Applying for a Czech passport? Every biometric passport issued by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic needs a photo that meets a strict 35 by 45 mm standard, with the face measured to the millimetre and set against a plain, evenly lit background. Small mistakes cause big delays. A head placed too high, a faint shadow behind the shoulder, or a picture older than six months is enough for an officer to reject the file and send you back to the úřad. Getting the framing right the first time keeps your application moving. This Czech Republic passport photo maker crops, positions and formats your picture to national and ICAO biometric rules in seconds.
Why upload here
Trimming a photo by hand in a phone gallery or in Photoshop almost always breaks a Czech rule somewhere, usually the head height or a stray shadow. Uploading here hands the fiddly measurements to the tool so you get a submission-ready result.
Your photo is cropped to an exact 35 x 45 mm frame without guesswork or trial and error.
The face is centred and sized to Czech and ICAO limits, with the correct gap above the head.
Width, height and head proportions are locked to the Ministry of the Interior specification.
Busy or shadowed backgrounds are replaced with a clean, uniform light backdrop.
Download a single photo or a print-ready 10x15 cm sheet for a Czech kiosk or lab.
No design skills, no software installs. Everything happens in your browser in a few taps.
Specification
These values follow the standard used by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic for machine-readable biometric passports. They also apply to Czech visa and residence photos, which share the same 35 x 45 mm format.
| Requirement | Czech Republic Specification |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 35 x 45 mm, portrait orientation (stands on the shorter side) |
| Width | 35 mm |
| Height | 45 mm |
| Background | Plain white or light grey, uniform, no shadows, patterns or objects |
| Head size | Head fills roughly 70–80% of the height; face from eyes to chin at least 13 mm; minimum 2 mm gap above the head |
| Resolution | Sharp and high resolution; 600 DPI ideal, 300 DPI minimum for print |
| File format | JPEG for digital use (sRGB); printed on quality photo paper 0.13–0.27 mm thick |
| Glasses | Best removed; if worn, eyes fully visible with no glare, reflections or tinted lenses |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open, looking straight at the camera |
| Photo age | Taken within the last 6 months and matching your current appearance |
| Digital submission | Biometric passport photos are captured at the office; JPEG files are used for express, temporary, consular and visa applications |
Country guidance
Czech biometric passports (cestovní pas se strojově čitelnou zónou a biometrickými údaji) are issued by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. Applications are lodged at a municipal office with extended competence (obecní úřad obce s rozšířenou působností) or, for citizens living abroad, at a Czech embassy or consulate. A standard passport is valid for ten years, or five years for applicants under the age of fifteen.
For a standard biometric passport applied for inside the Czech Republic, staff at the office capture your photograph and fingerprints on the spot, so you typically do not hand over a printed photo. A compliant 35 x 45 mm photo is still needed in several common situations, which is where this tool helps.
Standard ten-year e-passports requested at a Czech municipal office. The clerk photographs you at the counter using approved equipment.
The Ministry of the Interior sets precise geometry for the face. The photograph shows the head and the top of the shoulders facing the camera, with the central line of the face aligned to the lens. The face measured from the eyes to the chin must be at least 13 mm, there must be a gap of at least 2 mm above the top of the head, and hair must not fall across the eyes. Photos taken over the shoulder, turned to the side or with a tilted head are not accepted.
Children under fifteen receive a passport valid for five years. The photo rules are the same 35 x 45 mm standard, which makes infants tricky to photograph.
Czech passports are not extended, so a renewal means a brand new booklet and a new biometric capture. When you renew at a municipal office your photo is taken again at the counter. If you renew through a consulate or apply for an express document, supply a fresh 35 x 45 mm photo that reflects your current look. A photo reused from your last application will normally be refused because it no longer matches your appearance.
Where a digital photo is accepted, such as consular or visa channels, save it as a high-resolution JPEG in the sRGB colour space, with true 35 x 45 mm proportions. Do not retouch, smooth skin, remove blemishes or apply filters. Retouching that hides or alters distinctive features like the eyebrows or chin is a direct cause of rejection. Reflections that obscure the face are not allowed either.
Czech travel documents follow the ICAO 9303 machine-readable standard and European Union rules on biometric passports. The chip inside the booklet stores your facial image and fingerprints, so the photograph must be sharp, correctly lit and framed tightly enough for automated face matching at border control. That is why head position and even lighting are treated so strictly.
