Finland passport photo rules from the Finnish Police (Poliisi)
Finnish passport photographs are governed by the Finnish Police (Poliisi), operating under the Ministry of the Interior. The current technical specification was issued in 2020 and remains in force, with the same standard applied to passports, national identity cards, residence permits handled by Migri, and driving licences issued through Traficom. Every facial photograph submitted for these documents must follow one unified rule set.
Most submissions in Finland are made digitally through Poliisi’s Lupakuvapalvelu service, where the photographer uploads the image and the applicant receives a six-character receipt code. The portal validates the photo automatically and applies the published rules strictly. Photos that fail any subject-side requirement, such as expression, gaze, eyewear, or visible accessories, are rejected and the application cannot proceed until a compliant photograph is supplied.
Finnish Police passport photo requirements
Poliisi sets a single national photo standard that applies to passports, identity cards, residence permits, and driving licences. The rules below cover what the subject must look like in the frame.
Expression & pose
- Neutral expressionPoliisi requires a neutral facial expression. Smiling, frowning, raised eyebrows, and squinting are not accepted.
- Mouth closedThe mouth must be closed and teeth must not be visible.
- Eyes open and visibleBoth eyes must be open and looking directly at the camera. Hair, frames, and accessories must not cross or obscure the eyes.
- Head straightHold the head straight without tilting sideways, forward, or backward. The face and eyes must point directly at the camera.
- Square shouldersShoulders must be in line with the face and turned squarely toward the camera. Looking over the shoulder is not accepted.
Eyewear & lenses
- EyeglassesPoliisi recommends removing eyeglasses for the photo. If worn, frames must not be near or cover any part of the eyes, frames must not be thick, and there must be zero glare on the lenses.
- Tinted lensesTinted or dark lenses are not permitted except for documented medical reasons.
- Contact lensesClear prescription contact lenses are acceptable. Cosmetic or coloured contact lenses that alter the natural appearance of the eyes are not permitted.
Hair
- Face visibilityHair must not cover the eyes or eyebrows. Long bangs covering the eyebrows must be pinned back.
- Voluminous hairVoluminous hair may occupy the space above the crown, but the chin-to-crown measurement set by Poliisi still governs how the head sits in the frame.
- Wigs and hairpiecesWigs are permitted only when worn daily for documented medical reasons. The same visibility rules apply as for natural hair.
Headwear
- General ruleHeadwear is not permitted. The exception is head coverings worn for religious or medical reasons.
- Permitted head coveringsWhen a head covering is worn, the full face from chin to forehead and side to side must remain visible. The covering must be of uniform colour with no patterns and no visible perforations.
- No shadows from headwearThe head covering must not cast shadows on the face.
Jewelry & accessories
- Subtle jewelrySmall earrings, necklaces, and facial piercings are permitted provided they do not cover facial features, cast shadows, or create reflections. Large, dangling, or mirror-finished pieces are discouraged.
- Hair accessoriesFlat hair accessories that do not obscure the face or cast shadows are acceptable.
- Headphones and earbudsHeadphones, earbuds, and wireless hands-free devices are not permitted in the photo.
Cosmetics
- Everyday makeupEveryday makeup is permitted provided it does not make identification more difficult.
- Heavy contouringHeavy contouring or makeup that alters apparent facial geometry is not permitted.
- TattoosPermanent tattoos are accepted as part of natural appearance.
Clothing
- Contrast with backgroundClothing must contrast clearly with the background. White or very light clothing against the light background is not accepted because the subject blurs into the laser-engraved document image.
- No uniformsUniforms, clothing that resembles a uniform, and camouflage are not permitted. Regular street clothes are required.
- Chin and necklineClothing must not cover the chin or obscure the neckline.
Photo quality
- No red-eyeRed-eye is not accepted and must be prevented at capture rather than corrected afterwards.
- No facial shadowsThere must be no shadows on the face, in the eye sockets, or behind the ears. Shadows cast by a hat brim or by uneven light are grounds for rejection.
