Dutch passport photo · 35 × 45 mm

Checked and laid out to the official RvIG Fotomatrix Model 2020 and the Government of the Netherlands English guidance, checked by us on 2026-08-17.

The Dutch head size is smaller than almost everyone else’s — 26–30 mm from chin to crown, against the 32–36 mm most countries use — with one of the tightest tolerances we cover. A photo sized for another country will fail the acceptance matrix, which is exactly why we lay out to the Fotomatrix figures. The criteria also demand a photo unaltered by computer software, so we only crop, position and size — and the finished file is for printing at 400 dpi on smooth photo paper, since the Netherlands has no self-service digital upload.

Which document is this photo for?

Check your photo

Free check, free watermarked preview — you pay only to download the finished file.

Head and shoulders in frame, with clear space above the hair — the head should fill about half the photo, not all of it.

This document needs a wider shot: include your chest, not just head and shoulders — the head can fill at most 62% of the photo height.

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Official specification

Finished size	35 × 45 mm
Head height (chin to crown)	26 – 30 mm
Eye height	not published by this authority
Background	plain light grey, light blue or white — one flat, even colour
File formats	not published by this authority
File size	not published by this authority
Taken within	the last 6 months

Full rules

The photo must be 35 mm wide by 45 mm high.
Face length from chin to crown between 26 and 30 mm for ages 11 and over; between 19 and 30 mm for children up to 10.
Face width between 16 and 20 mm, excluding the ears.
No more than 6 months old at the date of application.
The background must be light grey, light blue or white — flat, a single colour, with enough contrast against the head.
The photo must be unaltered by computer software, a true likeness, and a natural representation of you.
Sharp, with sufficient contrast and detail, undamaged, not a copy, printed on high-quality smooth photo paper at a minimum of 400 dpi.
Head straight to the camera and centred: eyes on a horizontal line, head not tilted, shoulders straight.
Even lighting over face and background alike — no under- or overexposure, no shadows, no reflections, no white spots from flash on shiny skin.
The head may remain covered on religious or philosophical grounds; otherwise the head must be fully shown.

Sources

https://www.government.nl/topics/identification-documents/requirements-for-photos
Government of the Netherlands — Requirements for ID photos (official English summary) · we checked it 2026-08-17

The size must be 35 mm x 45 mm (width x height). ... Face width: Between 16 mm and 20 mm (excluding ears). Face length (11+): between 26 mm and 30 mm (chin to crown). Face length (under 11): between 19 mm and 30 mm (chin to crown). ... be no more than 6 months old at the date of application ... light grey, light blue or white ... have a minimum resolution of 400 dpi ... unaltered by computer software ... a true likeness ... a natural representation.

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/brochures/2020/03/23/fotomatrix-2020
Rijksdienst voor Identiteitsgegevens (RvIG), Ministry of the Interior — Fotomatrix Model 2020 · page updated 2020-03-23 · we checked it 2026-08-17

Foto op ware grootte: b 35 mm h 45 mm. VANAF 11 jaar: min. 26 mm – max. 30 mm. TOT EN MET 10 jaar: min. 19 mm – max. 30 mm. min. 16 mm – max. 20 mm. ACCEPTATIECRITERIA: In kleur; Goedgelijkend; Natuurlijke weergave; Scherp, voldoende contrast en gedetailleerd; Onbeschadigd; Geen kopie; Niet bewerkt; Afgedrukt op hoogwaardig, glad fotopapier; Minimaal 400 dpi resolutie. ACHTERGROND: Grijs, lichtblauw of wit; Egaal; Eénkleurig; Voldoende contrast.

Questions

What are the Dutch passport photo requirements?

35 x 45 mm, no more than 6 months old, a true likeness in natural representation, sharp with sufficient contrast, unaltered by computer software, against a flat, single-colour light grey, light blue or white background, printed on high-quality smooth photo paper at a minimum of 400 dpi.

What head size does the Netherlands require?

From chin to crown: between 26 and 30 mm for ages 11 and over, and between 19 and 30 mm for children up to 10. Note this is smaller than the 32–36 mm many countries use — a photo laid out for another country will fail the Dutch acceptance matrix.

Does the background have to be white?

No — light grey, light blue or white all pass, as long as it is one flat, even colour with enough contrast against your head. The Fotomatrix even advises photographers to pick a lighter or darker shade so you stand out, because the passport picture is laser-engraved in greyscale.

Can the photo be edited?

No. The official acceptance criteria include 'niet bewerkt' — not edited — and the English guidance says unaltered by computer software. We only crop, position and size, and never touch your background or your face.

Can I upload the photo somewhere?

There is no self-service digital upload for Dutch passports — you hand in a printed photo with your application. What we produce is a correctly laid-out file for you to print at 400 dpi or better on smooth photo paper.

What about the face width and eye position rules?

The Fotomatrix specifies a face width of 16–20 mm excluding ears and draws an eye-position zone, but publishes no millimetre figure for the eyes. We list both rules and lay out so they are naturally satisfied, but our automated geometry cannot measure them directly, so check the preview by eye.

Our own assumptions

The Netherlands has no self-service digital upload for passport photos — you hand in a printed photo. What we produce is a correctly laid-out file for you to have printed on smooth photo paper at 400 dpi or better.
⚠️ The official 26–30 mm head height is the smallest of any document we cover, with one of the tightest tolerances (±7.1%). If facial landmarks are not detected, the fallback estimate cannot guarantee the official range and we say so.
The Fotomatrix also draws an eye-position zone and specifies a face width of 16–20 mm excluding ears. It publishes no millimetre figure for the eye position, and our outline-based geometry cannot measure ear-excluded face width, so we list both rules but do not check them automatically.
Our background check accepts all three official colours; a saturated light-blue studio background may report as a warning rather than a clean pass — that is our neutral-leaning threshold, not the Fotomatrix rejecting it.
The chin is measured by 68-point facial landmarks; the crown comes from the top of the cut-out outline. Assumed accuracy ±5%, calibrated only on synthetic fixtures.

Where the authority does not specify something, we say so rather than pretending it does. The points above are our engineering choices, not official requirements.