DIY guide
Yes, when you need a printed or digital photo you can shoot it at home with a modern phone, as long as you respect the geometry and lighting the Ministry expects. Upload the result here and the tool handles the crop and background.
Use the rear camera of a recent smartphone. Front cameras add distortion that widens the nose and face.
Face a window or use two soft light sources so both sides of the face are lit evenly. Avoid harsh overhead light that casts shadows under the eyes.
Stand about half a metre in front of a plain white or light grey wall so no shadow falls behind your shoulders.
Keep the camera roughly 1.5 to 2 metres away at eye level and zoom slightly, rather than holding it close to your face.
Order a 35 x 45 mm print or a 10x15 cm sheet from a Czech photo lab or kiosk on genuine photo paper, not plain office paper.
Smiling, a tilted head, glasses glare, wearing white against a white wall, and hair across the eyes are the errors we see most.
Format comparison
Travellers holding both documents often assume one photo covers both. It does not. The Czech and United States formats differ in almost every measurement.
| Feature | Czech Republic | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 35 x 45 mm | 51 x 51 mm (2 x 2 inches) |
| Head size | ~70–80% of height; face at least 13 mm | 25–35 mm chin to crown (about 50–69%) |
| Background | White or light grey | Plain white or off-white |
| Submission format | Mostly captured at the office; printed 35 x 45 mm or JPEG for express and consular use | 2 x 2 inch print, or digital upload for online renewals |
| Compliance notes | EU and ICAO rules; glasses allowed if there is no glare | Square format; glasses banned since November 2016 |
Step by step
Five steps take you from a phone snapshot to a photo formatted for the Ministry of the Interior.
Drop in a JPEG, PNG or WebP shot against a light wall using the upload box above.
The tool trims your image to an exact 35 x 45 mm frame and positions the eye line automatically.
A busy or shadowed backdrop is replaced with a clean, uniform white or light grey background.
Check the live preview against the Czech head-height, expression and lighting guides shown on screen.
Save a single compliant photo or a print-ready sheet for a Czech kiosk, lab or consular upload.
Avoid these
Most refusals at Czech offices and consulates trace back to a short list of fixable issues.
Passport photo requirements can change, and the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic or a consulate may apply additional conditions to a specific application. Always verify the current rules with the official passport authority before you submit.
Passport Photo Maker helps you create a photo that follows the published Czech specification, but final approval always rests with the issuing authority.
Questions
Your photo should be taken within the last six months and reflect how you currently look. If you have changed your appearance significantly, for example growing a beard or changing hairstyle, take a fresh photo before you apply.
A neutral expression is required. Keep your mouth closed, both eyes open and look straight into the camera. Smiling, raised eyebrows or an open mouth can lead to rejection because they distort the biometric measurements.
Glasses are best removed. If you must wear them, your eyes have to be fully visible with no glare, reflections or tinted lenses, and the frames must not cover any part of your eyes.
Use a sharp, high-resolution image. For a printed 35 x 45 mm photo, 600 DPI is ideal and 300 DPI is the practical minimum. Save digital files as JPEG in the sRGB colour space with no filters or retouching.
For a standard biometric passport applied for in the Czech Republic, your photo and fingerprints are captured at the municipal office, so you usually do not bring a printed photo. You do need a compliant 35 x 45 mm photo for express or temporary passports issued without a chip, and for applications at Czech embassies and consulates abroad.
The Czech standard is 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall, held in portrait orientation. The Ministry of the Interior specifies a face height of at least 13 mm from the eyes to the chin and at least a 2 mm gap between the top of the head and the top edge of the photo.
Use a plain, uniform background in white or light grey with no shadows, patterns or objects behind you. Even lighting matters, because a shadow on the wall behind your shoulder is one of the most common reasons Czech photos are returned.
Both use the 35 x 45 mm format and ICAO biometric framing, so a well-made photo often works for each. Always confirm the exact rules for your specific application, since a consulate or the Ministry of the Interior can set additional conditions.
Keep exploring
Heading to a municipal office, a consulate abroad or applying for an express passport? Upload your picture and walk in with a photo that already matches the Ministry of the Interior 35 x 45 mm standard. No queues, no reprints.
