Switzerland · Federal Office of Police (fedpol)
A Swiss passport photo must be 35 mm wide by 45 mm tall on a plain light background, with the head measuring 27–35 mm from chin to crown and taken within the last 6 months.
Swiss travel documents follow the biometric standard set federally by the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) under the Federal Department of Justice and Police, and align with ICAO Doc 9303. Applications are made in person at a cantonal passport office, where fingerprints and a facial image are captured. Photos that miss the measurements, show shadows, include glare from eyewear, or were taken more than six months ago are routinely refused. Passport Photo Maker applies the correct 35×45 mm crop, positions the head inside the required range, and replaces the background, so your photo arrives ready to submit.
The Switzerland passport photo size is 35 mm × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm), a portrait rectangle with a 7:9 aspect ratio. The head must measure 27–35 mm chin to crown, which is 60–78% of the 45 mm frame height. At 300 DPI the photo equals 413 × 531 pixels.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 35 × 45 mm (3.5 × 4.5 cm / 1.38 × 1.77 in) |
| Aspect ratio | 7 : 9 portrait |
| Pixels @ 300 DPI | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels @ 600 DPI | 826 × 1062 px |
| Head height (chin to crown) | 27 – 35 mm (60–78% of frame height) |
| Background | Plain, uniform light tone — white or very light grey |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open |
| Age of photo | Within the last 6 months |
| Copies required | Typically two identical prints, or on-site capture |
| Issuing authority | Federal Office of Police (fedpol), via cantonal passport offices |
Switzerland shares this 35×45 mm format with most of Europe. See the 35×45 mm photo size guide for the cross-country reference, or browse every standard in the requirements by country hub. Every rule below is explained in the passport photo rules library.
Upload a selfie or portrait photo — we handle the rest in seconds.
Check Your PhotoYour image opens directly in Passport Photo Maker with a 35×45 mm European template pre-selected — the same format Switzerland uses. No account required.
The tool crops to exactly 35×45 mm and positions your face to the required head height — no guesswork.
Face detection centres your head between 27 mm and 35 mm in the frame, matching the Swiss biometric standard.
Any background in your original photo is replaced with a compliant plain light tone in one step.
Download a 4×6 inch print sheet holding six 35×45 mm photos arranged for standard photo lab printing.
Output at 600 DPI (826 × 1062 pixels) — suitable for both digital submissions and physical prints.
Everything happens in the browser. No software installation, no design skills needed.
Switzerland uses the same 35 × 45 mm portrait frame as Germany, France, Italy, Austria and the wider Schengen area. The diagram below shows the proportions: a 7:9 rectangle with the head occupying the upper portion of the frame and a small margin above the crown.
The following specifications reflect the Swiss federal biometric photo standard published through the national passport service and align with ICAO Document 9303. Each rule links to the detailed standard in our rules library.
| Specification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Photo Size | 35 × 45 mm (width × height) |
| Width | 35 mm (413 px @ 300 DPI) |
| Height | 45 mm (531 px @ 300 DPI) |
| Aspect Ratio | 7 : 9 portrait — a square crop is refused |
| Background | Plain white or very light grey; uniform with no patterns or gradients. See background colour rules |
| Lighting | Even and diffuse; no shadow on the face or behind the head; no red-eye. See shadow rules |
| Head Height | 27–35 mm chin to crown, which is 60–78% of the 45 mm frame height. See head size rules |
| Face Coverage | Face must fill the frame without cropping the crown or chin. See face size requirements |
| Head Position | Centred and square to the camera; no tilt or rotation |
| Eyes | Open, clearly visible, looking directly at the lens. See eyes requirements |
| Hair | Must not cover the eyes or obscure the outline of the face. See hair rules |
| Ears | Not mandatory, but the face outline must remain clear. See ears visibility rules |
| Print Resolution | 600 DPI recommended (826 × 1062 px); 300 DPI minimum. See resolution rules |
| File Format | JPEG for digital submission; colour print on photo paper for physical submission |
| Colour | 24-bit colour, sRGB, natural skin tones, no filters or beautification |
| Copies Required | Typically two identical prints from the same session, or on-site biometric capture |
| Glasses | Strongly discouraged; refused if glare or obscured eyes. Tinted lenses never accepted. See glasses rules |
| Expression | Neutral; mouth closed; eyes open and clearly visible. See smile rules |
| Head Coverings | Not permitted except for documented religious reasons, face fully visible. See head covering rules |
| Retouching | Not permitted — no filters, skin smoothing, slimming or tone adjustment |
| Photo Age | Taken within the last 6 months |
Photo appointment booked? Generate a compliant 35×45 mm photo in about a minute.
