Norway Passport Photo Maker
A Norway passport photo must be 35 × 45 mm (413 × 531 pixels at 300 DPI) on a plain, evenly lit light background, with the head about 34.5 mm from chin to crown — and glasses must be removed.
The Norwegian Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet), working through local police stations and UDI for related travel documents, applies this standard strictly. Norway is one of the few countries that asks applicants to remove glasses and headgear entirely, which trips up a surprising number of first-time applicants. Most rejected photos fail on head size, background shadows, or simply being too old. Getting the framing and background right before you ever step into a police station saves a wasted trip and a second appointment.
Norway Passport Photo Size (Quick Answer)
The Norway passport photo size is 35 mm × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm or 1.38 × 1.77 inches), equal to 413 × 531 pixels at 300 DPI with a 7:9 portrait ratio. The head fills 70–80% of the frame height, roughly 34.5 mm chin to crown.
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm / 1.38 × 1.77 in) |
|---|---|
| Pixels @ 300 DPI | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels @ 600 DPI | 826 × 1062 px |
| Aspect ratio | 7 : 9 portrait |
| Head height | Approximately 34.5 mm, 70–80% of frame height |
| Background | Plain, evenly lit light grey or white |
| Glasses | Not permitted — must be removed |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, facing forward |
| Photo age | No older than 6 months |
| Issuing authority | Politidirektoratet (Norwegian Police Directorate); UDI for visas and residence permits |
Why Upload Here Instead of Editing the Photo Yourself
Automatic 35x45mm Crop
The tool crops to Norway's exact 35x45mm frame instead of you eyeballing it in an editor.
Biometric Head Framing
Your head is sized to the 70–80% frame ratio Norwegian authorities expect, automatically.
Correct, Even Background
Backgrounds are replaced with a plain, evenly lit tone — no shadows, no manual cloning.
Printable Photo Sheet
Get a print-ready sheet sized correctly for in-person submission at a police station.
No Photoshop Required
No design software, no layers, no guesswork — just upload and download.
413 × 531 Pixel Output
Exports at the exact 300 DPI pixel dimensions the 35x45mm standard resolves to.
Norway Passport Photo Visual Reference
Norway uses the 35 × 45 mm biometric frame shared across the Nordic region, the Schengen area and the wider EU. The diagram below marks the frame proportions, the 70–80% head-height band and the pixel equivalent at 300 DPI.
Norway Passport Photo Requirements
These specifications come from Norwegian police and UDI guidance and apply to passports, national ID cards, and most visa or residence permit photos alike. Each rule links to the detailed standard in the passport photo rules library.
| Photo Size | 35mm x 45mm (3.5 x 4.5 cm / 1.38 x 1.77 in) |
|---|---|
| Width | 35mm (413 px @ 300 DPI) |
| Height | 45mm (531 px @ 300 DPI) |
| Aspect Ratio | 7 : 9 portrait |
| Background | Plain, evenly lit, light grey or white — no shadows or texture. See background colour rules |
| Lighting | Flat and even, no shadow on the face or the wall. See shadow rules |
| Head Size | Approximately 34.5mm chin-to-crown, 70–80% of frame height. See head size rules |
| Face Coverage | 70–80% of the frame. See face size requirements |
| Eyes | Both eyes open, looking straight at the camera, clearly visible. See eyes requirements |
| Hair | Must not cover the eyes or obscure the outline of the face. See hair rules |
| Ears | Not explicitly required, but the full face outline must be clear. See ears visibility rules |
| Resolution | High resolution, sharp focus, colour (not black and white). See resolution rules |
| File Format | JPG, PNG, or PDF depending on submission channel; printed photo paper for in-person appointments |
| Glasses Rules | Not permitted — glasses must be removed for the photo. See glasses rules |
| Headgear | Not permitted except for daily religious wear with the full face visible. See head covering rules |
| Expression Rules | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open, facing forward. See smile rules |
| Photo Age | No older than 6 months; must reflect current appearance |
| Digital Submission Rules | No retouching, filters, or background editing — the original capture must be unaltered aside from cropping |
Norway Passport Photo Size in Pixels and Other Units
Norwegian guidance publishes the size in millimetres, but a digital file is validated in pixels. The 35 × 45 mm frame resolves as follows.
