Dutch passport photos are 35x45mm and held to unusually strict standards — no glasses, no shadows, and a genuinely neutral expression.
Fit your head inside the guide
Chin to crown should measure 32-36mm.
Center your face on the vertical line
Head straight, shoulders square.
Keep the background even
No gradient, no shadow behind your head.
The 35x45mm format used for Dutch passport and ID card applications.
No glasses
The Netherlands does not accept glasses in ID photos.
Genuinely neutral expression
No smile at all — Dutch checks are strict.
No shadows anywhere
Not on your face, not on the background.
Taken within the last 6 months
Must reflect your current appearance.
35x45mm, and one of the strictest published photo standards in Europe — the pasfoto-eisen.
The Netherlands does not accept glasses in ID photos.
Dutch checks are stricter than most about this.
No gradient, no shadow, no texture.
Chin to crown, centred in the frame.
The Netherlands publishes an unusually detailed photo standard.
Dutch ID photo requirements — the pasfoto-eisen — are more prescriptive than most countries', covering lighting, background evenness, expression, hair position and sharpness in detail. Photos are checked against them at the gemeente counter when you apply.
The rules are also revised periodically. Check the current Rijksoverheid guidance before an appointment rather than relying on what was true a few years ago.
Glasses are not accepted in Dutch ID photos.
The Netherlands does not accept glasses in passport or ID card photos. This is stricter than the 'no glare' wording used elsewhere in Europe — there is no compliant way to keep them on.
If there is a medical reason you cannot remove them, raise it with your gemeente before the appointment rather than turning up with a photo that will be refused.
Even, plain, no gradient and no shadow.
The background must be plain, light and even across the whole frame. A gradient — brighter on one side than the other — fails, even though the wall itself is a single colour.
Stand about a metre from the wall and light your face from the front with a soft, even source. Shadows under the nose or on one cheek are among the most commonly cited faults.
Neutral face, eyes clearly visible, hair off the eyes.
Keep a genuinely neutral expression with your mouth closed. A slight smile that would pass elsewhere is frequently refused here.
Both eyes must be clearly visible and your hair must not fall across them. The face should be sharp and in focus from the chin to the top of the head.
Printed at 35 x 45mm, 827 x 1063px, JPG/PNG. Computed from this photo's own specification, not typed by hand.
Requirements verified · Source: netherlandsworldwide.nl
Create the 35x45mm photo a Dutch passport or ID card needs — even background, no shadows, free and 100% private.
Choose a clear, recent photo from your phone or computer.
We crop to 35x45mm with a 32-36mm head and an even background.
Save the file and print it for your gemeente appointment.
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