- Sharp focusThe face must be sharp and in focus. Motion blur from the subject moving is not accepted.
Dimensions, resolution & background.
Head position & camera distance.
- Head height, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head, must be between 33 mm and 37 mm (roughly 71–78% of the photo height).
- Eyes must sit between 21 mm and 26 mm from the bottom of the photo.
- Top margin (from the top of the head to the top edge): 4–6 mm.
- The head must be centered horizontally in the frame, with a small symmetrical margin on each side.
- Shoulders must be square to the camera and both visible. No three-quarter angles or rotated torso.
- The full face, from chin to crown, must be inside the frame with proper top margin.
Finland accepts more than one size — we generate them all.
Finland publishes more than one acceptable format depending on where you submit your application — domestic passport offices, the official online portal, and regional consulates abroad can each call for a different print or pixel size. We render every variant below from the same source photo, so the head sits at the same physical position across files, and each one arrives in your order email with a clear filename indicating which submission channel it's for.
Finland Passport 36×47 mm
Primary specFinland's recommended print format — accepted at most in-country submissions and the default we render first.
Finland Passport 500×653 px — online
Digital uploadPixel-exact format required by the official online portal upload.
How recent the photo must be.
Your passport photo must have been taken within the last six months. A new photo is required sooner whenever your appearance has changed in a way that makes the old photo no longer recognizable.
You need a new photo if you’ve had…
- Facial surgery or a major change to facial structure
- A significant gain or loss of weight that visibly changes your face
- Large facial tattoos or piercings added or removed
- A gender transition that has changed your appearance
You do not need a new photo just because of…
- A new hair color
- Growing or removing a beard or moustache
- Ordinary, minor aging
- A new hairstyle that still leaves the face fully visible
Photos for infants and young children.
Poliisi relaxes a small number of rules for younger applicants. All other requirements apply as they do for adults.
Infants and very young babies
Expression and pose are applied with limited flexibility for very young babies, but the core visibility rules still hold.
- ExpressionSmiling is not permitted. The mouth may be very slightly open.
- EyesEyes must be open. The closed-eyes allowance used by some other countries does not apply under Poliisi rules.
- Lying-down photographyBabies may be photographed lying on a plain light sheet shot from directly above.
- Nobody else in frameSupporting hands, parents, toys, pacifiers, and chairs must not be visible in the photo.
Children under 11
Children aged 0 to 10 follow the adult rules with one allowance for head size.
- Reduced head heightThe chin-to-crown measurement may be smaller than the adult minimum when blurring or distortion cannot otherwise be avoided, but the head must still measure at least 25 mm.
- All other rules applyNeutral expression, open eyes, square pose, and the standard background and framing rules apply as for adults.
Country-specific details to know.
A few Finnish specifics are worth flagging because they catch applicants out.
Pixel-exact submissions
Poliisi’s Lupakuvapalvelu portal rejects digital photos that are not exactly 500 by 653 pixels. Even a one-pixel deviation causes automatic rejection.
Laser-engraved greyscale output
The final document image is laser-engraved in greyscale. Colour contrast between the subject and the background must survive greyscale conversion, which is why Poliisi prefers light grey over pure white.
Driving licence size is too small
The 35 by 45 mm driving licence print size used in some other countries is explicitly insufficient in Finland. The required size is 36 by 47 mm.
Photographer upload code
Most Finnish applications use a photographer upload to Lupakuvapalvelu, which produces a six-character receipt code the applicant enters with the passport application. Selfies are not accepted.
As easy as snap, upload, done.
You take a quick picture. We do the spec work and tell you immediately if anything needs a retake.
Free to check. You only pay when you keep it.
Print & paper standards.
If you submit a printed photo with a paper application, the print itself has to meet acceptance-facility standards in addition to the rules above.
- High-quality photographic paper (matte or glossy finish).
- Inkjet printing is not accepted. Use a professional photo lab.
- No visible pixels, banding, dithering, or printer artifacts.
- The print must be undamaged: no creases, holes, smudges, staples, or pinholes.
- Do not write on the back of the photo.