Why 300 DPI is the floor
At 150 DPI the same 35 × 45 mm frame is only 207 × 266 pixels, which prints visibly pixelated at physical size and fails a sharpness check. Upscaling a small file to 413 × 531 does not help — interpolation invents pixels rather than detail, and the softness around the eyes and hairline is detectable. Shoot wide and crop down instead. The crop guide explains how the 7:9 ratio and the head-height band are applied together.
For pixel conversions across every country standard see passport photo size in pixels, and for the full worldwide size reference see passport size photo dimensions.
Need a 413 × 531 pixel file with an even light background? Open the Passport Photo Maker and it is generated automatically.
Norwegian Police Directorate Overview
The Norwegian Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet) oversees passport issuance through local police stations, where biometric photos are typically captured directly at the appointment using approved equipment. For visas, residence permits, and related travel documents, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) applies the same facial photo standard, since the two systems are designed to produce interchangeable biometric records. This is part of why Norway's rules feel stricter than neighbouring countries: a photo good enough for a passport should also work for a residence card application without modification.
If you are applying for a Norwegian visa or residence permit rather than a passport, the facial standard is the same but the submission route differs — see the Norway visa photo requirements guide. Travellers applying for a short-stay Schengen visa to Norway should use the Schengen visa photo specification.
Passport Application Process
Norwegian citizens generally apply for a passport in person at a police station, where staff capture the biometric photo on-site rather than accepting a photo brought from home in most cases. That said, applicants benefit from preparing a correctly sized, compliant photo in advance — it's useful for related applications through UDI, for renewing a photo ID, or for double-checking what the in-station photo should look like before the appointment. Booking the appointment ahead of time is recommended, since walk-ins are often not accepted at busier stations.
Child and Infant Passport Photo Requirements
Children and infants follow the same 35x45mm sizing, light background and head-height band as adults. There is no smaller format and no relaxed background rule for babies. What changes is a narrow set of practical allowances, and the points below are the ones that most often cause a child photo to be sent back.
Same size, same head band
35 × 45 mm frame with the head filling 70–80% of the height. No age exemption applies to dimensions or framing.
Child alone in the frame
No hands, arms, toys, dummies or supporting adults may be visible. Support the child from behind a plain light sheet.
Eyes: relaxed for infants
Infants may have their eyes partially closed. Older children must have both eyes open with a neutral expression, as adults do.
Shoot from directly above
For babies who cannot hold their head up, lay them on a plain light sheet and photograph straight down, avoiding shadow across the face.
Soft, indirect daylight
Overhead light from one side creates the background shadow that fails the check. Use diffuse window light instead.
Crop from a wide source
Shoot wide and crop down. Cropping tightly in-camera on a small face leaves too few pixels once the 7:9 frame is applied.
Positioning, lighting and timing technique for newborns and toddlers is covered in the baby passport photo at home guide. The eyes requirements and shadow rules pages cover the two checks that fail most often on child photos.
Can I Take My Norway Passport Photo at Home?
You can capture the source image at home, though for an actual passport the biometric photo is usually taken at the police station itself. For ID and visa-style photos taken independently, here's what matters:
Phone Camera Requirements
Use the rear camera at eye level, about 1.2–1.5 meters from the subject, with the phone held steady — a tripod or a helper holding the phone removes most blur and tilt issues. Switch off portrait blur and skin smoothing, both of which alter facial geometry and breach Norway's no-editing rule.
Lighting
Face a window or soft daylight source rather than using flash. Flat, even light avoids the shadows that are one of the most common reasons Norwegian photos get sent back.
Background
Stand at least a meter from a plain wall to avoid cast shadows, though a tool can replace the background afterward if your wall isn't ideal.
Distance From Camera
Frame so the head and top of the shoulders are visible, leaving room above the head — cropping too tight is a common mistake that pushes the head ratio out of range.
File Handling
If your phone saves HEIC files, convert to JPEG before uploading anywhere — see the HEIC to JPEG guide. Portal file-size rules across authorities are covered in the digital passport photo requirements guide.