Millimetres describe the printed photo; pixels describe the digital file. Both matter, because a file that measures 35 × 45 mm on paper still fails if the pixel count is too low to print sharply. The conversion is simply millimetres divided by 25.4, multiplied by DPI.
| Resolution | Pixel dimensions | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI | 99 × 127 px | Screen only — never accepted |
| 150 DPI | 207 × 266 px | Below the biometric minimum |
| 300 DPI | 413 × 531 px | Minimum acceptable standard |
| 600 DPI | 826 × 1062 px | Recommended for Swiss submissions |
Upscaling does not work. Enlarging a 207 × 266 pixel image to 413 × 531 interpolates pixels rather than adding detail, and the result is soft around the eyes and hairline. Automated checks measure sharpness, so an upscaled file fails even when the pixel count reads correctly. Shoot wide and crop down.
For conversions across every country standard see passport photo size in pixels. If you need to hit a specific pixel target, the resize guide covers the mechanics, and the digital photo requirements guide covers format and file-size rules across portals. iPhone users shooting HEIC should convert first with the HEIC to JPEG guide.
Applying for a Swiss passport involves several steps across cantonal and federal levels. Understanding the process helps you prepare the right documentation — including a compliant passport photo — before your appointment.
Swiss citizens living in Switzerland apply at their cantonal passport office, usually after booking an appointment online. Bring valid identification, the completed application, payment, and two identical passport photos meeting the federal specification unless your canton captures the photo on site. Biometric data — fingerprints and a digital facial image — is recorded at the counter. The finished passport is typically posted to your registered address within about 10 working days for standard processing.
Swiss nationals residing outside Switzerland apply through the nearest Swiss embassy or consulate general. These offices accept physical passport photos and, in many locations, digital photo files submitted through the online application service. Photo requirements remain identical regardless of where the application is submitted.
Standard passport processing takes approximately 10 business days from the date of application. Express processing is available at an additional fee and reduces the turnaround to around 3–5 business days. Emergency travel documents can sometimes be issued within 24 hours in exceptional circumstances at cantonal offices.
Switzerland's photo rules combine federal ICAO compliance requirements with a few country-specific practices worth knowing before you submit.
Unlike US or Indian passport photos which use a square format, Swiss passport photos use a portrait rectangle (35×45 mm). This is the same format used across most of Europe and aligns with the standard shared by Germany, France, Italy and Austria. Submitting a square-cropped photo results in automatic rejection. The crop guide explains how the 7:9 ratio and head-height rule are applied together.
Swiss guidelines prohibit retouching, filtering or digitally altering passport photos. This includes beauty filters, skin smoothing, eye brightening, portrait blur and contrast adjustments. The photo must accurately represent the applicant's current appearance. Automated tools like Passport Photo Maker only perform compliant operations — background replacement and sizing — and do not alter facial features.
For applications processed in Switzerland, the cantonal office typically takes its own biometric digital capture at the counter, which is stored in the passport chip. Where a printed photo is still requested, it is used for the passport's printed data page. Both must accurately represent your current appearance.
The 35×45 mm size is shared, but a Swiss citizen's passport photo and a Schengen visa photo for visiting Switzerland go to different authorities through different channels. If you are a foreign national applying to enter Switzerland, see the Switzerland visa photo guide or the wider Schengen visa photo requirements.
Children of any age — including newborns — require their own Swiss passport or travel document if travelling internationally. The dimensions, background and head-height band are identical to adult photos (35×45 mm, plain light background, 27–35 mm chin to crown). There is no smaller format and no reduced head-height requirement for infants. What changes is the practical difficulty, so these are the points that most often cause a child photo to be refused.
Cantonal offices understand the difficulty of photographing infants and apply some practical latitude for very young babies, particularly on expression. Preparing several compliant attempts improves the chance of acceptance at the first appointment. Full technique for newborns and toddlers is covered in the baby passport photo at home guide, and the two checks that fail most often are explained in the eyes requirements and shadow rules pages.
Photographing a child? Upload the shot and let the tool apply the 35×45 mm crop.
Swiss passports are valid for 10 years for adults (18 and over) and 5 years for minors. When renewing, a new compliant passport photo must always be provided — even if your appearance has not changed significantly since the previous application.
The renewal process follows the same route as a new application: you attend your cantonal passport office, provide a new photo and identification, and have biometric data re-captured. There is no postal or fully digital renewal pathway in Switzerland; attendance in person is required. The expiring passport must also be presented and will be cancelled at the counter.
A photo taken for the previous passport cannot be reused, regardless of how recent it looks. Photos must have been taken within six months of the application date, which makes any photo from a prior application automatically ineligible.
Yes — and with the right setup, a home photo can be just as compliant as one taken at a professional studio. Swiss applicants frequently prepare their own photos and upload them for biometric processing. Here is what you need to get the capture right; the full list of compliance failures is in common rejection reasons below.
