One of the required items in the list of documents for a foreign passport is a photograph. Capturing yourself in a photo is not difficult these days. But problems may arise with images on official documents - there are too many different standards. Let's take a look at the passport photo requirements in force in 2019.
General requirements
What photographs are needed for a passport? The photo must be good quality, without darkening or other defects, on matte paper. The use of editing programs is strictly prohibited. You can make black and white or color images from the front, with or without an oval. The background must be white. Finished photographs can be used if no more than six months have passed since the shooting.
All these photo requirements are not relevant in 2019 for both old and new documents. To obtain a biometric passport, you need to take a photo in the office of the migration department using special equipment. But you will still have to bring paper photographs - they will be needed for.
How to dress
When choosing what to be photographed in, consider a few recommendations. The dress code can be casual or business. It is advisable that the color scheme be monochromatic, but not white.
What clothes are you not allowed to wear for a new passport photo? It is unacceptable to wear overalls, uniforms, caps, caps and other headwear before a photo shoot. Such photographs will simply not be accepted and will be returned along with a package of documents. Only one exception is made - for those who are forbidden by religion to walk with their heads uncovered.
Requirements for a person
The image should be in the center of the photo, the gaze should be straight. No facial expressions: no need to smile or squint your eyes. It is strictly forbidden to apply makeup, wear wigs, or do crazy hairstyles that cover half of the face. For women, light daytime makeup will be appropriate, nothing more.
If you wear glasses
Despite the fact that lenses have long been used to correct vision, many still prefer glasses. Do I need to take a passport photo wearing glasses? If you wear them only from time to time or only wear them while working, then it is better to take a photo without them. Only those who actually wear them all the time should be photographed wearing glasses for their passport. Glasses and frames should not cover or distort the outlines of the face; the eyes should be clearly visible. Sunglasses or tinted glasses should not be worn in front of the camera.
What is unacceptable
If you bring it to the migration department employee incorrectly, he will be forced to officially refuse to accept you; you will have to come again and fill out a new application. It will be especially offensive to lose time because of such a trifle as a photo card. So remember, what should under no circumstances be the parameters of the passport photo. 
Suitable only for a family album:
- frames on glossy paper;
- with “red” eyes;
- with an open mouth or smile;
- in uniform;
- if the gaze is directed to the side;
- photos taken for an internal passport or for;
- any photos where you don’t look like yourself.
- the file extension must only be JPEG;
- resolution – no more than 450 pixels per inch;
- size 200-300 KB;
- The size of the photograph when printed must correspond to the already familiar standard of 35x45 mm.
Taking pictures of children
Personal document for visiting foreign countries everyone needs it, regardless of age.
Study in more detail information about.
Biometric passports last for ten years, but are not recommended for very young children. The child will grow up, change beyond recognition, and you will have to change the document much earlier than the end. After all, simply pasting a new image will not work.
Another difficult question– how to take a photograph of a child for a foreign passport in the office of the migration department. Is it worth testing the patience of an inspector who receives several dozen people a day?
A photo for an old-style international passport for a child under 14 years of age must meet all the above-mentioned standards: closed mouth, direct gaze and no facial expressions.
Not all salon workers know how to take a photo of a newborn for a passport. Only those specialists who have experience working with such capricious clients will be suitable. The main difficulty is that you need to catch the moment when the child holds his head correctly and looks into the lens. Of course, it will have to be supported, but an important point: the baby’s passport photo should not show the parents or their body parts. 
Biometric passport photo
What is a disadvantage for small children turns out to be an advantage for adults. Having a document with a ten-year validity period is very convenient.
Now let’s talk about whether a photo is needed for a new type of international passport. Of course, it is impossible to make you a passport without your portrait. The document itself will use an image made by a migration department employee using special equipment.
A photo on a biometric passport allows you to “read” a personal parameter of your body – the distance between the pupils, which makes it impossible to use someone else’s document based on a simple portrait resemblance.
But for pasting into a questionnaire and personal file, paper photos are quite suitable. Knowing their purpose, it is easy to calculate how many photographs are needed for a new type of international passport - only two.
All of the above general requirements for the photo for a new type of international passport in 2019 remain relevant. The photo format for a new international passport is 3.5x4.5 cm.
Regular passport photo
A regular document is not only good for babies. A paper passport is quite suitable for those who rarely travel abroad, are going to get married next year and change their last name, and also in emergency cases. Subject to availability good reason it can be issued within three days.
The photo requirements for an old-style international passport in 2019 are not much different from the requirements for a biometric document. The only difference is that there should be a blurry oval at the bottom of the image. The dimensions of the photo on an old-style international passport are also the same - 35x45 mm.
How many photos do you need for an old-style international passport? Only four images are required. There is no need to paste them into the application form yourself.
A photo for a 5-year international passport can be taken at any studio, it will take very little time. You just need to first agree with the photographer on all the details. 
We issue a passport via the Internet
Receive a certain service without leaving home -. True, even those who have chosen a new passport and submitted documents electronically will need to come to the migration department to have their photo taken.
A regular photo for government services for a foreign passport online will also be needed. It will need to be uploaded to digital form along with other documents.
The requirements for a photo for a foreign passport in electronic form are as follows:
Of course, these are only the characteristics of the sent file; the image itself must meet all the above requirements.
How to take a photo for a foreign passport for a government service website? You can use the services of a studio, but do not print the photo on paper, but record it on an electronic medium, for example, on a flash card. If you have a paper photograph, you can scan it and adjust the file parameters to the required ones.