The specific mistakes that cause refusal are listed in common rejection reasons below.
Common Rejection Reasons for Norway Passport Photos
Each item links to the detailed rule so you can confirm the exact tolerance before your appointment. The full cross-country breakdown is in passport photo rejection reasons.
- Incorrect dimensions or scaling away from 35x45mm — see the crop guide
- Wearing glasses, which Norway does not permit in the photo — see glasses rules
- Background shadows or uneven lighting behind the head — see shadow rules
- Background not plain or not light in tone — see background colour rules
- Head positioned too large or too small in the frame — see head size rules
- Eyes closed, looking away, or obscured — see eyes requirements
- Hair falling across the eyes or the face outline — see hair rules
- Photo older than 6 months or no longer matching appearance
- Smiling, frowning, or any non-neutral expression — see smile rules
- Visible retouching, filters, portrait blur, or background editing
- Headgear worn for non-religious reasons — see head covering rules
- Low resolution or soft focus below 413 x 531 pixels — see resolution rules
Printing a 35x45mm Norwegian Passport Photo
Home printer scaling is the single most common cause of a physically incorrect Norwegian passport photo. A 413 × 531 pixel file prints at exactly 35 × 45 mm only when the print resolution is set to 300 DPI and fit-to-page scaling is switched off.
| Print resolution | 300 DPI — disable fit-to-page and auto-scaling |
|---|---|
| Paper | Glossy or matte photo paper, 200–250 gsm. Plain copier paper is refused |
| Copies per 4 × 6 in sheet | 6 copies of 35 × 45 mm with cutting margins |
| Copies per A4 sheet | Around 20 copies of 35 × 45 mm |
| Cutting | Guillotine or steel rule for square edges. Do not cut inside the printed border |
| Colour management | sRGB. Turn off printer auto-enhance, skin smoothing and colour correction |
| Handling | Let ink dry fully. Do not staple, fold or glue the photo face |
Printer settings and cutting technique are covered in full in the print passport photo at home guide, and multi-copy sheet layout in the print sheet guide.
Our tool exports a print-ready sheet automatically. Generate a Norway print sheet and cut along the guide lines.
Norway Passport Photo vs Other Countries
Norway shares the 35 × 45 mm frame with its Nordic neighbours, the Schengen area and the wider EU, so the size itself travels well. What differs is the background shade and the glasses rule — and the United States uses an entirely different square format.
| Specification | Norway | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 35mm x 45mm | 2in x 2in (51mm x 51mm) |
| Pixels @ 300 DPI | 413 × 531 px | 600 × 600 px |
| Aspect ratio | 7 : 9 portrait | 1 : 1 square |
| Head Size | ~34.5mm, 70–80% of frame | 1in to 1 3/8in (25–35mm) |
| Background | Plain light grey or white, evenly lit | Plain white or off-white |
| Glasses | Not permitted | Not permitted since 2016 |
| Submission Format | Mostly captured in-person at police stations | Printed photo submitted with paper application |
| Compliance Differences | No retouching of any kind, including background smoothing | Colour correction allowed within limits; background must still look natural |
Norway compared with its Nordic and EU neighbours
| Country | Size | Background | Head Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 35 × 45 mm | Plain light grey or white | ~34.5 mm |
| Sweden | 35 × 45 mm | Light grey | 32–36 mm |
| Denmark | 35 × 45 mm | Light grey | 32–36 mm |
| Iceland | 35 × 45 mm | Light grey / white | 32–36 mm |
| Finland | 36 × 47 mm | Light grey | 32–36 mm |
| Germany | 35 × 45 mm | Light grey | 32–36 mm |
| Netherlands | 35 × 45 mm | Light grey | 32–36 mm |
| EU standard | 35 × 45 mm | Light grey | 32–36 mm |
Note that Finland is the Nordic exception at 36 × 47 mm — a Norwegian photo is not directly reusable there. Every national standard is indexed in the passport photo requirements by country hub.
How to Create a Norway Passport Photo
Upload
Upload a recent, well-lit photo taken straight-on, without glasses or headgear.