A modern smartphone camera (12 megapixels or higher) is sufficient. Use the rear camera where possible, as it typically produces sharper results than the front-facing camera. Ask someone else to take the photo rather than using a selfie — this keeps the camera at the correct distance and avoids lens distortion. Switch off portrait mode, background blur and any skin-smoothing setting before you shoot.
Stand or sit in front of a plain white wall, a white door, or a piece of white card hung on a wall. The background must be completely uniform — no visible textures, patterns, or furniture. If your wall has a slight off-white or light grey tone, that is generally acceptable; deep cream, beige, or yellow tones are not.
Use natural daylight from a window facing you, or set up two light sources on either side of your face to eliminate shadows. Avoid shooting with a window behind you (backlighting) or with a single overhead light source, which creates deep shadows under the chin and nose. No flash directly in the face.
Position the camera approximately 1.5 to 2 metres (5–6 feet) from your face, and stand at least 50 cm clear of the wall so no shadow falls behind your head. Your head and the tops of your shoulders should appear in the frame. Do not crop tightly — the framing adjustment happens inside Passport Photo Maker after upload.
Follow these five steps to produce a fully compliant Swiss passport photo using Passport Photo Maker:
Click the upload button on this page. You can use a photo taken on your phone or upload an existing portrait. JPG, PNG, and WebP formats are all supported.
Passport Photo Maker opens with a 35×45 mm European template — the format Switzerland uses. Confirm or adjust the country selection inside the tool if needed.
The tool detects your face and crops the image so your head height falls within the 27–35 mm range Switzerland requires. Fine-tune the crop manually if needed.
The background is automatically replaced with a compliant plain light tone. Run the built-in compliance checker to verify dimensions, head position, and background.
Download the individual 35×45 mm file for digital submission, or the 4×6 inch print sheet holding six copies arranged for standard lab printing.
Where your canton asks for printed photos, the print settings matter as much as the crop. A 35 × 45 mm photo tiles cleanly onto standard photo paper, so one sheet covers your application with copies to spare.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Print resolution | 600 DPI recommended (826 × 1062 px); 300 DPI minimum |
| Paper | Glossy or semi-gloss photo paper, 200–250 gsm. Plain copier paper is refused |
| Copies per 4 × 6 in sheet | Six 35 × 45 mm photos with cutting margins |
| Copies per A4 sheet | Around twenty, though most applicants need only two |
| Scaling | Disable fit-to-page and auto-scaling — these change the physical size |
| Colour management | sRGB. Turn off printer auto-enhance and colour correction |
| Cutting | Guillotine or steel rule for square edges. Do not cut inside the printed border |
| Handling | Let ink dry fully. Do not staple, fold or glue the photo face |
For the most reliable result, take the exported file to a pharmacy or photo lab print service, which prints at the resolution Swiss offices expect. Printer settings and cutting technique are covered in the print passport photo at home guide, and multi-copy sheet layout in the print sheet guide.
Switzerland shares its 35 × 45 mm format with its neighbours and most of Europe, which means a photo prepared for a German or French passport is dimensionally interchangeable. The United States is the notable exception — a US-format photo is refused by Swiss authorities and vice versa.
| Specification | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 🇩🇪 Germany / EU | 🇺🇸 United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 35 × 45 mm | 35 × 45 mm | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) |
| Aspect Ratio | Portrait 7:9 | Portrait 7:9 | Square 1:1 |
| Pixels @ 300 DPI | 413 × 531 px | 413 × 531 px | 600 × 600 px |
| Head Height | 27–35 mm | 32–36 mm | 25–35 mm |
| Background | Plain white or very light grey | Light grey | Plain white or off-white |
| Glasses | Strongly discouraged | Not permitted | Not permitted since 2016 |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed | Neutral, mouth closed | Neutral or natural expression |
| Submission | In person at cantonal office | In person or digital upload | Physical prints or online digital |
| Authority | fedpol (federal) / cantonal offices | Federal and municipal offices | U.S. Department of State |
| Photo Age | Within 6 months | Within 6 months | Within 6 months |
Full unit conversions for the shared European format are in the 35×45 mm photo size guide, the US square standard in 2x2 photo size, and the worldwide reference in passport size photo dimensions.
Swiss cantonal offices process a high volume of applications and refuse photos that do not precisely meet the federal biometric requirements. These are the most frequently cited reasons, each linked to the detailed rule. The full cross-country breakdown is in passport photo rejection reasons.
Skip the studio visit. Upload any portrait photo and get a fully compliant Swiss 35×45 mm passport photo in seconds — correct dimensions, light background, biometric framing included.
Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, WebP. Processing happens entirely in your browser.
A 35×45 mm European template is pre-selected. No sign-up required.