Take a photo yourself
How to take a passport photo for government services at home? To do this, you will need a camera with good resolution, a white background, lighting and skills in a graphics editor. This equipment is enough to create a file for sending over the Internet. You can print a photo at home if you have a color printer and high-quality photo paper. And if not, put it on a flash drive and take it to any studio.
Lighting
For the background you will need a piece of white fabric or whatman paper. Hang it on the wall or window. To avoid unnecessary shadows in the image, the lighting should be even. The easiest way to achieve this effect is to combine natural light from a window with a camera flash. In this case, the window should be directly in front of you or behind you. Light coming from the side will create shadows. 
Accommodation
Position yourself about half a meter from the background and two to three meters from the camera. The lens should be at face level. It is advisable to install the camera on a tripod or any other fixed stand. This is where it is advisable to have an assistant. Someone has to focus the camera on your face and press a button.
Editing
The captured file is ready for editing. The main task is to make the background white and adjust the image to the size we need. For those who do not have the skills to work in Photoshop, other programs specially created for non-professionals can help them take a photo for a foreign passport on their own. With a little practice, you can easily save on trips to salons.
What are the prices
How much does a photo cost for an old-style international passport? The price depends on the photo studio and the size of your locality; it ranges approximately from 100 to 250 rubles. More accurate figures can be found on the Internet or by visiting your nearest studio.
The price for a passport photo may increase if you wish to use additional services For example, you might want to be in a business suit in the photo. By the way, printing services finished photos from electronic media cost almost the same as creating a photo from scratch.
How much does a photo cost for a new international passport? Paper portraits for old and new passports are no different, so their cost will be the same. Even though you only need two pieces, you will have to pay for a full set of four to six pieces.
And you don’t need to pay anything for a special photo taken by the migration service. Apparently, the cost of its production is paid by the state fee for the document.
Examples of good photos
Here you can see correct sample photo for an old-style international passport.
Images with errors are more varied.
Lawyer: Igor Romanovsky
Migration law
Articles written
Today, Russians issue an old-style international passport as often as they issue a new-format identity card. Biometrics are actively entering the lives of Russian citizens, but despite this, classic foreign passports are still popular. The demand for the old type document is explained by a number of advantages:
- low cost of registration;
- minimum processing time;
- the ability to include children;
- validity period 5 years;
- simple requirements for the package of papers.
It requires special attention because it contains strict requirements when accepting documents at the FMS office.
The most important documents for obtaining a passport are a form with personal data and a photo. Requirements for images change quite often, according to innovations in legislation. Inappropriate size and parameters of the photograph may lead to refusal of passport registration, the need to redo the photograph and additional costs.
In order to obtain an old-style international passport, you must provide 4 photos of the established format. Sometimes you need fewer photos, in which case employees of the FMS department will return the remaining photos to the owner.
With the introduction of a new type of foreign passport, the photo requirements for a foreign passport have also changed. The fact is that now the electronic chip contains, in addition to other information, a two-dimensional photograph depicting the face of the document owner. That is, the image must be available in electronic form. A photo for a new type of international passport, if taken independently, must meet certain requirements in 2019.
Paper photos
- Size – 35 x 45 mm.
- Printed on photo paper.
- Color or black and white (full color preferred).
- Photo paper should be matte.
- The face does not fit into an oval or frame.
- The photo is taken strictly from the front.
- Light background for photography.
To obtain an old-style ID, you must provide four copies of the photo. New generation passports will require only two photographs.
Biometric passport photo
When issuing documents of a new type in 2019, a photo for a foreign passport is taken by an inspector of the state agency for migration issues. In this case, employees use special equipment configured to the correct parameters. Obviously, in this case, all the requirements that a photograph must meet in electronic form are automatically met.
In addition, if necessary additional processing images, the government agency must have special graphic editors that allow you to quickly correct the resulting image.
If the state agency for migration issues at the territorial internal affairs body located at the applicant’s place of residence does not have equipment that meets the necessary characteristics for obtaining biometric data of a citizen, he must apply for a new international passport to a government agency equipped with everything necessary. Today, there is already a fairly large list of multifunctional centers capable of issuing new passports, and therefore taking photographs for them in electronic form.
When applying for a biometric document, you must also provide two paper photographs. The requirements for them are similar to those described above for the old-style certificate. These images are used for the application form for issuing a foreign document.
Photography for minors and minors also meets the presented characteristics.
General image requirements
When ordering or making a photo for a passport, you need to take into account not only the size, but also the style of the image. The applicant must wear plain (but not white) clothing. Uniforms and workwear are not allowed. It is also prohibited for the face to be obscured by objects such as sunglasses, hats, or jewelry. Headdresses are permissible only if they are for religious reasons, but they must not cover the face. If the applicant wears glasses (for vision), then they must be present in the photograph.
The photo should not have any creases, highlights, shadows or other imperfections.
Facial expression should be neutral. The person's gaze should be directed directly at the camera lens.
The background for the photograph should be neutral, plain and light. Motley, multi-colored colors and patterns on the background are not allowed. Also, the image should not have “corners”, ovals, frames and other unnecessary details.
Digital photo yourself
When submitting documents for a new generation international passport through the government services portal, the applicant must attach a photograph in electronic form to the application. The system will automatically check the photo for compliance with the necessary requirements.
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