Crop
The tool crops to the 35x45mm frame and adjusts head size to Norway's 70–80% ratio.
Background
Your background is replaced with an even, plain light tone that meets the standard.
Verify
A compliance check flags issues like shadows, tilt, or incorrect head proportions before you download.
Download
Download a 413 × 531 pixel file or a print-ready sheet sized for in-person submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Size & Dimensions
What size does a Norway passport photo need to be?
A Norwegian passport photo must measure 35x45mm, with the head taking up roughly 70-80% of the frame height. The Norwegian Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet) and UDI apply this standard to passports, national ID cards, visas, and residence permits alike.
What is the Norway passport photo size in pixels?
A 35x45mm Norwegian passport photo equals 413 x 531 pixels at 300 DPI, or 826 x 1062 pixels at 600 DPI. The aspect ratio is 7:9 portrait. Anything below 300 DPI prints pixelated at 35x45mm and fails the sharpness check.
Appearance & Compliance
Can I wear glasses in my Norwegian passport photo?
No. Norwegian police guidance specifies that glasses and headgear should not be worn in passport, ID, and visa photos, which is stricter than the rule in many other countries. Head coverings worn daily for religious reasons remain an exception, provided the full face is visible.
What background color is required for a Norway passport photo?
The background must be plain, evenly lit, and light in tone, typically light grey or white, with no shadows, patterns, or texture behind the head and shoulders.
How old can a Norway passport photo be?
The photo should not be older than 6 months and must reflect your current appearance. A new photo is required if your appearance has changed significantly, though normal changes like a new hairstyle do not require a retake.
Why was my Norway passport photo rejected?
Common reasons include incorrect head size, an uneven or shadowed background, wearing glasses or headgear, smiling or tilting the head, or submitting a photo older than 6 months. Retouched or filtered photos are also rejected under Norway's strict no-editing rule.
Children & Related Documents
What are the Norway passport photo rules for a baby or child?
Children and infants follow the same 35x45mm size, light background and head-height band as adults. Only the child may appear in the frame, with no hands, toys or supporting adults visible. Infants may have their eyes partially closed, but older children must have both eyes open and a neutral expression. See the child and infant requirements section.
Is the Norwegian passport photo the same as a Norway visa photo?
The facial photo standard is shared: both use 35x45mm with a light background and the same head proportions, because Politidirektoratet and UDI are designed to produce interchangeable biometric records. What differs is the submission channel, since passport biometrics are captured at a police station while UDI applications follow their own process. See Norway visa photo requirements.
Taking & Printing
Can I take my own passport photo for Norway at home?
Yes, as long as the lighting is even, the background is plain and light, and the final image is cropped to the exact 35x45mm dimensions with correct head sizing. Many applicants take the photo at home with a phone and use a tool to handle the cropping and background.
Is a smartphone photo acceptable for a Norway passport application?
A smartphone photo can work as the source image, but it must be unedited, sharply in focus, evenly lit, and cropped to exact biometric proportions. Selfies are generally discouraged since maintaining a level, front-facing angle without help is difficult.
How do I print a 35x45mm Norwegian passport photo at home?
Print at 300 DPI on glossy or matte photo paper and disable any fit-to-page scaling, which is the most common cause of incorrect sizing. A 4 x 6 inch sheet holds six 35x45mm copies and an A4 sheet holds around twenty. Cut with a guillotine for square edges.
Does Norway allow digital photo uploads for passport applications?
Photos for Norwegian passports are typically captured directly at a police station or submitted in person rather than uploaded independently online, since biometric enrolment happens at the appointment. A correctly sized printed or digital photo is still useful preparation, including for related applications through UDI.
Official Sources & References
- Politiet (Norwegian Police) — passport and ID services: politiet.no
- UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) — visa and residence permit photo guidance: udi.no
- European Commission — Schengen borders and visa policy: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
- ICAO Doc 9303 — Machine Readable Travel Documents biometric photograph standard: icao.int
Related Pages
Create Your Norway Passport Photo Now
Skip the second trip to the police station — upload your photo and get a 35x45mm, 413 × 531 pixel compliant result in seconds.