — so you do not need to bring a photo with you. The official photographs you, takes your fingerprints and captures your digital signature in one sitting.

There is one documented exception: a passport issued without biometric data. If that is what you are applying for, you do need to supply your own photograph.

This is the same model as Portugal's Loja do Cidadão and Sweden's Polisen offices. It makes the process simpler but it also means a photo you prepared at home may never be used — so the useful first step is confirming what your office expects rather than paying for prints.

Czech citizens applying through an embassy or consulate abroad may need to submit a photograph, and requirements there differ from the domestic counter process.

The same 35x45mm frame also covers Schengen visas, EU national ID cards, residence documents and plenty of everyday paperwork, so a correctly cropped photo is worth having regardless.

Czechia uses the 35x45mm ICAO 9303 photo shared by all EU member states. Your head should measure 32-36mm from chin to crown — about 70-80% of the frame height — centred, with a small gap above the hair.

The background should be plain and even in a light tone, with no pattern, gradient or shadow behind your head.

Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed, both eyes open and clearly visible, and your head level and square to the camera.

Sunglasses and tinted lenses are refused. Ordinary glasses are best removed, since frames crossing the eyes and reflections on the lenses are common causes of rejection. Hats and head coverings are only permitted for religious reasons. Any photo you submit must be no more than six months old, and processes can change — check current guidance for the office handling your application.